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

MOULVIE AHMAD SHAH
though originally raised in haste, had by this time become
quite like veterans through constant experience on the
field. Again, the ‘contingent’ forces of the native princes
which had been sent forth to the assistance of the English,
were also busy in the field. The pick of these innumerable
brown and white troops were now engaged in the supreme
effort of reconquering Oudh. As described in the last
chapter, Lugard and Douglas were sent into Behar, Sir
Hope Grant was sent towards Bari and Bitaoli, and Wal-
pole was ordered to march up from the banks of the
Ganges. Thus, these different forces, including those of
the commander-in-chief and others, were marching in a
line to drive out the Revolutionaries to a man further and
further to the north till they were pushed into Rohilkhand;
and then, the idea was to annihilate them by one supreme
effort. With this intention, Walpole too had started to
do his own part on the 9th of April, 1858 ; and now, on
the 15th of April, he was busy in attacking the fort of
Ruiya which is fifty-one miles from Lucknow.
It was not that either the fort of Ruiya was very strong
or that its owner Narapat Singh was a very big and mighty
chieftain. But small Zemindar though he was, ever since
this great sacrificial fire was lighted up on the field of
liberty, this Narapat Singh had offered himself with his
all-in-all, as a willing victim for the regeneration of his
nation. The 15th of April saw a mighty English army,
armed with the most modern artillery, attacking this little
chief in his tiny fort. As he had not even two hundred
and fifty men with him in the fort, the English naturally
expected that the chief must have already evacuated the
place. But, on that very morning, one of the white pri-
soners whom Narapat Singh had released came to the
English camp and informed the general that he had heard
Narapat Singh say that he would evacuate the fort but
not until he had had his vengeance.—Not until a gory
fight is fought, not until one bloody defeat is inflicted will
Narapat leave his fort !
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