Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/402

394 back the few Sepoys who remained to guard them: upon the artillery they were not able to make any impression; for the gunners sensible that the cannon were their only resource, fired them with great vivacity and much effect; and captain Smith likewise sensible of the necessity of protecting the artillery at all events, detached, although he could ill spare them, an officer with a company of Sepoys from the rear guard to their assistance. At length the confused outcries of the enemy were on a sudden changed to one voice, and nothing was heard on all sides but continual repetitions of the word swamy, meaning gods, which expression they accompanied with violent gesticulations and antic postures, like men frantic with joy; for some of them cutting down the tumbrils they had seized, discovered in one of them most of the little brazen images of their divinities, which the English had plundered at Coilgoody. It seemed as if they could not have received more delight in rescuing their wives and children from captivity; however, after their gods were conveyed out of the reach of danger, they renewed their attacks, and continued them at different intervals for several hours. Mean while no assistance came from the battalion, nor did one of the messengers, sent by captain Smith to inform the commanders in chief of the distress of the rear, return. It was now four in the afternoon, when the enemy, after having desisted some time from their attacks upon the artillery, sallied at once again unexpectedly into the road amongst the baggage, coolies, and market people of the army, killing, without distinction of age or sex, all they met. From this moment every thing was hurried into the utmost confusion; every one flung down his burden; and men, women and children pressing upon one another, fled to the rear guard as their only sanctuary: captain Smith, unwilling to aggravate the sufferings of the poor wretches by firing upon them, took the resolution of marching back out of the defile into the plain, where he drew up his men in a little field enclosed with a bank, and placing his field piece in the center of it, waited for the enemy; who satisfied with the havock they had committed, did not venture to attack him, but retreated and disappeared as soon as the defenceless multitude they were driving before them had got out of the wood. Some Lascars and Sepoys were now sent forward to clear the road of the incumbrances