y shell fire. Two companies of Pioneers with one in reserve
were sent forward to the attack.

The first objective was two villages forming the base of the triangle of
which I have spoken. The troops advanced cautiously, widely extended,
but both villages were found deserted. They were set on fire. Then
Captain Hodgson with a company went forward to the village forming the
apex of the triangle. He came under a flanking fire from the villages
on the left, and had one man severely wounded. The houses in front
seemed to be unoccupied, and our right might have been swung round to
face this fire; but Colonel Brander was determined to do the work
thoroughly, and Hodgson was directed to move on and burn the village
ahead of him before changing front. The troops accordingly took no
notice of the flanking fire, and moved on till they were under the walls
of the two houses of which the village was composed.

Suddenly fire was opened on our soldiers from the upper windows of the
two houses. All the doors were found blocked with bricks and stones. Two
Sikhs dropped, and for the moment it seemed as if we would lose heavily.
But Lieutenant Gurdon with half a dozen men rushed up with a box of
explosives, and blew a breach in the wall. Two of the party helping to
lay the fuse were killed by shots fired from a loophole a few feet
above. Captain Hodgson was the first man through the breach. He was
confronted by a swordsman, who cut hard just as Hodgson fired his
revolver. The man fell dead, but Hodgson received a severe wound on the
wrist. But this was the only man who stood after the explosion. About
thirty others in the village rushed to the roofs of the houses, jumped
off, and fled to the left. They came, however, under a very heavy fire
as they were running away, and the majority dropped.

Preparations were now made for taking the remaining village. This was
protected by a high loopholed embankment, which sheltered about five or
six hundred of the enemy. The Pioneers had just extended, and were
advancing, when someone who happened to be looking at the jong through
his glasses suddenly uttered a loud exclamation. Turning round, we all
saw a dense stream of men, several thousands in number, forming up at
the base of the rock, evidently with the intention of rushing the
mission post whilst the majority of the garrison and the guns were
engaged elsewhere. Colonel Brander immediately gave the order for the
whole force to retire into the