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

CAWNPORE AND JHANSI
The English had great hopes of speedy succour from Luck-
now or Allahabad. On account of the strict scouting of
the Revolutionaries, it had become impossible to carry on
correspondence. Still, an Indian messenger had carried
as far as Lucknow a letter by Sir Wheeler, partly in Latin,
partly in French, and partly in English, and packed in
the quill of a bird. It said only, "Help! Help!! Help!!!
Send us help or we are dying! If we get help, we will
come and save Lucknow!" But, the vigilance of the
Revolutionaries was usually so good that hardly any such
messenger from the English camp could get back there
safe. The English often sent scouts, empowering them
to promise lakhs of Rupees if they could find any traitors
in the Revolutionary camp. But not one lived to return
and give information! For example, we will give an ac-
count given by one of the scouts himself. "When Mr.
Shepherd lost his wife and daughter, he undertook the
task of getting information from the Revolutionaries' camp
and sowing dissensions in Cawnpore. He set out in the
disguise of an Indian cook. Hardly had he gone a short
distance when he was arrested and brought before Nana
Sahib. When he was asked about the state of the English,
he began to give false and glowing descriptions as agreed
upon. But seeing that two women, captured just before
he was caught, had told the true story of despair, he got
confused. He was first put in a prison and, on the 12th
of July, he was brought before a court and sentenced to
three years' rigorous imprisonment." From this will be
seen the regard for justice which Nana had, even in the
heat of the war. Though English scouts were thus baulk-
ed, the scouts of the Revolutionaries did their work ex-
ceedingly well. One day, a bhishti (water-carrier) stood,
on a high piece of ground near the English fort and cried,
"Even disregarding the fear of death, since I love the
English so much, I have come to convey to you a piece of
joyful news. An English army with guns has come up
on the other bank of the Ganges. It will start to-morrow to
relieve you. This news has created a perfect consternation
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