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

THE CONFLAGRATION
And so they willingly relinquished all the ways and means
of escape they had. They had not the slightest hope of
victory and yet they defied the English army and loudly
called on them to join battle. That army of the
English which did not stop for the ramparts of
Delhi nor for the walls of Cawnpore nor for the
siege of Lucknow, now had to stop before this in-
significant-looking building !
Malleson says : “ Few in number, armed only with mus-
kets, they were animated by a spirit fiercer even than the
spirit of despair—by a determination to die martyrs to
their cause. Walpole reconnoitred the place. It was, for
a place to stop an army, insignificant. It could easily be
stormed. Yet to storm it in the face of its occupants
would cost valuable life and it seemed that easier and less
costly means were available. These easy means were at
first tried. Hand-grenades were thrown in ; an attempt
was made to smoke out the occupants with burning straw.
But all in vain. Through their loop-holes, the rebels pour-
ed in a constant and effective fire on the assailants and,
for three hours, kept them at bay. At last, it was resolved
to blow up that place. For this purpose, Bourchier, aided
by Scratchley of the Engineers, made a mine with a num-
ber of his gun cartridges. The explosion of this conferred
upon the defenders the martyr’s honours they coveted. It
buried them in the ruins.”
The dynamite exploded the building. The highly coveted
honour of martyrdom was, thus, gained by these heroes
who longed for it. They died on the spot and were buried
in the ruins. And this sacred mausoleum of Itawa, since
that day, has been preaching a silent and terrible sermon,
by day and by night, on How to die in defence of a
Noble cause !!
Brave Itawa ! Glorious for ever ! What better, what
holier inspiration could one find in the pass of Thermo-
392