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114 Clive himself, the full purport of the young Englishman's diversion, he had joined 100 Frenchmen to the force detached by Chandá Sáhib to retake Arcot. At the same time he sent every available Frenchman, down to the last recruit, and all his trained sipáhis, to strengthen Law before Trichinopoli. His hope was that whilst the force sent to Arcot should keep Clive and his following shut up, unable to aid the garrison, Law, pressing Trichinopoli hard, should force its surrender. With his force increased to 900 Frenchmen and 2000 trained sipáhis, with the army of the Nuwáb increased to 30,000 men, this was no impossible task for a resolute soldier. But Law, whilst he made a great show of activity, would not depart from the line he had laid down of a strict blockade. Bold in council, he was timid, suspicious, unenterprising himself, and checking enterprise in others in the field. Meanwhile, the arrival of troops from Mysore to the assistance of Muhammad Alí gave confidence to the garrison, and a few small outpost successes which followed so far raised their spirits that there was a talk of combining a general attack on the French. De Gingen, however, contented himself with despatching a party under Cope to storm the little post of Krishnávaram, about thirty miles from Trichinopoli, but recently occupied by the French and their allies. But in this attempt the English and their native allies were repulsed, and Captain Cope, who commanded the party, was mortally wounded.

Again, then, did matters look well for Law. Could