ms as strong, the Irish soldiers met them with the
queen of weapons, the musket, and sent their foremost masses rolling
back in blood.”

Still the struggle continued, but not for long. Nearly all the European
officers were down, twenty were killed or wounded, and then the cavalry
were let go. The enemy had held his ground for three hours, and then
sullenly retired, beaten, but not subdued. “The victors followed
closely, pouring in volley after volley, until tired of slaughtering;
yet these stern, implacable warriors preserved their habitual swinging
stride, and would not quicken it to a run, though death was at their
heels.”[59]

One more fight at Dubba, and then the pacification of the province and
the dispersion of robber bands was left to Sir Charles Napier. Scinde
and Meerpore were added to the British dominions in India; and no finer
or more loyal regiments have we now in the Indian army than the Belooch
regiments, composed of the descendants of those men who fought us so
gallantly at Meanee.

But the fighting of the year 1843 was not finished. The usual domestic
disturbances as regards the succession, nearly as periodic in native
states in those days as “the rains,” broke out in the Mahratta State of
Gwalior. Of course, again we were “pledged” to somebody or something,
and marched an army there to carry out our “pledge.” It is somewhat
curious that, in thus assisting others, we always managed to get
something, usually the whole thing, out of it! Sir Hugh Gough was
despatched to pull this particular chestnut out of the Indian fire, and
he carried out his instructions with the customary completeness.

One opponent, “the usurper” of course, took up a position at
Maharajpore with 18,000 men, 3000 of which were cavalry, and 100 guns.
Against him Gough employed an army, in the glories of which shared the
3rd, 39th, 40th, and 50th Regiments of the line, with sundry regiments
of Sepoys, in all 14,000 men, with 40 guns. The 39th and 40th stormed
the entrenchments with the bayonet and took the g