a native, who, for a bribe, undertook to show
the way, pushed on along the causeway till the city ditch was reached.
Here it was seen that, on one side of the gateway, part of the wall had
tumbled down. Halting for an instant to gain breath, Captain Tarleton
singing out, `On, my lads!' away all hands dashed right up to the wall,
and, scrambling over it like cats, jumped down inside, to the great
astonishment of the enemy, who, not liking their looks, fled for shelter
within their great pagoda; for these fellows always seemed to think that
their temples were the safest places.

"The boats had, in the meantime, been attacked, but were bravely
defended; and the troops, pushing on, soon made their way unexpectedly
into the city. Before the Burmese were aware what we were about, we
stormed the great pagoda, which we soon carried, and the city was ours,
with the loss of one man killed and three wounded. After blowing up the
fortifications, as we had not troops enough to hold the place, we
returned to Rangoon.

"After this we had a good deal of boat-work, cruising along the banks of
the rivers, and dislodging the enemy, who often appeared in some force,
for the purpose of trying to stop the provision-boats which came down to
supply the fleet with grub. Sometimes we landed and drove the fellows
far away into the country. Although they were ready enough to fire at
us from a distance, they never liked the look of our whiskers," whereat
there was a general laugh.

"Whose whiskers, Tom?" asked Archie.

"Well, those of the sogers and bluejackets, of course," said Tom; "how
could they tell that I hadn't a pair too?"

"Well, go on, Rogers," cried several voices; "what did you do next?"

"There was another large place," he resumed, "called Prome, high up the
river, which it was considered important to take, as it formed the chief
defence of the capital. Captain Tarleton was, therefore, ordered to
proceed up the Irrawaddy in the _Medusa_, with three other steamers, of
one of which my brother Jack had the command. Away we steamed for some
distance, without any of the enemy daring to show their faces. We had,
as you will understand, already put them all to flight. At length, at a
place with a precious hard name, Kononghee, about twenty-five miles
below Prome, we came in sight of a large body of men collected on the
banks. We threw a shell into their midst, as a hint to them to be off,
instead of which they began firing awa