by G. A. Henty
Chapter 9: A Popular Tumult.
The journey was performed without incident. Harry enjoyed it much,for this luxurious method of travelling was quite new to him and,three weeks after leaving the coast, they arrived at Nagpore. Onthe previous day the native officer had been sent on, beforehand,to inform the rajah of the arrival of a high officer of theGovernor General's; and had taken on a letter from Lord Mornington,accrediting Harry to act in his name. Accordingly, when the partyarrived within a mile of the town, they were met by two officers ofthe rajah; who welcomed him in his name, and said that a residencehad been prepared for his use and that of the escort. They weresurprised at Harry's perfect knowledge of their language for,hitherto, British agents who had come to Nagpore had had but veryslight acquaintance with it, and had had to carry on theirconversation by means of an interpreter.
The town was large and straggling and composed, for the most part,of native huts built of mud. There were, however, a few brickhouses, the property of flourishing traders. The palace was a largesquare edifice, without any architectural adornments. Trees greweverywhere in the streets and, in the distance, the town had theappearance of a forest.
Harry was conducted to one of the largest brick houses in the town.A host of sweepers had been at work, carpets were laid down, andfurniture placed in the principal rooms. He had no doubt that ithad been requisitioned from its owner by the rajah for him, and thefurniture supplied from the palace. The principal rooms were on theupper floor, and there was ample accommodation for the escortbelow.
Harry requested the officers to ascertain when the rajah would beready to receive a visit from him, and they returned with word thathe would receive him, in private audience, at eight o'clock thatevening. Accordingly at that hour, followed by four of histroopers, he rode to the palace. A guard of honour was drawn up atthe entrance, and saluted as he passed in. The entrance hall andstaircase were lined by attendants, and all bowed profoundly as hepassed. He was conducted to a large audience chamber, where therajah, attended by his principal officers, was seated.
The conversation was of the usual ceremonial kind, the princeexpressing his satisfaction that the Governor General should havesent one of his officers to confer with him, and assuring Harry ofhis goodwill and friendship towards the English; while Harry, onhis part, expressed the strong desire of Lord Mornington that therelations between him and the rajah should be continued unbroken,and that nothing should ever occur to disturb their amity. Thepresents sent by the Governor General were then brought in anddisplayed, and appeared to give much satisfaction to the chief.
After the durbar was over, the latter told Harry that he wouldreceive him, privately, at ten o'clock next morning. On arriving atthat time, he was shown into the prince's private apartment, andthere explained to him the Governor General's desire that he shouldjoin the confederacy between the Nizam and the English.
"I have no quarrel with Tippoo," the rajah said. "At present, nonecan say how the affair will end. All say that the Peishwa hasagreed to assist Tippoo. He is a match, and more, for the Nizam;while we know not whether the English company, or Tippoo, is thestrongest. Should I remain neutral, the Peishwa and Tippoo mighteat me up."
"That is true, Rajah; but you must remember that, in the last war,the English showed that they were much stronger than Tippoo; and hewas glad to make peace with them, by giving up nearly half histerritories. We are much stronger now. Ships arrive each day withmore and more troops and, believe me, Tippoo will assuredly beunable to stand against the English power, even if he were backedup by the whole strength of Poona.
"Of course, we know that messages have been sent to you by Tippoo,and that he has promised you a large slice of the Nizam'sdominions, if you will invade them, and so prevent him from aidingthe English."
Harry saw, by the change in the prince's countenance, that he wassurprised to find that his negotiations with Tippoo were known tothe English Government. He replied, however:
"It is true that Tippoo has sent to me, but I have given him noanswer. The matter is too important to be settled in a hurry.Certainly, Tippoo's offers were very advantageous."
"I can understand that they were tempting, Rajah; yet they entaileda war against the English and the Nizam, when they had finishedwith Tippoo. Instead of gaining territory, you would find that muchof yours would be lost.
"But undoubtedly, were you to join us, the Governor General wouldshow that he was not unthankful for the service, and yourassistance would be handsomely recompensed."
"What does the Governor General offer?"
"He is desirous of knowing what your own views are, Rajah; and hewill assuredly meet them, if possible."
"I have not thought of it, yet," the prince said. "I must talk thematter over with my councillors. We are good friends with thePeishwa, also with the Nizam, and with Tippoo. We know that theEnglish are a great people; but we have had nothing to do withthem, save that complimentary messages have been exchanged.Therefore it is not a matter upon which one can come to any hastydecision."
