Cawnpore was now but forty miles away, and Lucknow was about the same
distance, but in a different direction; and as they stretched themselves
on the ground and prepared for sleep, they could distinctly hear the dull,
faint sounds that told of a heavy artillery fire. At which of the
stations, or if at both, the firing was going on, they could not tell; but
in fact it was at Cawnpore, as this was the 25th of June, and the siege of
the Lucknow Residency did not begin in earnest until the 30th of that
month.

The course had now to be decided upon, and maps were consulted, and it was
determined to cross the river at Sirapore. It was agreed, too, that they
should, at the first village they passed through that evening, question
the inhabitants as to the bodies of rebels moving about, and find out
whether any large number were stationed at any of the bridges.

At nine o'clock in the evening they were again in the saddle, and an hour
later halted at a village. There several of the men were examined
separately, and their stories agreed that there were no large bodies of
Sepoys on the line by which they proposed to travel, but that most of the
talookdars were preparing to march to Lucknow and Cawnpore, when the
British were destroyed. Having thus learned that the bridge by which they
intended to cross was open to them, the troop again proceeded on their
way, leaving the village lost in astonishment as to where this body of
British horse could have come from.

Upon this night's ride Ned and Dick Warrener were on rearguard--that is to
say, they rode together some two hundred yards behind the rest of the
squadron.