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388 by the fire of the besiegers, and in carrying food and water to the soldiers on duty. It seemed a contest between the two races, under conditions unusually favourable to the besieged.

By the 29th a breach in the outer wall had been effected, though it was barely practicable. On the evening of the 31st information reached Sir Hugh that an army was advancing from the north, led by Tántiá Topí, to the relief of the fortress.

Since his defeat by Sir Colin Campbell at Kánhpur, in the preceding December, Tántiá Topí had fallen back on Kalpí, had issued thence some time in February, with 900 followers, to besiege Charkhárí, had captured it, and, his force increased by the junction of five or six regiments of the Gwáliár contingent and some local levies to 22,000 men and twenty-eight guns, was now responding to a request sent him by the Rání of Jhánsí to march to her relief.

The situation in which the advance of Tántiá placed Sir Hugh Rose, critical as it was, was a situation with which that bold and resolute leader was peculiarly qualified to grapple. He met it with the hand of a master. Recognising that to interrupt the siege operations would give the rebels a confidence sufficient to impel them to resolutions more perilous to himself than any which boldness would be likely to cause, he resolved still to press the siege, whilst, with the troops not on actual duty, amounting to 1500 men, of whom only one-third were Europeans, he would march to intercept Tántiá Topí. This plan he carried out. At four o'clock the following morning (April 1) Tántiá advanced towards the point where the 1500 men of Sir Hugh's force lay ready for action. When the rebels came within striking distance Sir Hugh opened fire, then simultaneously attacking their right and left, doubled both