"The Governor General would wish you to think the matter over well,before deciding, Rajah; and indeed, there is no occasion for unduehaste, seeing that the English army is still lying near Madras, andis not yet ready to advance. Therefore I will leave the matter forthe present; believing that, in your wisdom, you will be able tosee how matters are likely to go; and whether the English Company,or Tippoo, are likely to be your best friends."
It was nearly a fortnight before Harry heard again from the rajah.The latter had returned his visit, and sent over presents ofsweetmeats and food to his guests. At the end of that time he camein, one evening, with only two attendants.
"I have come to speak to you on this matter, privately," he said."My ministers are altogether divided in opinion. Some say we shouldfight against Tippoo, who is a cruel and implacable foe, and whohas slaughtered all the Hindus in his territory who refused toembrace his religion. Others say it is better to be friends withhim, for it seems that these white men intend to eat up all India.Already they have taken the Carnatic and Bengal, now they want totake Mysore. What will they take next?
"For myself, I wish well to the English. Though there are few ofthem, they are brave and strong; but my council know of the offerthat Tippoo has made us and, unless I can show them that theEnglish are also ready to give us material advantages, I shall notbe able to persuade my chiefs that our interest must lie in analliance with them."
"That is so, Rajah, and if you will inform me what are yourexpectations, I will see how far they tally with those which theGovernor General has authorized me to offer."
"I am not greedy," the prince said. "I wish only to have what isfair and just. I think that our aid is worth two crores of rupees(200,000 pounds) and that the Company should put me in possessionof the lands of Purseram Bhow, together with the land that liesbetween us and Malwan, including the territories of the Rajah ofBhopal."
"Your demand," Harry said gravely, "is so far beyond what I wasauthorized to offer you, that I fear it is altogether useless forme to submit it to the Governor General. He would, I am sure,consider that, in naming such terms, you had resolved to makeacceptance impossible."
"That is by no means my intention," the Rajah said. "Nothing couldbe further from my thoughts; and in order to secure an alliancethat, I believe, would be advantageous, I might be able to makesome slight concession."
"I will send off a messenger, then, submitting your offer andasking for instructions, and requesting that I may be allowed tomeet you, by further concessions on my part; but I fear that,strained as the English treasury is by the preparations for the waragainst Tippoo, it would be impossible for the Company to pay thesum you name; nor do I think that they would be disposed toguarantee you the territory of Bhopal, seeing that we have noquarrel with the rajah of that country.
"No doubt, they might be willing to grant you a portion of theterritories of Mysore, lying on the other side of the Godavery,which would be as valuable as Bhopal."
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p; As the rajah, himself, was still uncertain as to which side itwould be most advantageous to take; and as he thought that thecampaign against Tippoo would last for many months; he offered noobjection to Harry's proposal. The latter sent off two troopers,the next day, with a letter to Lord Mornington saying that as therajah's demands were, he knew, altogether out of the question, hehad sent them to him simply to gain time; hoping that, before theanswer arrived, the army would have gained such successes overTippoo as would induce the prince to greatly modify his terms. Thetroopers were charged not to use undue haste, but to travelquietly, at a rate not exceeding twenty miles a day.
Two months passed. The rajah was in no hurry, for the two partiesamong his councillors were so evenly divided that he was by nomeans sure that, even if he wished it, he could put his army inmotion, in support of either the English or Tippoo; and in the nextplace, he believed that the latter would win, and was reluctant inthe extreme to take any step that would draw down upon him thevengeance of the Lord of Mysore. He occasionally saw Harry and,although he expressed his anxiety for the return of the messengers,Harry could see that this feeling was only feigned, and that atheart he was not sorry that he was not yet called upon to decide.
At the end of a month, Harry had received a letter from theGovernor General, brought by a messenger in the disguise of apeasant. It only said:
"March 6th, 1799.
"The army has left Vellore. On the 11th the Nizam's contingent alsomarched, as has that from Bombay. By the 1st of this month allshould have reached the plateau--the Bombay army at Sedaseer,forty-five miles west of Seringapatam; and the main army abouteighty miles east of that town. By the end of the month, bothshould be before Tippoo's capital. Siege will probably occupy amonth.
"Even if Berar decides against us, its army cannot arrive in timeto aid Tippoo. Therefore, if you can extend the negotiations for amonth after you receive this, your mission will have beenfulfilled."
