Fell like nine pins by the wayside

fell like nine pins by the wayside

From www.pepysdiary.com/ p/684.php

Ninepins -- A game played with nine pins, or pieces of wood, set on end, at which a wooden ball is bowled to knock them down; bowling.

Perhaps Nikhil (does that name mean what it sounds likel?) wants to know in what fashion the people fell, and perhaps it is not obvious what it means to fall like bowling pins. My guess is that the author means they all fell down in different orientations or postures, but pretty much all at the same time, and fell where they stood. SS