repelled, but the sufferings of the besieged were frightful. There was but
one well, in the middle of the intrenchments, and upon this by night and
by day the enemy concentrated their fire, so that it might be said that
every bucket of water cost a man's life. After four or five days of
incessant bombardment, the enemy took to firing red-hot shot, and on the
13th the barracks were set on fire, and, a strong wind blowing, the fire
spread so rapidly that upward of fifty sick and wounded were burned. The
other buildings were so riddled with shot and shell that they afforded
scarcely any shelter. Many of the besieged made holes in the ground or
under the banks of the intrenchments; but the deaths from sunstroke and
fever were even more numerous than those caused by the murderous and
incessant fire.

In the city a reign of terror prevailed. All the native Christians were
massacred, with their wives and families; and every white prisoner brought
in--and they were many--man, woman, or child, was taken before the Nana,
and murdered by his orders.

Day by day the sufferings of the garrison in the intrenchments became
greater, and the mortality among the woman and children was terrible.
Every day saw the army of the Nana increasing, by the arrival of mutineers
from other quarters, until it reached a total of over twelve thousand men,
while the fighting force of the garrison had greatly decreased; yet the
handful of Englishmen repulsed every effort of the great host of
assailants to carry the fragile line of intrenchments.

When Ned and Dick Warrener, having carried out the instructions given by
the ranee, arrived next morning at her house at Cawnpore, Ahrab at once
led them to a small apartment.