nded, and by trying to keep up the spirits of the other
ladies. Nuna imitated her example.

Their trials, however, were not over. Intelligence sufficient to alarm
the most stout-hearted came in: that a force of upwards of twenty
thousand men was marching on Allahapoor, with the intention of occupying
that city, and that they threatened to take the fort and destroy its
garrison before doing so.

Colonel Ross did not conceal the information he had received. "We must
hold out, as before, as long as our ammunition lasts; and that failing,
we must place the ladies and wounded in our midst, and cut our way
through the foe."

All swore to fight as long as they had arms to wield their swords.

Two days passed away, when about noon, as the hot air quivered over the
plain, the blue and red uniforms of the enemy's cavalry appeared in
sight. They approached, a vast horde thronging up in the distance.
Column after column of infantry appeared following the cavalry, with
numerous pieces of artillery. The rebels were evidently intent on the
utter destruction of the fort. The lesson given by the mutineers at
Delhi, Cawnpore, and many other places, warned the English and their
allies against any attempt at negotiation. As the fort had before
resisted with so small a garrison as it then possessed, now, when they
had several pieces of artillery and were reinforced with Burnett's
horse, they had good reason to hope that they should be able to resist
the fiercest attack the mutineers were likely to make. At length came
the awful question, Will the powder hold out? Colonel Ross had
calculated the hours it would do so. It would encourage the enemy were
he not to return their fire with vigour, and dishearten the natives of
his own party should they discover the short time they would have the
means of resisting their sanguinary foes.

The enemy's guns at length drawing near, opened fire, without any
attempt at throwing up breastworks, their only shelter being such as the
ground afforded. Had they not been supported by so large a body of
cavalry and foot, Burnett declared that nothing would have been easier
than to capture them; as it was, he waited for an opportunity which he
thought might occur. Most of the shot, as before, struck the
earthworks; for the Enfield rifles prevented the guns from being brought
near enough to do much damage. The rear of the fort, it must be
remembered, was protected by rugged heights, to the summit