A pleasant restful day in the great cool house of the Deputy
Commissioner, Mr. Ricketts, with such unheard of luxuries as cold water
and iced ginger-beer to drink, and cool sheets to lie on, put fresh
vigour into the little band of British officers, and off they went at
half-past seven in the evening for a twenty-eight mile march to
Alawi-ke-Serai. Another march, next night, of the same distance brought
the corps to Rajpoora. They were now close to Umballa, and another night
march brought them, at one in the morning of June 4th, to the deserted
cantonment.
Here they were received in friendly fashion by the troopers of the
Maharaja of Patiala, who had been left in charge, and were conducted to
a grove of great trees near a tank, probably in the vicinity of the
present racecourse. After a good day's rest under the trees the march
was continued to Pipli, twenty-six miles, where a letter was received
from Mr. Barnes, the Commissioner, giving news of the force at Meerut,
and inferring that they were not much more than holding their own.
At Karnal, twenty-four miles onward, and now nearing their goal, two
causes of delay crossed their path. Cholera, that ancient scourge of
the East which finds its easiest prey when men are physically
impoverished with great exertions, now attacked the dusty road-worn
corps, three Gurkhas being the first victims, while seven or eight more
men were down the same evening.
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