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

THE ERUPTION
about the secret agitation among the Cawnpore Sepoys.
But Sir Hugh Wheeler was still confident that the agita-
tion was due to the extraordinary nature of the news that
arrived from Meerut and would gradually subside. But
there in the city of Cawnpore and in the Sepoy lines,
everyone saw clearly that the days of English rule were
over. Hindus and Mahomedans held big meetings ; the
Sepoys held secret conferences ; school-masters and stu-
dents discussed the rising ; and everyone in the shops of
the bazaars openly thought out plans. The fire of popular
indignation, so far kept secret, now burst forth openly.
People openly discussed in the streets about driving out
the English and the Sepoys refused to obey all orders
except those given by their Swadeshi superiors.² When
an English lady went to the bazaar to make purchases,
in the usual proud and haughty manner, a passer-by came
up to her and said with a frown, “ Enough of this haughti-
ness now ! You should understand that you will soon be
driven out of the bazaars of Hindusthan ! ” This was
the rude awakening first experienced by the English.
Seeing that it would be folly to keep quiet under these
conditions, Sir Wheeler began to make preparations for
the defence.
His first thought was to select a place of refuge in case
of danger. He selected one near the Sepoy lines, to the
south of the Ganges. He fortified it by entrenchments,
erected places for mounting guns, and even ordered a
supply of provisions to be stored there. But, it is said
that the Indian contractor, without Sir Wheeler’s know-
ledge, put a far smaller quantity of provisions than ordered
for. Sir Wheeler and the English officers believed that,
even if the Sepoys rose, this place would save them from
any material damage. For they would follow the example
of their comrades in other places and march towards Delhi
and would leave the English quietly to go down the
Published by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi, 2014.
2. Nanak Chand's Diary.
212