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

THE CONFLAGRATION
perly organised, the enemy should never again be vic-
torious. The Nabob of Banda was inspired by her speech.
Proclamations in spirited language were again published
in the Revolutionary army. And to-day, on the banks
of the Jumna, crowds are gathering. Swords and guns,
angry Sepoys invoking the Jumna to bless the cause of
the independence of their soil—such a Revolutionary
pilgrimage the banks of the Jumna had probably never
before seen. These banks are simply echoing forth the
triumphant cries for the Mother and for Dharma ! “ Jai
Jumna ! With this thy sacred water in our hands, we
swear that the Feringhis shall be extinct, that Swadesh
shall be independent, and that Swadharma shall be re-
established ! Jai Jumna ! If all this is accomplished,
then alone we will live. If not, we will die this day on
the field of battle. We swear, by thee, O Kalindi,
three times ! ”
Heroes, thrice bound by this oath, come on then to the
field. Rao Sahib will lead the whole army. Drive away
this 25th infantry under Sir Hugh Rose. They are all
Indians—drive these traitors before you ! Major Orr
advances—make him share the same defeat ! In this
maidan before Kalpi, our position—with this undulatory
part to cover—is almost impregnable. But look, the
vanguard, is falling back ! It went too far, and being
not well covered, has had to retreat. Run then, Lakshmi,
run to protect them. She rushed forward sword in her
hand with lightning-like rapidity, and fell on the right
wing of the English, with her red-uniformed cavalry.
The triumphant right stopped dead, so sudden was the
attack ; stopped dead, and then retired back helpless.
This rapid onslaught of the girl of twenty-one, her horse
at full speed, her sword cutting men down to the right
and to the left,—seeing this, who would not fight for her?
Who would not be inspired by her ? All the Revolu-
tionaries were inspired by her strength ; the battle raged
bloody and hot. The Feringhi gunners of the light field
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