It was the enemy at last; and now the fate of Lucknow was to be decided.
A horseman dashed up to the head of our column and called out to our colonel, in a voice loud enough for us all to hear, "Bring up your battalion." Next moment we were advancing in double quick time through a lane of troops to the front.

There two other regiments stood waiting, and almost the instant we arrived the whole body moved forward at a run.
It was an exciting moment.

The enemy's guns sounded louder and more frequent ahead, and dropping shot at either side announced that our danger was not all in front.

The pace was kept up for a hundred yards or so, until we reached a cluster of trees, in whose shelter the column was halted to get breath.

The fire in front still kept up, and through the smoke I thought I could discern the dim outline of a low building, not five hundred yards distant.