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All the ammunition had, however, been carried off by the enemy, and as
the expenditure of that night had already been enormous, it was a
serious loss. The commissariat lines were at length cleared of the
tribesmen, and such of the garrison as could be spared were employed in
putting up a hasty defence across the south entrance of the enclosure,
and clearing away the cook-houses and other shelters, which might be
seized by the enemy.
The next morning no fewer than twenty-nine corpses of tribesmen were
found round the cookhouse, and in the open space over which the three
charges had taken place. This, when it is remembered that perhaps twice
as many had been wounded and had crawled away, enables an estimate to be
formed of the desperate nature of the fight for the Quarter Guard.
All this time the fire from rim into the cup had been causing severe and
continual losses. The enemy surrounding the enclosure on three sides,
brought a cross fire to bear on its defenders, and made frequent charges
right up to the breastwork.


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