In Times of Peril: A Tale of IndiaHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
In Times of Peril: A Tale of India
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Juvenile fiction
The garrison of Gubbins' house had now less cover than before, for the
building had been reduced almost to a shell by the enemy's fire, and
all the women and children had the day before been removed to other
quarters. The Residency itself was a tottering mass of ruins, and this
also had been emptied of its helpless ones, who were crowded in a great
underground room in the Begum Khotee. It is difficult to form an idea
of the storm of shot and shell which swept the space inclosed within
the lines of defense, but some notion may be obtained from the fact
that an officer had the curiosity to count the number of cannon balls
of various sizes that fell on the roof of the brigade messhouse in one
day, and found that they amounted to the almost incredible number of
two hundred and eighty. Living such a life as this, the Warreners were
rejoiced when they received orders, with ten of the other defenders of
the ruins of Gubbins' house, to join in the sortie on the 20th of
August. About a hundred of the garrison formed up in the Sikh Square,
and at the word being given dashed over the stockade and intrenchment,
and made a charge for Johannes' house. This had throughout the siege
been the post from which the enemy had most annoyed them, the king of
Oude's negro in particular having killed a great many of our officers
and men. It was from this point that the mines being driven, and it was
determined at all hazards to destroy it.
The rush of the British took the enemy by surprise. Scarce a shot was
fired until they had traversed half the distance, and then a heavy fire
of musketry opened from all the houses held by the enemy. Still the
English pushed on at full speed, without pausing to return a shot. With
a cheer they burst into the inclosure in which the house stood, and
while half the party entered it and engaged in a furious combat with
those within, the others, in accordance with orders, pressed forward
into the houses beyond, so as to keep the enemy from advancing to the
assistance of their friends, thus caught in a trap. The Warreners
belonged to the party who advanced, and were soon engaged in a
hand-to-hand fight with the enemy. Scattering through the houses, they
drove the Sepoys before them. The Warreners were fighting side by side
with Mr. Johnson, and with him, after driving the enemy through the
next house, they entered an outhouse beyond it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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