The baggage animals were out of condition after their long rest at Delhi; and it was necessary to overhaul their loads and get rid of the superfluous kit and plunder which the followers had brought away with them.

We were accompanied on our march by a few enterprising civilians, who had found their way into Delhi the day after we took possession of the palace.

Amongst them was Alfred Lyall,[2] a schoolfellow of mine at Eton.

He was on his way to take up the appointment of Assistant-Magistrate at Bulandshahr, where he was located when the Mutiny broke out.

As we rode along he gave me a most interesting little history of his personal experiences during the early days of May, from the time when the first symptoms of the coming storm were felt, until that when the surrounding country rose _en masse_, and he and those with him had to seek shelter at Meerut.