Inside it the two ladies had collected together three double-barrelled guns, bullets, caps and a powder-flask

From The Great Mutiny by Christopher Hibbert. Page 88.

While Craigie galloped off to the European lines with a group of loyal sowars and the regimental colours, Mackenzie, with a dozen or so volunteers, tore back to Craigie's house to protect his sister and Craigie's wife who had now returned there from the church. The house was the only one in the row not yet in flames. Inside it the two ladies had collected together three double-barrelled guns, bullets, caps and a powder-flask; but they had not loaded the guns, not knowing how to do so. Before loading them himself, Mackenzie took his sister and Mrs Craigie to the door of the house and, calling to the troopers who had ridden back with him from the gaol, he commanded them to their charge . . . Like madmen they threw themselves off their horses and prostrated themselves before the ladies, seizing their feet, and placing them on their heads, as they vowed with tears and sobs to protect their lives with their own.'

'Greatly reassured by this burst of evidently genuine emotion', Mackenzie then loaded the guns, placing one of them by itself against the wall and giving the ladies to understand that in the last resort it was to be used on them, a knowledge that' comforted and strengthened them'. Through the windows flashed the brilliant light of the burning houses as the hiss and crackle of flaming timbers mingled with the frequent sharp reports of fire-arms and the yells of the mob. A man in the crowd caught sight of Mackenzie as he came out on to the upper veranda; and, shouting to his companions to help him kill the Firinghi and burn his house, he and several others rushed forward to the boundary wall with lighted brands. They recoiled at the sight of Mackenzie's levelled gun; but, a larger crowd gathering, Mackenzie decided that they must leave the house and seek refuge in a stone-built Hindu temple in the grounds. So, rejoined by Captain Craigie they fled towards it, concealing themselves as best they could under the cover of dark blankets.

Looking apprehensively through the slits on either side of the single narrow doorway, they remained in the shrine for several hours, the men occasionally going outside to talk to the troopers whose loyalty now seemed to be wavering under the influence of a havildar-major, who, so a young sepoy whispered to Mackenzie, was urging them to kill the foreigners and join the rest of the regiment in mutiny. Eventually the havildar-major and some others rode off; but soon
afterwards one of Craigie's servants, a Hindu bearer, ran up to warn his master that a crowd of badmashes were swarming in at the garden gate. He implored Mackenzie to give him a gun to fire at them. Craigie handed a gun to the man who made off with it into the darkness. A moment later there was the sound of a shot followed by yells and groans, and the bearer returned to say that he had fired at the mob, killed the leader (later identified as a Muslim butcher) and so driven the rest off. Mackenzie recorded:

It was now about midnight. . . The uproar was quietening down; and we determined on making our escape, if possible. So . . . we harnessed Craigie's horses to his carriage; placed the ladies inside . . . ; made a native boy who usually rode postillion . . . mount one of the horses; and set off, Craigie and I riding with drawn swords beside the carriage . . . A knot of the troopers, evidently wavering in their intentions, occupied the avenue before us, loudly talking and gesticulating. The postillion hesitated; but, on our threatening to run him through the body if he did not at once gallop on, he . . . lashed his horses and in a moment we had charged through. . . and were racing along the avenue at full speed