Page:History of the French in India.djvu/520

 494 CHANDRAtfAGAR AND THE DAKHAN. chap, rounded by the Maratha cavalry, they pushed on — the XI, l body of horsemen commanded by Januji and Ram- 175G. chandr acting against them only in appearance. An- other chieftain, however, not in league with Bussy, made a sweep upon Law's cattle and baggage-carriage, and carried them all off. This was a serious loss; nevertheless, as their only hope lay in advancing, Law pushed on to the village, and resting there all day, forced his way in the night to Meliapur, through a very difficult country, every inch of which he had to contest with the enemy. During the day he received from Bussy the letter sent to inform him of the arrange- ments made with the Maratha chiefs. At Meliapur, which was about seventeen miles from Haidarabad, he put up in a ruined mud-fort near the town. Hitherto Law had shown an amount of dash and energy, such as those who had studied his previous career would not have been prepared to witness. So long as he was moving on, the mere action of advancing, and the example set by his lieutenant, d'Arambure, sustained him. But he had scarcely seen his men safely within the mud-fort of Meliapur before the old Srirangam spirit came over him. Not that his losses had been heavy, only two men had been killed and but three wounded ; but they were all exhausted by fatigue ; the Maratha cavalry had swept off their bullocks, and their carriage had been rendered nearly useless. The next march, too, was more difficult than any of the marches preceding it.* Law decided, therefore, to halt where he was, till at least themen should have recovered from their fatigue. It was not a wise resolve. Asiatic troops can bear anything but the onward march of Europeans, that at once unnerves them ; but let the Europeans halt, and the power of the Asiatic is increased by one-half — let the Europeans falter or show a disposition to retire, then, man for man, the Asiatic is
 * Oruie, from whom the details of this march arc mainly taken.