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

THE CONFLAGRATION
hot balls. "Mâro Feringhiko!" Lieutenant Dick and
Lieutenant Meiklejohn have mounted the ladders and are
calling upon their men to follow them. Boom, boom!
Instantly, the daring Englishmen fell in the jaws of death!
Anyone coming behind? Lieutenant Bonus and heroic
Lieutenant Fox, you seem anxious for death—your desire
shall be accomplished;--die, then! Seeing these four
heroes who had scaled with the greatest difficulty shot
down, the ladders trembled. They swayed and broke
under the weight of the English troops. The English
sounded the bugle to retire; the army began to go back—
it went back, the soldiers concealing themselves behind
every stray stone! ⁵
A strong defence was thus offered at the principal gate.
But who is giving forth that tragic wail near the southern
ramparts? May it be that mean treachery has lost the
Morcha gate? Yes, unfortunately yes; the English have
captured the gate, with the aid of treachery—so it is said
—and they have mounted the ramparts, and are advanc-
ing rapidly on. There was no other thought that day but
to kill or be killed! Once within the city, the English
gave no quarter and streams of blood flowed freely. The
English, taking one position after another, massacring,
firing, destroying—came right up to the palace. As soon
as the palace was forced, thousands of Rupees were
5. "No sooner did we turn into the road leading towards the
gate, than the enemy's bugle sounded, and a fire of indescribable
fierceness opened upon us from the whole line of the walls and from
the tower of the fort overlooking this site. For a time it appeared
like a sheet of fire, out of which burst a store of bullets, round
shots, and rockets destined for our annihilation....But the fire
of the enemy waxed stronger, and amidst the chaos of sounds, of
volleys of musketry and roaring of cannon, hissing and bursting
rockets, stink-pots, infernal machines, huge stones, blocks of wood,
and trees, all hurled upon our heads, it seemed as though Pluto
and the Furies had been loosened upon us, carrying death amongst
us fast. At this instant a bugle sounded on our right for the Euro-
peans to retire."—Lowe's Central India, page 254.
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