Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/181

Rh Remember you have to deal with swift-footed native troops, with whom retreating is the strongest point. You cannot easily reach them by following ; so you had better despatch your cavalry by a -'round-about way to block the bridge. That will finish the business." Captain Hay went out with Thomas' orders. " Lanka fell for the pride of its ruler," they say. Captain Thomas in his supreme scorn for the Children kept only two hundred of the infantry with him to fight Bhavananda and sent away the re*t with Hay. The clever Bhavananda saw that the English guns and the major part of their forces were gone and found that what remained of it might be easily destroyed. He then called out such of his troops as yet survived and said : " We have got to go and help Jivananda after slaying these few soldiers. Comrades, cry again, Victory to Hari, the Lord of Universe." The handful of the Children then cried " Victory to Hari, Lord of Universe " and fell on Captain Thomas like tigers. The handful of sepoys and Telingis could not stand the fury of that attack and fell. Bhavananda himself then jumped on Captain Thomas and caught him by his hair. He had been fighting to the last. Bhavananda said, " Captain Saheb, we shall not kill you ; the English are not our enemies. But why did you come In as friends of the Mussulmans ? Come, I shall save your life, and for the present you are my prisoner. We wish all joy to Englishmen, we are your friends."