Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/172

166 self with much fidelity to Mr. Watts, in return for some services which Mr. Watts had rendered him eight years before at Patna, and now accompanied his flight. The four Englishmen and the Tartar, armed with pistols, mounted their horses at Maudipore about an hour before sunset: they were accompanied by some dog-keepers leading greyhounds, and each horseman was, likewise, attended by his groom on foot. This servant in India is, by habit, capable of keeping pace for several hours with the horse, although going at a great rate. Having proceeded at a gentle pace on the plain, until they were about six miles to the south, they sent back the dog-keepers, saying, that they themselves would return leisurely another way. Immediately after this they met two Cossids, or messengers, dispatched by Colonel Clive, with a letter to Mr. Watts, permitting him to leave Muxadavad, if nothing more required his stay. It being now dark they quitted the road, and struck to the left, where the country at some distance was uninhabited, and covered with thickets, along the skirt of which they proceeded to the south, as fast as they could, until they thought themselves 30 miles from Cossimbuzar. They then turned to the west, and about midnight came to the village of Aguadeep, situated on the bank of the river. At the entrance of the village was a party of the Nabob's horse, picketed on each side of the road in the open air; but this guard was, as usual at this season of the night, so fast asleep, that not one of them arose to enquire who were come amongst them. Having passed to the southern extremity of the village, they discovered two small boats, which were only capable of containing the riders. The Tartar, unwilling to lose his own horse, undertook to save those of his companions, who, leaving them with him, immediately went into the boats, and rowed down the stream about eight miles, to the point where the Cossimbuzar and Jelingeer rivers unite: here they found a party of soldiers, with some boats, dispatched to escort them to the army. Having thus escaped out of the reach of danger, they took some refreshment, and continued their way before day-break, in the boats with the soldiers; and the next day, at three in the afternoon, joined the army at Culnah, a town about 15