The enemy now occupied the East Battery and had also mounted cannon there. As the early mist rose, the sun sucked up shadows and the heat pressed down upon Fort William. Soon the hot winds began, whipping up dust, rustling through foliage like falling rain. As the refugees rose to make their way to the river for the day’s ablutions, the enemy opened fire. A splattering of muskets was heard, cannons boomed and from the ramparts of Fort William the enemy were seen swarming everywhere below. Shot suddenly flew about the eastern wall of the fort. The adjutant storks rose from their perches with a violent flapping of wings, parakeets screamed and departed in a yellow cloud. In the parade ground hysterical refugees clutched their children, raising fists to Governor’s House. In the damp, rat-infested passages that led to the strong rooms and warehouses under the fort these sounds echoed distantly to Sati. The ashram had found a providential place in which to hide the God Woman during the heat of battle.
