unable to touch the enemy's battery, discharged grape at the houses
tenanted by the enemy's infantry. The Sepoys, carefully instructed in our
service, had constructed shields of rope to each gun to protect the
gunners, but those at the best could cover but one or two men, and the
fire from the parapet inflicted such heavy losses upon the gunners that
after a time their fire dropped, and an hour from the commencement of the
cannonade all was still again on both sides. The Sepoy guns were silenced.

It was now ten o'clock, and the Warreners went and lay down quietly for a
couple of hours. Then they heard the guard changed, and after waiting a
quarter of an hour they went out to the battery, having first filled their
sponges with water. There they joined Mr. Johnson.

"Can't sleep, boys?" he asked; "those flies are enough to drive one mad.
You will get accustomed to them after a bit."

"It is not exactly that, sir," Ned said, "but we wanted to speak to you.
Dick and I have made up our minds to silence that battery. We have got
sponges full of water, and we mean to go out and drown the priming. Then
when we come back and tell Mr. Gubbins, I dare say he will take out a
party, make a rush, and spike them."

"Why, you must be mad to think of such a thing!" Mr. Johnson said in
astonishment.

"I think it is easy enough, sir," Ned replied; "at any rate, we mean to
try."

"I can't let you go without leave," Mr. Johnson said.