This messenger had, of course, been sent off before the arrival ofthe troopers in Calcutta and, if Lord Mornington's calculationswere correct, Seringapatam would be invested before they couldreturn. Three days later, indeed, a report reached Nagpore thatTippoo had fallen upon the advance guard of the Bombay army, andhad been repulsed; and on the 27th he had attacked General Harris,and had again been defeated; and that on the 28th the main army hadforded the Cauvery, and had marched to Sosilly.
This news caused great excitement in the town, althoughSeringapatam was generally supposed to be impregnable and, as theEnglish had failed to take it during the last war, it was believedthat, after another futile siege, they would be forced to fall backagain from want of food, as they did upon the previous occasion.
The rajah, like the majority, believed that Seringapatam could defyany assault; and that, surrounded as the British army would be bythe Mysore cavalry, they would very speedily be forced to retire;and that, although Tippoo might have yielded to the wishes of hisgeneral, and attempted to check the advance, it could have beenwith only a portion of his army.
Including the contingent furnished by the Nizam, the Bombay armyamounted to forty-three thousand men. Tippoo was credited withhaving at least twice that force, and his uniform successes againsthis neighbours had created a belief that he was invincible. Therajah, therefore, was well content to let matters rest, until moredecisive news reached him.
It was on the 7th of April that the messengers returned, with aletter:
"We no longer want active assistance from Berar. The army is withinstriking distance of Seringapatam, and a few thousand native horse,one way or another, will make but little difference. You have donevery well in gaining two months, by referring the matter to me. Therajah's demands are, of course, ridiculous. He is evidently playinga double part and, if we were defeated tomorrow, would join Tippooand attack the Nizam. You can still, however, offer him five lakhsof rupees; but do not guarantee him any additional territory.
"The Peishwa is acting in precisely the same way. The army that wasto come to our assistance has not yet moved; and he, like Berar, issimply awaiting events at Seringapatam."
The rajah came in that evening.
"I hear that your messengers have returned, sir."
"Yes; I am sorry to say that the Governor General considers yourdemands are altogether excessive. The treasury is almost empty and,were he to guarantee you an extension of your dominions, it wouldbring on a war with the Peishwa and the Rajah of Bhopal; but he iswilling to pay five lakhs of rupees, to cover the maintenance ofyour troops while in the field."
The rajah flushed with anger.
"It is altogether insufficient," he said.
"I do not say that is the final offer, Rajah; that is the offer Iam authorized to make, in the first place. Possibly, if you arewilling to make concessions of a reasonable kind, I may be able tomeet you--and you must remember that the friendship of the Companyis of no slight advantage, and would assuredly be of infinite valueto you, were your territory invaded by Scindia and the Peishwa.These may, at any moment, make up their differences. Purseram Bhowmay again become the commander of the Peishwa's army and, after themanner in which your troops have, for the last two or three years,raided his jagheer, he would be your bitterest enemy."
Harry saw that this consideration made a powerful impression uponthe rajah, and the latter said:
"I must think these matters over. The sum that you offer isaltogether insufficient, and cannot be entertained for a moment.However, there is time for reflection."
During the next four weeks, Harry saw the rajah occasionally; butthe latter made no attempt to talk business. He was evidentlyundecided, in his mind, as to the best course he should take. Hefeared Tippoo more than he feared the English, and he stillbelieved that the latter would assuredly fail in capturingSeringapatam. Tippoo's offers, too, had been considerably higherthan those of Calcutta, as he had promised him a large slice of theNizam's dominions for his assistance. He had therefore determinedto reject the English offer, and to march into the Nizam's country,as soon as he heard that the besieging army had fallen back.
Harry's suspicions that this was the case were, to a certainextent, confirmed by the fact that bodies of armed men began toarrive, in considerable numbers. He felt that his own position wasbeginning to be precarious, and the native officer commanding hisescort brought in almost hourly reports of what was passing in thecity. The population was a mixed one, and nearly divided betweenHindus and Mahommedans. The latter naturally sympathized altogetherwith Tippoo, while the former were in favour of taking no part oneither side.
So matters continued until the 10th of May, when a horseman rodeinto the town, with the news that Seringapatam had been captured bythe British, and that Tippoo himself was killed. A feeling akin tostupefaction was excited by the news; and it seemed, at first, thatit must be false, for it was incredible that Tippoo, with so strongan army, should have been unable to defend the fortress that, aswas believed, could withstand any attack, however formidable, forfour months.
