Page:History of the French in India.djvu/515

 TTIS PRUDENT MEASURES. 489 all supplies from their path : to make, in fact, their march chap. through the disturbed country, with an enemy hanging on their rear, absolutely impossible. 175G The position of Bussy had thus become both difficult and dangerous. From the south-west extremity of the Dakhan, he had to make his way to Haidarabad in its centre, thence possibly to the Sirkars on the western coast ; this too, through a hostile population, in a diffi- cult country, with the Krishna to cross, and pursued by a large army ! He was not, however, appalled by any one of these consideration. His great object was to push on so as to reach the Krishna whilst it should be fordable. He did not doubt then that he would gain Haidarabad. Fortune favoured him, as she almost always does favour those who are bold, self-reliant, and courageous. Arriving on the banks of the Krishna, though after many skirmishes with the levies that sprung up on the order of the Minister all around him, he found that the rains, though threatening, had not fallen, and that the river was fordable. No sooner, however, had he crossed it than the waters commenced to swell, and for fifteen days imposed an impassable barrier between himself and his pursuers. At ease regarding his men, he marched them leisurely to Haidarabad. There he resolved to make a stand. Policy counselled no further retreat. At Haidarabad he was in the centre of the kingdom, at no impossible distance from Pondichery, within easy com- munication with Machhlipatan ; to have retreated to that place would have been to abandon the Dakhan. Time also was with him ; for he could not doubt that the Subadar, a man of a fearful and timid nature, surrounded by men whom he distrusted, would soon feel the want of that firm support that had never failed him in the time of need. Urged by these varying considerations, he resolved to await at Haidarabad the reinforcements which, he doubted not, would be sent him from Pondi-