१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

THE ERUPTION
messenger had been taken. On the evening of the 20th
May, the Brahmin was to be hanged. The whole regiment
was made to attend at the execution. What was to be
done now ? If they were to wait till the 31st of May, the
Brahmin would be hanged. As they whispered to each
other, “ He is going ! ”, and looked up, they beheld that
the Brahmin’s body was hanging on the scaffold, deliver-
ing a terrible oration of REVENGE ! What an oration !
Instead of strings of words, streaks of blood were flowing
incessantly ! The dead Brahmin could never in his life
have delivered such an oration as he was delivering from
the scaffold without uttering a single word ! For, in an
instant, a Sepoy broke forth from the ranks and, pointing
his sword towards the body of the Brahmin, he exclaimed,
“ Friends ! This martyr bathes in blood ! ” This shaft
from the mouth of that brave Sepoy, entered the heart of
the thousands of Sepoys quicker, even, than it takes for a
spark to explode a powder-magazine ! They, at once, drew
out their swords ; and these thousands of Sepoys, mad
with rage, began to dance with delirium, thundering,
“ Death to the Feringhi rule ! ”
It is no wonder that the English officers were at their
wits’ end after this scene. Not only did the “ most loyal ”
9th regiment rise, but it spoke out that, if the English
wanted to save their lives, they should leave Aligarh at
once ! Taking advantage of this generosity, the officers
at Aligarh with their wives and children, and all the other
Englishmen and women there, including Lady Outram,
left Aligarh quietly. Before midnight not a trace of Eng-
lish rule remained at Aligarh !
The news of the freedom of Aligarh arrived at Minpur
on the evening of the 22nd May. It has been said above
that a detachment of the 9th infantry was stationed here.
Anybody can imagine from the account of their brethren’s
doings at Aligarh, what the thoughts of the Sepoys of this
detachment would have been. The officers at Minpur got
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