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

THE CONFLAGRATION
which showed such fine front even after the all-night
march of the previous day. Ye have earned your break-
fast, British soldiers, by the sweat of your brow, nay, by
the free flow of blood from your bodies ; so, enjoy your
breakfast, with your commanders, in the cool shade of the
mango groves ! The rays of the morning sun are wel-
coming you, gay because of the great victory earned so
lately. Arms were arranged all around, breakfast was
ready, the hungry mouths were chewing the first morsel;
the cups of drink were filled ready,—and then !
Boom, boom ! What is up ? The cups are dashed down
from the lips, the morsels of food have slipped off the
mouths, the breakfast dishes are shattered and, instead,
the army has to take up the arms only this hour laid down
with a sense of relief ! Has Kumar Singh come after all?
Yes, yes! Kumar Singh has descended like a thunderbolt
upon the English, who had been contemplating with de-
light their supposed victory. As soon as Milman was com-
pletely enticed into the security of a false victory, the hero
—old in age but youthful in spirit—came out of the fort
of Atrolia and smiled with contempt at the prey, now
completely his. Malleson says : “ What more could a
general long for ? Everything was in his favour. Kumar
Singh, then, marched to a victory which he deemed assur-
ed. The imagination can almost picture him making to
the confidant by his side an exclamation near akin to that
which burst from the lips of Wellington when he noticed
the false movement of Marmont which brought on the
battle of Salamanca ! Mon cher Alva, Marmont est
perdu !” ¹ Still Milman struggled to escape and marched
on with boldness, hoping to frighten Kumar Singh by
keeping up a good and steady attack. But a regular
shower of bullets was kept on from the avenues of sugar-
cane, from the trees of the mango grove, and from the
mud--banks everywhere. The army of Kumar Singh

1. Malleson's Indian Mutiny, Vol. IV, p. 319.
   420