CAWNPORE 71 



soup. Twenty-eight died in those ten days, and 

 they were fortunate, for they escaped the last act 

 of the tragedy of Cawnpore, which was the most 

 terrible of all. 



At five o'clock on the afternoon of July 10 it was 

 decided that the entire number of prisoners should 

 be put to death. The Nana sent for the men and 

 had them shot down in his presence. Then he di- 

 rected his Sipahis to shoot the women and children 

 through the doors and windows of the house. Ap- 

 parently they possessed the one remaining spark of 

 humanity which he lacked, for they refused. They 

 were threatened with death at the cannon's mouth, 

 but even then they purposely avoided aiming at 

 their wretched victims. The Nana laughed and sent 

 to Cawnpore town for butchers to come with their 

 knives, and the massacre was accomplished. In the 

 morning three women could still speak and several 

 children were unharmed. They were taken, the dy- 

 ing with the dead, and thrown into the well before 

 the house. And when Havelock's column arrived 

 the next morning, it was one day too late. 



It is interesting to follow the course of the single 

 boat which escaped from the Massacre Ghat and 

 drifted down the Ganges, for it was four of that 

 indomitable crew who alone out of all the eight 

 hundred of the siege reached safety and carried the 



