Page:History of the French in India.djvu/485

 CALLIAUD OUT-MANOEUVRES DAUTEUIL. 459 formation, was to give full play to the activity of an chap. enemy who had hitherto shown himself not wanting in expedients. If d'Auteuil thought at all on the subject, 1757. he could not have believed that Calliaud was so wanting in ordinary perception as to run his head against the positions he occupied. A strong reconnaissance on the Madura road would have compelled Calliaud to fight. But if governments will intrust the command of their armies to gouty octogenarians, they must refrain from expecting that activity of movement, that watchful and daring vigour, which are almost synonymous with success. DAuteuil, well satisfied with his arrangements, received information early on the evening of the 25th, that Calliaud had just reached Aour, a village ten miles south-east of Trichinapalli, and that he intended, a few hours later, to force his way between the Five Rocks and the Sugar-loaf Rock under cover of the darkness of the night. He instantly massed his forces about half a mile in front of the Golden Rock, denuding even the other positions in order to concentrate every available man against the enemy. All night long he remained in a state of anxious expectation; day dawned, yet there was no appearance of an enemy ; at last, the sun itself appeared gilding the horizon ; still not a soldier was to be seen; but scarcely had the entire disk become visible to the still expectant d'Auteuil, when a triumphant feu de joie from the walls of Trichinapalli announced to him the terrible fact, that he had been out-witted and out- manoeuvred, and that Trichinapalli had been relieved ! It was too true. Fortunately for the English, their commander was still young, hale, and active, fully im- pressed with the necessity of using all his faculties, mental and bodily, when he had a great end to pursue. Breaking up from Madura on the 11th, Calliaud had marched at the head of the small force we have indi-