to its iron gates, and appealed to the civil guard on duty there, consisting of thirty men, to be true to their salt, and repel the unauthorised invasion. The men of the guard responded; they rallied round him. The gaol officials joined them, and, by their united resistance, the torrent of the attack was stemmed.
More than that, it was stopped. Forbidding the men of the gaol guard to fire, De Kantzow drew them up facing the sipáhís, and for three hours kept them at bay. At the end of that period the Bhowání Singh, above referred to, arrived on the spot, and induced the mutineers to retire. The only condition made by the baffled men was that Bhowání Singh should accompany them. He complied.[1]
At Itáwah the scene was more tragic and more bloody. The force at this station, which lies nearly midway between Agra and Kánhpur, though somewhat nearer to the latter, was a company of the 9th N. I. The chief civil officers were Mr Allan Hume and Mr Daniell. On hearing of the events at Mírath these gentlemen sent patrolling parties to watch the roads, and to intercept, if possible, any stray mutineers. On the night of the 16th of May one of the patrolling parties brought in as prisoners, though without depriving them of their arms, seven troopers of the 3d Native Cavalry, a regiment which had mutinied. The patrols brought the prisoners to the quarter-guard of the 9th N. I., in front of which was drawn up the company of that regiment, with its two officers at its head. Seeing the state of affairs, the seven troopers suddenly levelled their carabines and let fly at the two Englishmen. But
- ↑ On the news of this occurrence reaching Calcutta, Lord Canning wrote to De Kantzow an autograph letter, from which the following is an extract: — 'Young in years, and at the outset of your career, you have given to your brother soldiers a noble example of courage, patience, good judgment, and temper, from which many might profit.'
