Stray shots were fired after us. But fortunately the Sepoys were
all busy looting, most of them had laid down their muskets, and
no one really took up the pursuit. I turned off from the parade
ground, dashed down between the hedges of two compounds, and in
another minute we were in the open country.
"Fortunately, the cavalry were all down looting their own lines,
or we must have been overtaken at once. May happily had fainted as
I lifted her on to my horse--happily, because the fearful screams
that we heard from the various bungalows almost drove me mad, and
would probably have killed her, for the poor ladies were all her
intimate friends.
"I rode on for some hours, till I felt quite safe from any immediate
pursuit, and then we halted in the shelter of a clump of trees.
"By this time I had heard May's story. She had felt uneasy at being
alone, but had laughed at herself for being so, until upon her
speaking to one of the servants he had answered in a tone of gross
insolence, which had astonished her. She at once guessed that there
was danger, and the moment that she was alone caught up a large,
dark carriage rug, wrapped it round her so as to conceal her white
dress, and stole out into the veranda. The night was dark, and
scarcely had she left the house than she heard a burst of firing
across at the mess house.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227