hey hurled themselves on that part of the large zereba which was
defended by the Bengal Native Infantry. These fired a volley, but
failed to check the impetuous rush. Everything went down before the
savages, and the Native Infantry broke and fled, throwing into dire
confusion the transport animals which stood in their immediate rear.

General McNeill himself dashed in among the panic-stricken men and
sought to arrest them. He succeeded for a time in rallying some of them
in Number 1 zereba, but another rush of the Arabs sent them flying a
second time, and some of the enemy got into the square, it is said, to
the number of 112. The Berkshire men, however, stood fast, and not a
soul who got into that square ever got out of it alive. In this
wretched affair the 17th Bengal Native Infantry lost their brave
commander. He was killed while trying to rally them.

The confusion was now increased by the enemy driving the baggage-animals
hither and thither, especially on to another half-battalion square of
the Berkshire Regiment. Here, however, they were effectually checked.
As the Atlantic billows burst in impotent turmoil on the cliffs of
Cornwall, so the enemy fell upon and were hurled back by the steadfast
Berkshire Regiment, which scarcely lost a man, while over two hundred of
their opponents lay dead around them.

The Bombay Regiment also stood fast, and redeemed, to some extent, the
credit of their country; while the Sikhs, as might have been expected of
them, never flinched for a moment, but strewed the plain around them
with dead and dying men.

There was horrible carnage for some time--unflinching valour being
opposed to desperate courage; and while a burning sense of injury, with
a resolve to conquer or die, was the motive power, no doubt, on one
side, on the other there was the high sense of duty to Queen and
country, and the pride of historical renown.

Owing to the suddenness of the attack, and the occupation of the troops
at the moment, there was some mixing up of men of different regiments.
One company of Sikhs, who were helping to unload the camels when the
fight began, having been prevented from joining their own regiment, cast
in their lot with the marines. The better to help their European
comrades these vigorous fellows leaped outside the zereba and lay down
in front of it, and the two bodies together gave the charging foe such a
warm reception that they never got within twenty yards of them.

Bu