[Footnote 5:  Afterwards General Lord Sandhurst, G.C.B., G.C.S.I.]

[Footnote 6:  The Dilkusha house was built at the beginning of the century by a king of Oudh as a hunting-box and country residence, and close to it he cleared away the jungle and laid out a large park, which he stocked with herds of deer and other game.]

[Footnote 7:  The Martiniere was built by Claude Martin, a French soldier of fortune, who came out to India, under Count de Lally, in the stirring days of 1757.  In 1761 he was taken prisoner by the English at Pondicherry and sent to Bengal.  After the conclusion of the war he enlisted in the English Army, and on attaining the rank of Captain he got permission to attach himself to the Court of the King of Oudh, where he soon obtained supreme influence, and became to all practical purposes Prime Minister.  He remained an officer of the East India Company’s Service, and at the time of his death held the rank of Major-General.  He amassed a large fortune, and by his will founded colleges at Lucknow, Calcutta, and Lyons, the place of his birth.  His directions that his house at the former place should never be sold, but should ’serve as a college for educating children and men in the English language and religion,’ were carried out by the British Government, and Martin lies buried in its vault.]

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXIII. 1857

Sir Colin’s preparations—­The Alambagh —­The Dilkusha and Martiniere—­Mayne’s death—­A tall-talk story —­Ammunition required—­A night march—­The advance on Lucknow —­Sir Colin wounded—­The attack on the Sikandarbagh —­Heroic deeds—­The 4th Punjab Infantry

The next morning, the 11th, I had the honour of making the Commander-in-Chief’s acquaintance.  The manner of my introduction was peculiarly unceremonious.  I had left my own tent to be repaired at Cawnpore, and was sharing one with Norman, who was well known to, and greatly believed in by, His Excellency, whose Brigade-Major he had been at Peshawar.  Before we were out of bed we heard Sir Colin’s voice outside.  He had come to speak to Norman about his plans for the future, and as the conversation seemed likely to be of a very confidential nature, and it was too dark for him to see me, I asked Norman to make my presence known.  Sir Colin said to Norman somewhat roughly, ‘Who is he?’ and on my name being mentioned, he asked if I were to be trusted.  Norman having vouched for my discretion, the old Chief was apparently satisfied, and then ensued an intensely interesting discussion on Outram’s letter, Kavanagh’s description of the state of affairs in the Residency, and the manner in which it was best to carry out Outram’s recommendations.

That same afternoon the Commander-in-Chief reviewed the column, which now amounted to about 600 Cavalry and 3,500 Infantry, with 42 guns.[1] The parade was under the command of Hope Grant, who had been given the rank of Brigadier-General, and put in executive command of the whole force.