Page:The Marquess of Hastings, K.G..djvu/129

Rh steadily pushed up the left bank of the Chambal, crossed that river, and on the 17th headed the Pindárís, capturing their baggage and Kárím's family. Pressed on every side the two chiefs were nearly taken, but, turning to the south with some 4,000 men, they fled as rapidly as possible, and in spite of the efforts of Adams, who harassed them as they passed, they escaped into Holkar's country, dispirited and exhausted, reduced in numbers, and having lost all their baggage and goods.

Thus by the end of 1817 the Pindárís had been driven out of Málwá and beyond the Chambal, but although they were greatly disorganised and weakened by their misfortunes, yet they did at last succeed in baffling their pursuers and in breaking through the circle that surrounded them. Immediate efforts were made to dislodge them from their new retreat, but before these operations are related, it will be necessary to revert to events that occurred elsewhere in Central India.

The 4th Deccan Division had scarcely marched away from near Poona to take up the position assigned to it in Khándesh, when Bájí Ráo, who was raising troops ostensibly to attack the Pindárís, concentrated as many as 35,000 men near his capital and refused to send them to the seat of war. This circumstance and others made it apparent to the Resident that a crisis was impending, but unwilling to provoke a quarrel he took no public steps to meet the danger he foresaw, until the 1st November, when he moved the British Brigade, left behind at Poona,