Page:History of the French in India.djvu/384

 360 BUSSY TO 1754. y^ p - Action on his part, then, would give a large slice of the -'-^ ■< Dakhan to the Marathas. Meanwhile, little dreading 1751. any movement on the part of Salabat Jang, he proposed to enrich himself and his followers by the plunder of the border provinces of the Dakhan. The bold march of Bussy upon Bidar, however, entirely disconcerted these plans. Still more was Balaji troubled when he saw that the enemy had no intention whatever of remaining at Bidar, but were moving thence direct upon his capital. Renouncing at once all thoughts of the invasion of the Dakhan, Balaji hastened to proceed to the defence of his dominions. He was at the head of a numerous army, confident in its leader, and in whom that leader reposed the fullest trust. Very often had he led them to victory, more than once indeed over this same army of the Dakhan, which now had the pre- sumption to invade the sacred soil of the Marathas. Could he doubt the result now Of the foreigners who accompanied the army of Salabat he might indeed have heard, but the smallness of their numbers was sufficient to deprive them of any formidable character. They, besides, had never come in contact with a regular Maratha army ; had never been called upon to repel those sweeping charges of cavalry, which had so often proved fatal to the armies of the Muhammadans. Selecting then 40,000 of his best horse, and leaving the remainder to follow, Balaji hastened to bar the road to Puna, and, if possible, to destroy the enemy at a blow. The Subadar with his French allies had but just left Bidar en route to Puna, when they learned the approach of the Marathas. In accordance with the Muhammadan tactics they formed up to await their attack. Bussy, however, so planted his guns, consist- ing of ten field-pieces, as to command the ground over which the enemy must charge. Having done this and placed his infantry in line of support, he calmly awaited the approach of Balaji.