Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/183



At this time Thomas's guns reached the right flank and made havoc among the Children ; — there was no hope of anybody escaping. Most of the Cnildren fled where they could. Jivananda and Dhirananda tried their best to keep them together in form but to no avail. At that time somebody cried out, " To the bridge, to the bridge 1 cross the river or you will be drowned ! Go to the bridge with your face towards the English army." Jivananda looked forward and saw Bhavananda before him. Bhavananda said to Jivananda, " Go to the bridge or there is no hope." Then their army slowly backed to the bridge. On reaching the bridge, too many Children rushed for it at the same time and gave a great opportunity to the English guns which began to sweep the bridge. The Children were killed in large numbers. Bhavananda, Dhiranandra and Jivananda were together. One gun in particular was working much ruin among the Children and at Bhavananda's command they then rushed on this gun and after a fierce fight captured it. Bhavananda then stood on the gun and cried, " Say, 'Hail, Mother'/' and they echoed his cry. Bhavananda then said : " Jivananda, come let us turn this gun and make a pulp of these rogues like the flour pulp for luchi." The Children turned the gun round and it then roared with a noise that sounded like " Hari, Han," in the ears of the Vaishnavas. It killed many sepoys. Bhavananda