to me. I was thus left stranded with the summer uniform in which I had escaped, the full-dress clothes he had saved, and nothing else in the wide world - a good start for a campaign which lasted for so many long months through summer and winter!

Fortunately my syces also, with one exception, had remained faithful, and had guarded my horses. I had recently bought a valuable black Arab for racing purposes. He and his syce had disappeared. Probably some mutineer leader rode my handsome purchase at Delhi, but I never saw or heard of him again. I wish I had been as fortunate with him as I was with a cigar-case I lost that night, which, in the autumn of 1875, a Ghoorkha rifleman picked up on the roadside on the march between Almorah

and Delhi, when proceeding with his battalion to the camp of exercise held there that year. He took it to his commanding officer, who, seeing in faded writing the words "Hugh Gough, Cornet, 3rd Light Cavalry, Meerut, 1854," sent the case to me, thinking it might be an old friend, as, indeed, it was. What its adventures had been since that trying day and during the eighteen years we had been parted, there was nothing but conjecture. It was a curious case of missing treasure-trove.

On our return to cantonments we found that it had been decided to concentrate all the British troops at one end of the station; and an intrenchment was already in course of erection, where the ladies, convalescents, and stores were collected, in order to be safe from

D

attack. As the native troops had all gone to Delhi, our only enemies now were the bazaar people and the neighbouring villagers. These promptly took up arms, and, unrepressed by civil or military force, looted and fought amongst themselves. In fact, complete anarchy prevailed in and about Meerut; and, to make matters worse, on the outbreak of the 3rd Light Cavalry, their first and natural impulse had been to release their comrades in the civil gaol, which they did without opposition, and in so doing also let loose hundreds of civil offenders, gaol-birds of the worst description-murderers, thieves, and vagabonds—who were now free to wreak their wicked will without let or hindrance. Many and sad were the cases of travellers on the Grand Trunk road (the great line of

communication between Calcutta and Meerut and onward into the Punjab) being robbed and murdered, and few were the escapes. I remember, however, one young officer-Lieutenant J. Robinson, who was on his way to join our regiment at Meerut-arriving a day or two after the Mutiny broke out. He had been stopped in his dawk ghari (travelling carriage) on the Grand Trunk road, robbed of everything he possessed, his companion murdered, whilst he, curious to say, was spared on account of his youth. But seldom was the plea, either of youth or sex, respected.

Our own losses in the regiment on the night of the Mutiny were Lieutenant Macnabb, and Veterinary Surgeons Parry and Dawson, while Surgeon - Major Christie was desperately wounded. He

and another officer were attacked when driving in a buggy and attempting to escape; Dr Christie was left for dead covered with wounds, his companion being killed. The former recovered to a certain extent, but was invalided for life. As I have said, none of our officers hitherto were killed by our own men; the casualties I have mentioned were from the hands of the Native Infantry sepoys, or the bazaar budmashes. colonel, who was most unpopular, and more especially so owing to his action in the "cartridge" incident, was, however, one of the first objects of the men's vengeance a strong party at once went to his house with the avowed intention of murdering him. But he had received timely intimation of their advent, and had made his escape. That night, with

Our