We now considered it a fair opportunity of pushing off; but the tears and forcible entreaties of two of our party, who were wounded, prevented us for this time. Poor fellows! they knew what their fate would be, had we left them; besides, they belonged to five of us, who had bound ourselves many years before never to forsake each other. In short, we returned to Chitteldroog, after losing about 200 men; and knowing we had not behaved amiss, expected soon another opportunity, but this did not offer for three months afterwards.
In the intermediate period, our good commandant, in a fit of madness, from taking too much opium, cut his throat, and thus saved himself from reprehension respecting us. Three months elapsed, when one night we were assembled for an excursion.[[22]] About half-past ten, we marched from the fort, and at day break encamped ten miles distant from Chitteldroog, where we lay inactive for several days. Here they kept a jealous eye over us, particularly by night, so that it was next to impossible to effect any thing; knowing this, we were determined to try the day for the attempt. Noon was agreed on as the most proper time. The five[[23]] of us who had long bound ourselves to each other for this purpose, accordingly stole out of the camp, singly, in different directions, and met at the distance of a mile, as by agreement; immediately pushing for a jungle, or wood, which lay about six miles distant, which, if we could reach, would crush the alarming fears we were under from the pursuit of their cavalry. We had no arms at this time, but a carbine, which Mr. Drake carried behind him, covered by his black camel. We were now pushing on rapidly, when, to our great consternation, we saw a company of armed men coming the same road we were going. They could not but see us; we instantly separated, and, providentially for us, a tremendous shower of rain came on at the moment, which well covered our retreat back to the camp. We learned, in the evening, that a company of sixty men were the day before sent on a reconnoitring expedition: this was the party; and we were not a little rejoiced at our narrow escape.
About eight o’clock in the evening, an order was issued to strike our tents, and from the hurry and bustle that prevailed, we concluded that an enemy, or friend to us rather, was near. Immediately, the line took arms, and was on its march for Chitteldroog. The sky darkened, and an approach of rain was near, the effects of which they were intent upon guarding against: this was our time. We belonged to different companies, but the heavy rain did away with all restrictions. We joined, and pushed through several battalions which were on our left, in order to gain a jungle, which was at no great distance. It was now very dark; we entered the jungle, and slackened our pace. Being in the rear, I thought I could discern something behind me, when, halting and turning round, I distinguished a person following us; I asked in Moorish, “Who is that?” “Richardson,” was the answer. This poor fellow, who was suspicious of our design, had narrowly watched our motions: we were glad to find it was he, and asked him what was his motive for this conduct? He replied, “To go with you.” We gave him our hands, and desired him to come on, which he did for a quarter of a mile, when he suddenly stopped, and wept aloud. We asked him the cause of this behaviour, but received no answer for some time, when we forced him to explain himself. The poor fellow, then, in broken accents, told us he could not leave his children! He had two; this wrung my heart, but it did not alter my resolutions! we gave him all the encouragement we could, but all to no purpose, and he went back with his heart ready to burst, but made his escape afterwards.
We soon, to our comfort, got out of the jungle; and it then appeared a little lighter, but not a star was to be seen. Here we should have been in an awful dilemma, had the winds been variable, as they are in the western world; but the trade wind, so called, was very much in our favour; in fact, it was our compass, for keeping it on our right cheek, we knew we were steering due north, which was our proper course to a place of safety.
Here a circumstance happened, which had every appearance of proving a sad misfortune to one of our party. Those who are acquainted with the interior of India, know what kind of thorns are there, as stiff as nails, and as sharp as needles. One ran into Whitway’s foot, which precluded him the possibility of walking. He sat down, and in a manly tone requested we would make the best of our way, with a “God prosper you, for I cannot move a step further.” This was a lamentable case, but we were not disposed to leave him so: we had provided ourselves with little useful articles for our design; we had in our butwaws,[[24]] flints and steel, and one fortunately had some cotton; and, as necessity is the mother of invention, we put our wits to work. One struck a light, another rolled up a piece of the cotton, while the other two held a camel over his head. Mr. Drake stood surgeon, and, with time and difficulty, extracted the thorn, which was full an inch long. Thus delivered, he joyfully rose, and away we pushed as cheerfully as circumstances would admit. Our chief care now was, to preserve our arms and ammunition in order: these were our secondary dependence; Providence was our first. We knew not how soon we might want them, for it was essentially necessary to be all eye and all ear.
We had not gone three miles farther, when we suddenly fell on a party of armed men, whose numbers we knew not; they were busily employed in preparing their rice and currie. They left all on our approach, and fled one way; and ourselves, no less surprised, turned off another; our business was not fighting, but flying. Shortly after this adventure, we came to a thicket, which we considered a safe and convenient place to take a little refreshment. We consumed what we had, with the exception of a small quantity of raw rice, which we still held good. When the day began to break, we found ourselves near a rising ground, which we lost no time in ascending. Here we had a view of two villages, at the foot of the hill, belonging to Tippoo, where we could discern the people preparing their food, and at their different employments. We lay snug the whole of the day, exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, and torrents of rain, alternately. We could see Chitteldroog at a distance of about twenty miles. Here more genuine sorrow oppressed me; and not speaking to an affectionate woman, or even kissing a lovely child, preyed on my spirits. Great Being! thou, and thou only, knowest what the joyful, gloomy fluctuations of a mind under similar circumstances are! I fain would have gone back, could I have done so with safety, yet that was more dangerous than proceeding: but enough.