As he rode through the streets he saw . . . howfierce a feeling of resentment had been excited by the news.]
The rajah sent at once, to ask Harry to visit him. As he rodethrough the streets he saw, by the scowling faces of the Mahommedansoldiers, how fierce a feeling of resentment had been excited bythe news that the native officer had brought in, a few minutesbefore. The rajah was deeply agitated.
"Have you heard the news, sahib?"
"I have, Rajah."
"And do you think it possible?"
"Perfectly; indeed, I have been expecting it for some days, but Isupposed the English general needed time to bring in provisionsfrom the country round, to form his plans, and construct hisbatteries."
"To me it is astounding!" the rajah said, walking up and down theroom.
"Of course," Harry said, "the proposal that I made to you cannotnow be carried out; and I do not feel myself justified, under thechanged position of things, in continuing the negotiations."
"I always intended
to help the English," the rajah went on.
"No doubt, Rajah. I have noticed, for some time, that you have beengathering a large force here; but you have given me no indicationfor what purpose it was intended."
"It was intended, of course, for service with the English," therajah said, "and it would have been set in motion, as soon as thenegotiations were completed."
"At any rate, Rajah, in spite of the temptations offered you byTippoo, you have remained neutral. This will be considered in yourfavour, and I can assure you that there will be no breach in thefriendship between yourself and the English; matters will merelyremain as they were, before this war commenced."
"Except that the Nizam will become more powerful than before," therajah said.
"That will no doubt be so, for he will certainly take aconsiderable share of Tippoo's dominions. But that need not troubleyou. I know the desire of the Governor General has always been forpeace. He was driven into this war, by the failure of Tippoo tocarry out his undertaking to release all European prisoners in hishands, and also by the great preparations he was making to regainterritory that he had lost. But it cannot be to the interest of theCompany that the Nizam should use his increased power to be ascourge to his neighbours; and I can promise you that any wantonaggression, on his part, will be regarded with displeasure, andprobably lead to their interference in your behalf.
"Now, Rajah, I must remind you that I am here as your guest, and Irely upon you to protect me. As I came through the streets, theattitude of the Mahommedan soldiers was very threatening; and Ishould not be surprised if they attempted to attack the house. Ineed not say that any outrage upon the escort of a British agentwould be tremendously avenged; and that you would be more easilyforgiven, had you taken the part of Tippoo, than if you allow meand my escort to be massacred."
"I will take immediate steps for your safety and, should anyattempt be made, I shall come with my household guards to yourassistance. A squadron of them shall ride back with you, now, toprevent any insult being offered to you in the streets."
"I will relieve you of my presence, tonight," Harry said. "I do notwish to be an object of strife between you and your people, andwill therefore take my farewell of you, at once. I shall havepleasure in informing the Governor General of the steps that youhave taken to provide for my safety."
"And give him the assurance that my disposition is wholly friendly,and that I rely on nothing so much as to secure his friendship, andto remain on the most amicable terms with him."
Harry had no doubt that the assurance was given in earnest. Thefall of Seringapatam, and the death of Tippoo, had been a terribleshock to the rajah; and even the fact that he had missed hisopportunity of allying himself with the English, was as nothing tothe thought of what would have happened had he declared for Tippoo.
The rajah at once gave orders for a squadron of his horse to mount,and continued his conversation with Harry until they were ready inthe courtyard. Then, bidding adieu to the prince, the lattermounted, and was escorted through the streets by the cavalry guard.
But although their presence prevented any attack being made on him,the lower class groaned and yelled, and he had no doubt that, hadit not been for his escort, he would have been murdered on his wayback.
Directly he arrived he called the troopers to arms, and told themto barricade the gates, and to be ready to take post at thewindows, in case of assault. Looking out, he saw that the rajah'smen had taken up their position in front of the house.
A great crowd soon began to gather there. Most of the men wereevidently soldiers, and had arms in their hands. Loud shouts wereraised, and it was not long before a musket was discharged, quicklyfollowed by others. The native officer in charge of the guardordered the soldiers to seize those who fired but, as his menpressed their horses forward, the crowd closed in upon them,breaking their ranks and rendering them powerless.
