uadron of Irregular (mutinied) cavalry was coming in our direction
over the parade-ground, with a blue squadron of (mutinied) regular
cavalry in support, both trotting; so, of course, we went for the Red
(head of the echellon they formed).

Then I saw French shot, and the hind quarters of his grey horse pass
round the left flank of my little troop; then I gave the word GALLOP,
and the Red squadron, to my surprise, _halted_.

Observing its leader taking aim at me with his carbine, I inclined a
little to my left, in order to stick him, never dreaming that I should
be hit before I could do so, and I was almost within reach before he
fired, and his bullet went through my bridle arm, so I had to take my
reins on my sword hand and jam my horse into the ranks, just behind the
squadron leader who had shot me.

Now to clear up your mystery about my being left to my fate (I had
specially asked Colonel Jones how he happened to be left alone amongst
the Sepoys, whose numbers were registered by his sabre cuts in so
ghastly a fashion), I was not left to my fate; on the contrary, the man
on the left of my troop, who alone could see, put his lance through the
squadron leader, and stayed about--outside the ring--trying to get to me
to the last, and got the V.C. on my report to that effect.

My troop, occupying, in double rank, about twenty yards, went straight
on after the twenty yards or so front of the enemy's probable front of
perhaps fifty yards. So there were plenty of Sowars left to mob round
me and to keep off the man who tried to save me. Of course, my men were
quite right in pursuing the broken force as they did, right off the
field.

This account has the immense advantage of being taken verbatim from
Colonel Jones' letter just received by me. It has the _disadvantage_
that such a letter, from a brave man, would naturally possess--_i.e._
that of minimising his share in the episode to the point of making it
difficult for the lay mind to realise where the heroism came in--which
heroism is a vital point in my "coincidence." Fortunately, I have the
best authority for saying that the "Blunt" mentioned in this record
always maintained that Colonel Alfred Jones had "saved his guns." It
appears that at the time of the unexpected attack from the enemy,
Colonel Jones and two or three friends (who had not gone to the fort)
were breakfasting under the shade of the cemetery wall when the alarm
was given. My friend, wishing to rest hi