destruction they had felt so sure, slipped from between their fingers,
leave the city and take to the open, in which case he would, after
restoring order, have left a strong body of troops in the city, and have
set off in pursuit of the rebels.

It soon became apparent, however, that the enemy had no intention of
deserting their stronghold. Lucknow abounded with palaces and mosques,
each of which had been turned into a fortress, while every street was
barricaded, every wall loopholed. As from forty thousand to fifty thousand
men, including many thousands of drilled soldiers, stood ready to defend
the town, foot by foot, it was clear that the fighting force at Sir Colin
Campbell's command was utterly inadequate to attempt so serious an
operation as the reduction of the whole city. To leave a portion of the
force would only have submitted them to another siege, with the necessity
for another advance to their relief. The commander-in-chief therefore
determined to evacuate the Residency and city altogether, to carry off the
entire garrison, and to leave Lucknow to itself until the reinforcements
from England should arrive, and he should be able to undertake the
subjugation of the city with a force adequate for the purpose.

His intention was kept a secret until the last moment, lest the news might
reach the enemy, who, from the batteries in their possession, could have
kept up a terrible fire upon the road along which the women and children
would have to pass, and who would have attacked with such fury along the
whole line to be traversed, that it would have been next to impossible to
draw off the troops.

In order to deceive the enemy, guns were placed in position to play upon
the town, and a heavy fire was opened against the Kaiserbagh, or King's
Palace, a fortress of great strength. In the meantime preparations for