the three undisabled officers, Captain Staunton, Lieutenant Jones, and Assistant-Surgeon Wylie, though almost exhausted, and with their men fainting from want of water, headed one more charge, the last of the many they had made during the day, recaptured the lost gun, and slaughtered the Arabs in a heap. The charge was one of utter desperation, for every man felt that there was no other alternative but victory to save him from torture and death. On this occasion Lieutenant Patterson, who had been wounded and carried into a house, appeared again at the head of his men, and continued to exert the little strength he had left until he received another wound, which proved mortal. Captain Swainston and Lieutenant Connellan were rescued, and every man of the Arabs who had penetrated to the pagoda was bayoneted without mercy. During this terrific hand-to-hand struggle almost every building in the place was repeatedly taken and re-taken; nearly the whole of the British artillerymen were either killed or wounded, and about one-third of the infantry and auxiliary horse. The result, however, was most honourable to the British arms. By a little after nine the enemy were completely driven from the village and all the ground near it, and our fainting Sepoys were then enabled to obtain a supply of water, the only refreshment they got during the whole day and following night; they were, however, subject to no other annoyance, for the enemy never once attempted to molest them again.
At daybreak on the following morning the Mahratta army was seen hovering about the village, but none of them would venture nigh, and this day also passed without any molestation. Captain Staunton had consumed so much powder during the nine hours' fighting of the preceding day, that he had only a few rounds of ammunition left; and provisions there were none to be procured. Despairing, therefore, of being able to reach Poonah, he determined to move back to Seroor, and began his retreat in the dark on the night of the 2nd of January. He
