Being unable to find the Brigadier, I attached myself to the next senior officer, Major Frank Turner, who commanded the Artillery.  Gradually the enemy were beaten off, and the troops formed themselves up ready for pursuit, or whatever they might be called upon to do.  At this juncture Greathed appeared on the ground.

With less experienced troops the surprise—­and a thorough surprise it was—­would in all probability have had serious results.  Most of the men were asleep under the few tents which had already arrived, or such shelter as could be obtained near at hand, when first one round shot, then another, came right into their midst from a battery concealed in the high crops to our right front.  At the same time half a dozen rebels, one of them playing the nagara,[9] rode quietly up to the Quarter-Guard of the 9th Lancers and cut down the sentry.  Being dressed, like Probyn’s men, in red, they were mistaken for them, and were thus enabled to get close to the guard.  This act was quickly followed by a general rush of the enemy’s Cavalry, which brought about the series of fights that were going on when we appeared on the scene.  The Commander was not to be found; no one knew who was the senior officer present; consequently each regiment and battery had to act according to its own discretion.  The troops got ready with incredible rapidity, and set to work to drive the enemy off the ground.  The Artillery replied to the insurgents’ guns; the Infantry did what they could, but were hampered by the fear of doing more injury to their friends than their foes, and thus the brunt of the work fell upon the Cavalry.  The 9th Lancers made a succession of brilliant charges.  One troop especially distinguished itself by recovering Blunt’s captured gun; the Captain (French) was killed, and the subaltern (Jones), covered with wounds, was left on the ground for dead.  Watson, Probyn, and Younghusband, with their three squadrons, cleared our right flank, capturing two guns and some standards; and Hugh Gough, with his squadron, performed a similar duty on the left.

Probyn greatly distinguished himself on this occasion.  In one of the charges he got separated from his men, and was for a time surrounded by the enemy, two of whom he slew.  In another charge he captured a standard.  For these and numerous acts of gallantry during the Mutiny, he was, to the great delight of his many friends in the column, awarded the Victoria Cross.

When Greathed arrived, the order for a general advance was given, and we were just moving off in pursuit of the rebels, when the 3rd European Regiment and a battery of Field Artillery under Lieutenant-Colonel Cotton arrived from the fort.  This officer, being senior to our Brigadier, took command of the force, and untimely delay was caused while he learnt the details of our position.  Having satisfied himself that the enemy must be followed up, he endorsed Greathed’s order, and off we again started.