the enemy. Here
they defended themselves till it was set on fire. Of four officers who
were with the party, all were badly wounded--three of them mortally.
The conduct of the defence therefore devolved on Mr Home; and as it was
by his active exertions, before being forced into the house, that the
wounded were then saved, so now to his coolness and intrepidity the
continued defence of the building was mainly due. Hour after hour
passed by, one after the other dropping, till only he and six companions
remained to fire. Still they persevered, though they had almost
abandoned hope, and had resigned themselves to their fate. At length, a
little after daybreak, they were aroused by distant firing. They did
not, however, believe that it announced any help to them, but rather the
return of more foes. Still it approached nearer and nearer, when a
brave soldier of the 1st Madras Fusiliers, John Ryan, suddenly jumping
up, shouted, "Oh, boys! them's our chaps!" The little band, leaping to
their feet, united in a hearty cheer, crying out to their friends to
keep on the right, while they fired into the loopholes from which the
enemy were annoying them. In about three minutes, Captain Moorsom, who
had led the party to their relief, appeared at the entrance-hole of the
shed, and they beckoning to him, he entered.

It was by the admirable arrangements of this officer that the little
band were brought safely off, and soon after reached the palace, with
the rearguard of the 90th. On this occasion, Private McManus, 5th
Regiment, kept outside the house, and continued behind a pillar, firing
on the sepoys, to prevent their rushing into it, till he was himself
wounded. He also, in conjunction with Private John Ryan, rushed into
the street under a heavy fire, and took Captain Arnold, 1st Madras
Fusiliers, out of a dooly, and brought him into the house, that officer
being again hit while they were so doing.

Among the many gallant men we may mention Captain George Alexander
Renny, and Gunner William Conolly, of the Bengal Horse Artillery. After
the capture of the Delhi magazine, 16th September 1857, a vigorous
attack was made on it by the enemy. Under cover of a heavy cross fire
from the high houses on the right flank of the magazine, and from
Selinghur and the palace, the enemy advanced to the high wall of the
magazine, and endeavoured to set fire to a thatched roof. This was
partially accomplished, but the fire was extinguished