Fortunately there was ample shelter for the horses among the buildings, which had been fortified and enclosed by a strong earthwork and barricade under my father's orders; and here, with the women and children for the most part in the partially underground cellarage of the Residency, the gallant little garrison had still held out after Brooke's departure, in spite of their thirst, and the constant harassing attacks kept up by the enemy. They had again and again felt that all was over, but still kept up the struggle till a sudden commotion in the city, and the sight of fresh troops pouring in, seemed completely to crush out their last hopes. For they had clung to the belief that Mr Brooke would succeed in making their position known, and bring reinforcements, but these had come to the other side. There had seemed to be nothing left but to fight to the last, and, when the enemy mastered the barricades, to retreat to the building beside that where the women and children were, and apply a match to the magazine--finding death, but avenging it upon their cowardly foes, who must have perished by hundreds in the explosion, so large was the store of powder in the place. Our arrival had been in the nick of time, and a scene of frantic joy had ensued; but it was soon at an end, for the guns had to be worked again after a very brief period utilised in getting them into position. Still, small as was the reinforcement, it placed the powder-blackened, ragged, haggard men--soldiers and civilians--in a far better position, and they rushed to the batteries and loopholes, to help pour a rain of bullets on the advancing enemy, while the dismounted lancers worked guns which had been silent for want of help, and our six-pounders grew hot with the rapidity of the fire. "How long will the colonel be?" said Haynes, coming to my side for a few moments, our men needing no encouragement, but fighting the guns with a look of suppressed rage in their eyes, as if they were seeking to avenge the blow which had fallen upon their captain. "I cannot say," I replied. "Certainly not till dark." "Then he will be too late," said Haynes, gloomily. "We shall never be able to hold out till then. Danby is getting busier every moment." "Yes; it's those black wretches on that big building," I said, pointing at a place a little over a hundred yards away; and as I spoke, a bullet whistled by my ear. "They have some of their best marksmen there. Never mind; let's show them we have good marksmen too." He did as I suggested, and three of our guns were trained and shotted, two being aimed by Sergeant Craig and Denny, whom Brace had made corporal, during the past few days. "Quickly as you can," I said, as shot after shot was fired from the roof of the building.