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

TEMPORARY PACIFICATION
Tatia, Rao Sahib, and Feroze Shah were discussing plans
in a special council of war, when suddenly the last shout
of despair was heard ! Tatia felt an Englishman's hand
at his back and the English had flooded into the camp.
There was a joyous shout on the English side : " Tatia
is caught ! Tatia is caught ! " But soon the cry had to
be varied. " Oh ! he was here only just now ! Run,
soldiers, run ! " They carried an exhaustive search in
each and every corner—but Tatia had disappeared !
That magician Tatia was to be seen again, together with
Rao Sahib and Feroze at the town of Sikhar, near Alwar,
on the 21st of January, and English forces were again run-
ning madly in pursuit. One of them, Holmes, actually
fought a skirmish with the Revolutionaries, who were de-
feated and pushed back.
The defeat at Sikhar destroyed not the hope of success of
the Revolutionaries—that was gone even long before—but
it made any further resistance absolutely impossible. Since
the failure of the Baroda plan, after the crossing of the
Narbada, Tatia and Rao Sahib had been discussing as to
whether the guerilla tactics should be modified at last.
Now, Tatia took leave of Rao Sahib and the army. He
took with him two horses, a pony, two Brahmin cooks,
and a man-servant. With these followers, Tatia came up
to Sirdar Man Singh of Gwalior who was, at the time,
hiding in the Paron jungles. Man Singh said to him,
" You did not do well in leaving the army." Tatia replied,
" Let that be for better or for worse I am now going to
stay with you. I am tired of continual marching."⁶ Hear-
ing that Tatia was now hiding with Man Singh in the
jungle, the English now resorted to the plan of capturing
through the base, and for them handy, instrument of
treachery and deceit, the enemy whom they could not cap-
ture in open war. First, they approached Man Singh.
6. From Tatia's Diary.
536