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

THE CONFLAGRATION
rest thee near the village of Bhandeir. The Mahalkuree
of the village will feed your darling Damodar.
As soon as breakfast was over, she again started on her
journey on the Kalpi road. But what is this dust behind?
Spur your horses on ! Lakshmi, keep Damodar safe on
the back and gallop on. Take out your sword ! There,
Bowker is pressing close ! Here is the reward for your
wicked pursuit ! Dare you hold back the lightning ? A
long sweep of her sword, and Bowker was violently thrown
off his horse. A deadly fight took place between her
fifteen or twenty horsemen and the English pursuers ;
those who were alive advanced forward to protect
Lakshmi Bai. Wounded Bowker and his handful of men
gave up the pursuit. The sword of the Mother advanced
triumphant, shining. The sun in the heaven above, Ranee
Lakshmi Bai on earth—both were marching forward.
Morning was gone and mid-day came, but the Ranee did
not stop. Afternoon came, the shades of evening began
to fall, the sun went down the horizon—but the Ranee
still would not stop. The stars rose. They saw her just
as they had seen her the night before—marching, march-
ing in hot haste. At last, at midnight, Ranee Lakshmi
entered Kalpi. A ride of a hundred and two miles she
accomplished, and that, fighting with Lieutenant Bowker
and his soldiers and with the burden of a child on her
back. That horse just lived, it so seemed, to carry her
to Kalpi. For, as soon as he saw the rider safe in Kalpi,
he fell down on the ground all in a heap. Six men were
immediately ordered to attend to the horse. The Ranee
loved the horse very much. A horse which carried safe
such a person with such faithfulness deserves to be re-
membered, and his memory will be loved for all time.
The Ranee slept till dawn. In the morning, the touching
meeting between the Ranee and Shri Rao Sahib Peshwa
took place. Both remembered their ancestors—the
thought that they were descended from those who had
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