Bugler Hawthorne to sound the advance;
and eight native sappers.

This work was to have been done before dawn; but, through some mistake,
it was daylight before they reached the spot. Lieutenant Home walked
through the outer barrier gate, which he found open, and crossed the
broken drawbridge with four men, each carrying a bag of powder. The
enemy in alarm shut the wicket, and Home had time to arrange his bags
and jump into the ditch. The firing party followed, with four more bags
of powder and a lighted port-fire. The enemy now understood what the
party were about. The wicket was open, and through it, from above and
from every side, came the bullets of the sepoys. Lieutenant Salkeld was
wounded in two places, but passed the light to Sergeant Carmichael, who
fell dead while attempting to fire the train. Havildar Madhoo was also
wounded. The port-fire was next seized by Sergeant Burgess. Scarcely
had he time to apply it successfully to the powder, than he too sank
with a mortal wound. Sergeant Smith ran forward to see that all was
right, while Bugler Hawthorne lifted up Lieutenant Salkeld; and barely
had they time to leap for safety into the ditch than the explosion took
place, and instantly afterwards the storming column burst through the
shattered gates. For ever associated with the storming of Delhi will be
the names of the two young Lieutenants Home and Salkeld, and the brave
men who accompanied them.

Bugler Hawthorne, after sounding the advance, bore away Salkeld on his
shoulders, and did not leave him till he had bound up his wounds and
deposited him in a place of safety. The four heroes who survived were
recommended for the Victoria Cross, but Salkeld died of his wounds, and
the gallant Home lost his life by accident not two weeks afterwards; so
that two only, Sergeant Smith and Bugler Hawthorne, received their
honours.

Meantime the storming columns had marched on with deep and steady tramp.
The Rifles ran forward in skirmishing order, and the heads of the first
two columns issued from the Koodsia Bagh at a quick march. No sooner
were their front ranks seen, than a storm of bullets showered upon them
from every side. At the breach of the Cashmere gate, for some minutes
it was impossible to put ladders down into the ditch. The ladders were
thrown down, but they were quickly again raised against the escarp.
Numbers are struck down, some to rise no more; others again scramble
up,--the groans of t