While this had been going on, the men of Harry's escort were hardat work in getting up the paving stones of the yard, and pilingthem against the gate. The lower windows were all barred and, asthere was no entrance except by the front gate, it was felt thatthey could hold the house for some time.
As soon as the guard were swept away, a portion of the crowdattacked the gate with showers of stones, while a heavy musketryfire was opened at every window. So heavy was this that Harry wouldnot allow the troopers to show themselves there, but posted thembehind the barricades of stone against the gates so that, whenthese yielded, they might be able to open fire whilst showing onlytheir heads over the top line of stones.
Harry regretted, now, that he had not, when he returned from therajah, at once ordered his men to mount and cut their way throughthe mob. A few at least might have escaped though, doubtless, theywould have been pursued by the irregular cavalry. As it was he feltthat, although they might sell their lives dearly, they must bedestroyed to a man, unless the rajah sent assistance to them. Thathe would endeavour to do so he felt sure, for the massacre of aBritish envoy, and his escort, was certain to bring the Englishtroops to Nagpore, sooner or later; and no assurances that therajah had done all in his power to save them would be accepted assufficient.
The house stood in a garden, which extended some distance behindit; and it was here that the horses were picketed. The front gatewas a very strong one, and was certain to resist all attacks, forsome time.
Harry called off half his men, and set them to work at the wall atthe end of the garden, which was only constructed of dry mud;directing them to make a hole large enough for a horse to passthrough. At this side all was quiet, the people in the nativehouses there having gone round to the front, to watch what wasdoing. Harry stood there for a few minutes, watching the men atwork, and saw with satisfaction their heavy tulwars rapidly cuttingthrough the soft wall. He told them that, when they had finished,four of them were to remain to guard the hole, in case any mighttry to force their way in; and the rest were to return, to aidtheir comrades at the gate.
He had no great fear that the attempt would be made to enter inthat direction, for the windows in the back of the house were, likethose in front, large; and anyone attempting to climb the walls andenter the garden would be liable to be shot down from the windows,as they could not be covered, as were those on the other side, by afire kept up from the houses outside. The entrance into the gardenfrom the house was made by a small door, at the bottom of astaircase leading from what had been the zenana, for the gardenswere always considered the special domain of the ladies. There wasanother small door for the servants' offices, used by the men who,early in the morning, went in to keep the garden in order.
When Harry rejoined the party in front, he found that the gateswere yielding. The lower portion had been almost chopped away; buthere the wall of stones prevented an entrance, and the men withtheir axes could scarcely reach to touch the upper half. Presently,however, the hinges of the upper end of one of the half doorsyielded to the weight. A great shout arose from the mob; and themusketry, hitherto directed against the windows, was nowconcentrated on the opening.
But it was no longer one sided. The troopers, glad that the timefor inaction had passed, returned the fire with vigour. They hadshifted the upper line of stones, so that there was room betweeneach for a musket barrel and, lying in shelter, they were enabledto take deliberate aim at their assailants. At every shot a mandropped, and the crowd opened speedily, and cleared away from theline of fire.
There was a pause of some minutes, and then a strong party ofsoldiers rushed forward, and began to try to pull down the barrier;a number of others opening fire over their heads, so as to preventthe defenders from standing up to fire down into them. It wasevident that, ere long, a slope would be formed outside by which anassault could be made.
That his men would for some time repel any attack, Harry thoughtcertain; but sooner or later it would succeed, and there would thenbe no time to retire. He therefore sent a man back, to see if thehole in the wall was large enough; and he returned directly, sayingthat the men there
had just concluded their work, and that six ofthem were coming back.
Harry now gave orders, to the native officer who was standingbeside him, to order these men to lead the horses through theopening. When he had been gone a minute or two, he sent all themen, except four, to follow the example of their comrades; whilethose left with him redoubled their fire, so that their assailantsshould not know that any of the defenders had been withdrawn.
It was not long before a trooper ran back, with the word that allthe horses had been taken through. The news came just in time, forso much of the barricade had been pulled down that it could now beclimbed. Harry therefore gave the word and, with the last of thedefenders, went off at a run.
The troop was gathered in the deserted lane at the bottom of thegarden and, on Harry's arrival, the men sprung into the saddles andgalloped off. The rattle of musketry was now very heavy, but itsuddenly stopped and, a moment later, shouts and yells told thatthe breach had been carried, and the yard found to be deserted.
