Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/45

Rh, what had been raised was being sent laden in carts to the Company's treasury at Calcutta. In those days the fear of being robbed was great and so fifty armed sepoys marched in rows, with bayonets drawn, before and behind the carts. Their commander was an English soldier; he was on horse-back and came last. The sepoys could not walk by day for the heat of the sun and were therefore marching by night. As they:were marching they came in Mahendra's way. He stood by the side of the road, as it was quite filled up with carts and sepoys. Still the sepoys would jostle against him. It was not the time to quarrel, thought he, and so Mahendra left the road and stood near the water beside.

Then a sepoy said, "There's a robber running away." He was confirmed in his belief on seeing the gun in Mahendra's hand. So he made for Mahendra, caught him by the neck, suddenly gave him a blow with an imprecation on his lips, and snatched away his gun. With an empty hand, Mahendra could but strike back with his fist;—needless to say, he was very angry. The redoubtable sepoy reeled at the blow and fell senseless on the spot. Then several sepoys fell on Mahendra, dragged him by force to their captain and reported to him that the man had killed one of their company. The saheb was smoking his pipe and was a bit worse for drink. He only said: "Catch hold of the sala and marry him." The sepoys did not very well see how they could marry an armed robber; but they thought, the captain would reconsider his orders when he came back to his senses and they might be