The loss of the relieving column during the operations was far less than
that which had befallen Havelock's force in its advance--for it amounted
only to one hundred and twenty-two officers and men killed, and three
hundred and forty-five wounded. The loss of the enemy considerably
exceeded four thousand. The relieving force did not advance into the
Residency, but were stationed along the line which they had conquered
between the Dil Koosha and the Residency, for the enemy were still in
enormously superior force, and threatened to cut the line by which the
British had penetrated.

The first operation was to pour in a supply of luxuries from the stores at
the Dil Koosha. White bread, oranges, bananas, wine, tea, sugar, and other
articles were sent forward; and these, to those who had for nearly six
months existed on the barest and coarsest food, were luxuries indeed. An
even greater pleasure was afforded by sending in the mails which had
accumulated, and thus affording the garrison the intense delight of
hearing of those loved ones at home from whom they had been so long cut
off.

The day that the junction was made Dick obtained leave for a few hours to
visit his friends in the Residency. It was singular to the lad to walk
leisurely across the open space of the Residency garden, where before it
would have been death to show one's self for a minute, and to look about
rather as an unconcerned spectator than as formerly, with nerves on strain
night and day to repel attack, which, if successful, meant death to every
soul in the place.

In the battered walls, the shattered roofs, the destruction everywhere
visible, he saw how the terrors of the siege had increased after he had