the treasury. Vainly had their English officers tried to restrain them. But, whilst deaf to the call of duty, they were not at the moment bloody-minded. They had begged their officers to return to the intrenchment, adding that they wished them no harm, but that their own course had been decided upon.
But the mutineers were not content with the looting of the treasury. They first secured the magazine, with its priceless wealth of heavy guns and ammunition. General Wheeler had placed there a warrant-officer with instructions to blow it up as soon as the sipáhís should break out. But the guard over it was a sipáhí guard, and the warrant-officer, though he did his best, was prevented by the men from carrying out his orders. The sipáhís then broke open the gates of the gaol and turned loose on the abandoned station hundreds of miscreants of the worst description. These made the night a night of horror. The burning of bungalows, and the excited cries of looting parties, gave to the Europeans in the intrenchment a clear idea of the storm which had burst upon them.
Through all this turmoil the sipáhís of the two other regiments, the 53d and 56th, remained apparently quiescent About seven o'clock in the morning Wheeler despatched four officers to reconnoitre. They had proceeded two miles when they were fired upon, and one of the number was hit. Wheeler then ordered to their support a company of Europeans and Ashe's half-battery, but these had not moved far when the native officers of the 53d and 56th arrived to report that their men could no longer be depended upon. The troops, having picked up the officers first sent out, then returned to the intrenchment.
It was now nine o'clock. The sipáhís of the 53d and 56th, in response to a bugle call, turned out at this mo-
