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418 Pressed on every quarter by the British detachments, a large portion abandoned themselves to despair; numbers relinquished their homes, fled into the jungles, and there perished miserably; many having died by the hands of the village population, whose vengeance was everywhere roused by the remembrance of their former cruelties.

There now only remain to be told the romantic adventures and tragical death of Cheetoo, "the last of the Pindarries." Some of this chieftain's durra had followed the Patan chiefs to Mehidpoor; but after our victory there Cheetoo and his crew of marauders fled to shift for themselves, seeing that no aid was to be expected from the Mahrattas. They were closely followed by the Guzerat field-force, under Sir William Keir, who surprised and cut up part of them in the neighbourhood of Satootta. Harassed by the activity of Sir William's pursuit, and finding that other corps were closing fast around them, the marauders endeavoured to retrace their steps to their old haunts in the valley of the Nerbudda, and in parts of Malwa. Some of the minor chiefs failed, and were cut up in the attempt; but Cheetoo succeeded in baffling every effort made to intercept or overtake him – he and his adherents, after a hard day's ride, sleeping with their horses saddled and the bridles in their hands, that they might be ready for instant flight. This adventurous chief at length effected his object, by penetrating through a most difficult country, and suddenly re-appeared in Malwa, in the neighbourhood of the ancient city of Dhar, situated among rocks, forests, and the sources of rivers; but his extraordinary march had cost him all his baggage and most of his horses.

Cheetoo was now lost sight of for some time, during which the best of his fellow-chiefs, with their durras, were extirpated in other parts. At last his lair was discovered, and on the night of the 25th of January, 1818, a strong party of the British came upon him, and utterly broke up his band: but Cheetoo, who seemed to bear a charmed life till his last dismal hour arrived, escaped, and wandered