"They will search the house, first," Harry said to the nativeofficer, "and they will be cautious about it, as they will thinkthat at any moment they may come upon us, and will be sure thatthey would meet with a desperate resistance. I expect that it willbe ten minutes before they discover how we have slipped throughtheir hands."
They made a long detour, and then approached the palace from theother side; Harry having determined to place himself under theprotection of the rajah, for he did not think it possible that theycould escape by hard riding, as they might be pursued by the wholeof the cavalry. Just as they were approaching it, they heard afresh outbreak of firing, the musketry being mingled with the crackof field guns.
"The rajah has gone out to our rescue," Harry said. "He would havebeen too late, if we had stopped there; however, we can rely uponhim now."
Five minutes later, they rode into the courtyard of the palace. Itwas almost deserted, but one of the officials came out and, bowingdeeply to Harry, said:
"The rajah himself has gone out, with the household troops and abattery of artillery, to put down the tumult. He is furious thathis guests should have been attacked."
The firing presently ceased and, a quarter of an hour later, therajah rode in. A messenger had been despatched, at once, to informhim that the British officer, with his escort, had arrived at thepalace. Harry and his men had dismounted, and were still standingby their horses.
The rajah sprang from his saddle as he rode up.
"The gods be thanked that I see you safely here, my friend!" hesaid. "When I arrived at your house, I feared that all was over,for these rebels had gained possession. You must not blame me fornot arriving sooner. When the firing was heard, I feared that therabble of the town, aided perhaps by many of my soldiers, wereattacking you; although, until the officer who commanded the guardI had placed there returned, I did not dream how serious thebusiness was. Then I got my soldiers together; but this occupiedsome time, as many of them were in the town. However, as soon as asquadron of horse was collected, and a couple of hundred infantry,together with four guns of a battery, I headed them myself and, onarriving, opened fire upon the mob; who speedily scattered, somefifty or sixty of them being killed.
"Then I entered the house, expecting to find only your dead bodies,but there were no signs of strife. I questioned some prisoners wehad taken inside; and these said that, just before I came up, ahole had been discovered in the garden wall, and it was believedthat you had all escaped through that. I was about to ride, withall speed, to prevent any pursuit being taken up; when a messengerarrived with the welcome news that you had just entered thepalace."
"I thank you heartily, Rajah, for having so promptly come to myaid; though assuredly you would have arrived too late to save us,had we not, as soon as the fighting began, set to work to prepare ameans of escape. Once we got out, we were sure that you wouldprotect us, and therefore rode here and awaited your return."
"'Tis well, indeed, that you thought of that plan, sahib; for Iwould not, for half my dominions, that a hair of your head shouldhave been hurt, while you were here as my guest."
"It has all ended fortunately, Rajah; and now, what would yourecommend me to do?"
"You had best stay here, until nightfall. I will ride, now, to thecamps of my men, to reproach them for their conduct; and to ask ifthey want to bring the army that has just captured Seringapatamdown upon us. When it is dark, I will myself accompany you, with myhousehold cavalry, until you are miles away.
"I pray you to report to the Governor General how grieved I am thatevil-disposed persons should have raised a riot, with the intentionof killing you; and assure him that I did all in my power to saveyou, and shall, if they can be discovered, punish those concernedin the matter."
"I shall assuredly report very favourably of your conduct,Rajah--which will, I have no doubt, be warmly appreciated--andshall let the Governor General know that, from the time of myarrival here, I always have been treated with the greatest courtesyand attention by you."
Leaving the infantry and artillery, with their guns, in front ofthe palace, lest any attack should be made upon it; the rajah rodeoff with his cavalry and returned, two hours later, with the newsthat all was quiet, and that the troops had returned to their duty.
As soon as it was dark, the party started. The rajah rode at thehead of his cavalry; Harry, at his request, taking his place withhis own escort in the centre of it, so that his presence among themshould not be suspected.
"It is as well," the rajah said, "that the news that you have leftshould not be known till tomorrow morning; for although the troopswould, I have no doubt, be obedient to my orders, in a town likethis there are many budmashes; who might, if they knew that you hadstarted, ride in pursuit, with the intention of attacking you afterI had left you."
Once out of the town they proceeded at a rapid pace, which theymaintained until twenty miles away from Nagpore. The rajah thenreturned, with the main body of his cavalry; ordering a nativeofficer and thirty men to escort Harry, until he arrived at thefrontier.
