Page:Viscount Hardinge and the Advance of the British Dominions into the Punjab.djvu/100

96 'In the meantime I was in the enemy's camp, from which we had driven them. Darkness was fast setting in. Mines and live shells were exploding and the tents and forage catching fire; that portion of the camp we had carried was in flames. It was impossible to proceed through the flames. We could not distinguish friend from foe, and we took up our ground as near to the edge of the burning camp as we could. On our right and left we heard incessant file-firing and discharges from the enemy's guns. In our front we had their burning camp, in our rear the jungle through which we had advanced.

'We had no alternative but to make the men lie down and be quiet. The Commander-in-Chief soon joined me. We knew nothing of what had passed on our flanks; and we agreed to keep the men together, to collect what troops we could, and if possible to communicate with Smith and Littler. The artillery was nowhere, but we considered it to be safe in our rear. In this state we lay on our arms, the enemy firing from his batteries, hurrahing, and tiring mines during the night. The official details will report the conduct of the 80th Queen's, which I ordered at midnight to attack some guns, led by my aide-de-camp, Colonel Wood. These brave fellows had borne the brunt of the action during the attack; and now, though suffering from fatigue and excessive thirst, they patiently submitted to the cannonade, and obeyed the orders they received with celerity and courage. I had been on horseback since 4 the preceding morning, and I lay