I walked down the passage to go to the cellar, when once again there was the ominous ripping sound and a shell burst and all the glass was blown about my ears.

An old man in a dazed condition came from the cellar at the end of the passage and told me that all the people had gone.

I was helping him across the courtyard towards a gateway when a man came in from the street and took the old fellow on his back and carried him off.

By the gateway was a room used as a guardroom.

There I found a sentry with three or four Imperials.