Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/244

236 The French at Jumbakistna were apprized of the march of the troops to intercept Mr. D'Auteuil, and had before received from him such a description of the difficulties which obstructed his passage as destroyed the hopes they had too fondly entertained of this resource; their provisions likewise began to fail. The straits to which they were reduced had for sometime been foreseen by Chunda-saheb, and he had often represented to Mr. Law the necessity of making a vigorous effort to extricate themselves; but finding that his remonstrances were not heeded, the usual steadiness of his mind began to fail him, and he gave way to an anxiety, which increasing with the prospect of his distresses, greatly impaired his health. At the same time Mr. Law was not a little sollicitous about the safety of a person of such great importance, whom his own irresolute conduct had brought into the dangers which now surrounded him. He thought, and perhaps justly, that if Chunda-saheb should be obliged to surrender, the Nabob would never agree to spare the life of his rival; and from the prejudices of national animosity, he concluded that if the English got him into their power, they would not with-hold him from the Nabob's resentment: he therefore suggested to his ally the necessity of attempting to make his escape, by bribing some chief of the confederate army to permit him to pass through his quarters. Chunda-saheb, sensible of his desperate situation, consented to try this desperate remedy, forced by the severity of his fate to make an option on which his life depended, when every choice presented almost equal danger. The Nabob was out of the question; the Mysoreans he knew would make use of him as a means to oblige the Nabob to fulfil the agreements he had made with them, and the Morattoes would sell him to the highest bidder of the two: the Polygars were not strong enough, nor were then troops situated conveniently to favour his escape. There remained the Tanjorines; these had formerly received injuries from Chunda-saheb, and more lately had seen their capital besieged by him; so that had their troops been commanded by the king in person, it would have been as absurd to repose a confidence in them as in any other of the allies; but it was known that their general Monack-jee was at open variance with the prime minister.