There was, however, little occasion for this addition to Harry'sforce. The news of the fall of Seringapatam had spread likewildfire, and at each village through which they passed, and atthose in which they halted for the night, the inhabitants salutedHarry with the deepest respect; and would willingly have suppliedhim and his escort with provisions, without payment, had he notinsisted upon their receiving fair value for them.
At the frontier the rajah's troop turned back, and Harry continuedhis journey, reaching Calcutta early in June.
When he arrived there, he was well received by the GovernorGeneral, who told him that he had rendered a great service, by sodelaying the negotiations that the Rajah of Berar had remainedneutral during the war with Tippoo; and that he would probably soonrequire his services again.
A descendant of the Rajah of Mysore, whose government Hyder Ali hadusurped, was released from captivity and raised to the musnud.Nearly half the revenue of the country was assigned to him. A largesum was set aside for the maintenance of the families of Hyder andTippoo, and the remaining territory was divided between the Companyand the Nizam.
A portion was set aside as the share of the Peishwa, although hehad not fulfilled his engagement in any way; but it was to be givenonly on the condition that he signed a treaty of alliance with theEnglish, similar to that entered into by the Nizam. The Peishwa,however, would not consent to do this; and the territory set asidefor him was, consequently, divided between the Company and theNizam.
Civil war was raging in the Deccan. The widows of Mahdoo Rao hadbeen joined by a large force, and were plundering Scindia'svillages; while Jeswunt Holkar was also ravaging the country.Scindia found that it was necessary to appoint Balloba, who hadbeen for some years in captivity, to the post of his chief ministerand, through him, a treaty was made with the widows of Mahdoo, andthe trouble in that direction ceased.
The Rajah of Kolapoore was at war with the Peishwa; and the troopsof Purseram Bhow, and those
of Rastia, were both defeated. Scindiaand the Peishwa now sent an army of thirty thousand horse and sixthousand infantry against Kolapoore; but Purseram, who was incommand, was defeated and fell, mortally wounded. Another armyjoined the defeated force, and invested Kolapoore.
On the 13th of March, 1800, Nana Furnuwees died; and affairs in theMahratta country, that had been to some extent kept in order by hiswisdom and moderation, now became worse than ever. A dispute atonce took place between the Peishwa and Scindia, each beingdesirous of obtaining the treasures Nana was supposed to possess.Scindia seized his jagheer. Ghatgay was released, and obtained hisformer influence over Scindia; who seized Balloba and threw himinto prison, where he died.
The Peishwa, on his part, was determined to destroy all the friendsof Nana and, inviting most of the principal men to the palace, heseized and sent them all, prisoners, to hill forts. He now, withScindia, determined to destroy the family and adherents of PurseramBhow. Appa Sahib, Purseram's son, had succeeded him in the commandof the army besieging Kolapoore and, receiving intelligence of theconspiracy against him, raised the siege and retired to theCarnatic, and Scindia plundered the whole of Purseram's villages.
A fierce chief in Dhoondia invaded the newly-acquired territoriesof the British, and Major General Wellesley was sent against him,and totally routed his party.
Jeswunt Holkar was now becoming extremely dangerous; and Scindiawas at last obliged to march away, with his army, to defend his owndominions. He left behind him five battalions of regular infantry,and ten thousand horse and, before he set out, compelled thePeishwa to give him gold to the amount of forty-seven lakhs ofrupees.
On his way through Malwan, he sent seven of his regular battalionsto protect his capital. One column, under Captain Mackintyre, wasintercepted on the way, and all killed or made prisoners. Holkarthen fell upon the other party, which he also overpowered anddefeated. He next attacked Scindia's artillery on the march; butMajor Brownrigg, an officer in the latter's service, with fourbattalions, repulsed his assailants.
The Peishwa, while this was going on, was mercilessly murdering orimprisoning those whom he considered his enemies; and orderedWittoojee Holkar, the brother of Jeswunt, to be trampled to deathby an elephant.
Scindia having sent for Ghatgay to rejoin him, Jeswunt advanced tomeet him, and was signally defeated. He speedily gathered a freshforce, and wasted not only Scindia's country but that of thePeishwa; and finally a great battle was fought, near Poona, inwhich Holkar, thanks to his fourteen regular battalions, officeredby Englishmen, won a complete victory over the Peishwa's force andthat left behind by Scindia. The Peishwa was forced to fly, andtake refuge at Bassein, where he entered into negotiations forBritish support.