with the besiegers on the slowness of their horses, or prophesying
great results from Sher Singh's personal influence in raising up
sympathisers in the north. It was quite evident that they meant it to
be believed that Sher Singh was not in the city, but the actual news
from the north did not support them. Lieutenant Ronaldson sent word
that an emissary from Sher Singh, sent to stir up his tribesmen against
the English, had unfortunately just slipped through his fingers, but
though intrigues were heard of in abundance from various quarters,
there were no tidings of the Rajah himself. Meanwhile, the slow
progress of the siege continued, until it received a sudden
acceleration by means of a lucky shot from a howitzer, which dropped
into the enemy's chief magazine, and blew it up. After this, events
came in quick succession. The Agpuris were driven first from their
various positions outside the city walls, then from the suburbs, and a
rough road was levelled through the ruins, that the guns might be
brought to bear upon the palace fortress itself. For the whole of one
day they pounded at the walls which Partab Singh had constructed as the
aid to his ambitious designs, and at night it was pronounced that the
breach was practicable for the next day. But in the morning a flag of
truce came out, borne by old Sada Sukhi, a persona grata on account of
his loyalty to Nisbet and Cowper, and it was announced that the
garrison, commanded in the absence of the Rajah by the Diwan Dwarika
Nath, desired to surrender. Before any terms could be granted, it was
required that Sarfaraz Khan and a number of others known to have been
concerned in the murder of the two Englishmen should be handed over,
and this was done, though merely the dead body of the treacherous
captain of the guard, who had poisoned himself with a drug concealed in
the hilt of his sword, could be carried out to the conquerors. A
parley between Sada Sukhi and the political officer with the force
settled the terms of surrender for the fighting men and the civil
inhabitants, the cases of any who might hereafter prove to have taken
an active part in the murders being specially reserved, and the remains
of the Agpur army marched out, and were duly disarmed.

Much curiosity was evinced by the British troops forming part of the
besieging army as to the fortress which had held them at bay so long,
and Gerrard, wandering through the place when the transfer of authority
w