beginning  of  an  assault.  If  our  door  were  in  the
hands  of  the  Sepoys  the  place  must  fall,  and  the
women  and  children  be  treated  as  they  were  in
Cawnpore.  Maybe  you  gentlemen  think  that  I  am
just  making  out  a  case  for  myself,  but  I  give  you  my
word  that  when  I  thought  of  that,  though  1  felt  the
point  of  the  knue  at  my  throat,  I  opened  my  mouth
with  the  intention  of  giving  a  scream,  if  it  was  my
last  one,  which  might  alarm  the  main  guard.  The
man  who  held  me  seemed  to  know  my  thoughts ;  for,
even  as  I  braced  myself  to  it,  he  whispered,  *  Don't
make  a  noise.  The  fort  is  safe  enough,  ^here  are
no  rebel  dogs  on  this  side  of  the  river.'  There  was
the  ring  of  truth  in  what  he  said,  and  I  knew  that
if  I  raised  my  voice  I  was  a  dead  man.  I  could  read
it  in  the  fellow's  brown  eyes.  I  waited,  therefore,
in  silence,  to  see  what  it  was  they  wanted  from  me.
