ocksmith, and knocked off the locks, when I found the rooms full of
bales of silk and shawls. I had just removed one of the largest bales
from the top, and was in the very act of walking off with it, when, on
turning round, a most brilliant eye met mine, set in one of the most
hideous heads I had ever beheld. What monster this could be I could not
at first imagine; nor did I stop very long to consider, but marched off
rather precipitately with my prize; being at the moment more frightened
than I was willing to confess, even to myself. On reflection, I was
ashamed of my fears; so, having "screwed my courage to the
sticking-post," in I marched again, with a drawn sword in my hand, and,
having convinced myself, by a second peep, that my friend with the
glaring eyes was no other personage than one of the gods Mahadooh, I
saluted him with a cut across his face for taking up his quarters in
that solitary place, and took the liberty of making free with all the
silks and shawls under his protection. A short time after, we returned
to quarters at Cawnpore, to spend the produce of our short campaign,
Holkar having retired to a distant part of India, to his winter
quarters.

Early in the following spring, our active enemy was again in the field,
and approaching the city of Delhi, where the inhabitants were not very
well disposed towards us, and in which we had but a small force of
native troops. We immediately marched, by forced marches, to their
relief, and found Mr. Holkar had been besieging that place, but that,
some two or three days before our arrival, he had raised the siege and
crossed the river Jumna; a necessary precaution on his part, for our
cavalry were lightly equipped. Colonel Burn, to his praise be it spoken,
was marching from the opposite direction towards Delhi, for the succour
of that place, with five companies of native infantry, when he
unfortunately fell in with the whole body of Holkar's cavalry; and,
wonderful to say, he made his retreat good to Shamlee, a large town,
fighting every inch of his way. There he took possession of a small
gurry, or mud fort, for the space of six days, defending himself against
an immense body of the enemy, suffering most dreadful privations, and
worn out by continual watching. The grand army crossed the Jumna, to the
rescue of Colonel Burn and his little band of native heroes, and in two
days afforded him the succour he so much wanted, having, with this view,
performed a distanc