About five in the evening, we descended the hill, whilst yet good day-light; and fortunately for us, since, having a thick jungle to pass, an attempt to have done it in the dark would have proved fruitless. One of the party, who carried our poor pittance of rice, unfortunately fell into a deep pit, and it was with great difficulty we got him out again; and had we not descended the hill when we did, the obstructions would have been insurmountable after dark. Here some good being directed our weary steps. After passing this difficulty,[[25]] we saw, by the little light that yet remained, a man driving two or three buffaloes to a ruined village. He saw us, and hastened his pace; but we neared him, and desired him to stop: he was terrified, and made the more haste, until we called out to him in the Tillingey language, which he understood, and stopped immediately. From this poor fellow, for such he was, we gained some information; and one branch appeared to us extremely gratifying, viz. that there was a fort, not more than three miles distant, in the possession of the Mahrattas. We requested him to shew us the road, which he promised to do after he had secured his cattle; we desired him to make haste, which he very reluctantly did. We took the old man with us; and when we came to the fort, he begged we would suffer him to depart,—adding, he should lose his life if he were discovered. This we could easily believe; and after making him swear by his gods, that what he had told us was strictly true, we rewarded him in the best manner we could, and dismissed him.
We entered the fort, which we had no sooner done, than we were surrounded by at least fifty armed men, with pikes, swords, and muskets. A number of haughty questions were asked us; such as, Where we came from? What we were? &c. &c. And as they spoke, they closed on us much; when one roared out, in the Canary language, to seize and bind us: this they supposed we did not understand. We instantly, for not a moment was to be lost, charged the thickest of them, not with a design of injuring, but to intimidate them; it had the desired effect, they fled in all directions, the two sentinels at the gate only remaining. We addressed them, saying, we had no intention of hurting any, and particularly those who were the allies of the English; closing with a request that they would shew us the way out of the fort. They were very surly, and one of them asked us which way we came in? Thinking it would be time thrown away to stand parleying with those wretches, we insisted upon one of them (it was now about midnight) shewing us the way out of the fort; and the man who asked us how we came in, prompted by fear, complied with our demand. This place, we afterwards learned, had recently been taken possession of by the Mahrattas, but Tippoo’s people were still in it, who affected to be well disposed towards the former; but supposing it would soon be in the hands of Tippoo again, would have treated us as they said, but fear checked them. We were not a little joyful on this occasion, and reflected severely on one of our party for advising us to go into the fort. This proved a very fatiguing night’s march indeed. The red heavy soil sticking to our sandals the thickness of an inch, the heavy rains lately fallen, the darkness of the night, with scarcely any rice left, were circumstances truly discouraging; but having no alternative, we pushed on, one leading the van, who was relieved every half hour, as nearly as we could guess, he having the most danger to encounter. This plan was adopted in consequence of three tumbling into a ditch together, during the first night’s march.
About day-break, we found ourselves near a tallow, or lake; here two of our number alarmed the other three, by positively asserting they saw a tiger on the other side of the water. This was very unseasonable, as we were much exhausted from the efforts we had already made. I could see nothing of the kind myself, though I rather think they did, as they were positive afterwards. Here we laid ourselves down, and notwithstanding our bodies made impressions of three or four inches in the mud, I do not recollect I ever experienced such refreshing sleep. When we awoke, it appeared, by the sun’s height, to be about nine o’clock; and after refreshing ourselves with a few mouthfuls of rice, the last we had, and some water, adjusting our priming, &c. we pursued our journey. About eleven, we saw a fort at no great distance, which somewhat alarmed us; but meeting a person who appeared very intelligent, we learned the state of the country, and informed him of our affair on the preceding evening. He gave us to understand, that he was a Mahratta himself, and that there was no cause for fear now, as the fort was commanded by a Mahratta. With this news, we cheerfully advanced under its walls; but, to our no small surprise, found ourselves a second time surrounded! We remonstrated, but, notwithstanding, were kept nearly two hours, during which time two officers were sent from the fort to examine us; and, when they had done, they returned to the killadare’s, to give him an account.
In this interval, we could not tell what to make of it, and particularly as a few of the guards were gradually closing. We requested them to stand at a less menacing distance; which they refused, and we insisted on. Here was all but —— they threatened; we were resolute: they said they would disarm us; we dared them to it; asking them, at the same time, whether many of them had not fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters, wives and children, to lament their loss? and did they suppose we would submit with impunity? We were on the alert; our bayonets fixed, and looking as fierce, perhaps, as Falstaff did when giving an account to Prince Henry of the numbers he had slain. But, waving this, we expected nothing for awhile but fighting for it. We had arranged our plan of attack long before this, viz. in case any thing of this kind should occur, to charge immediately after firing our pieces, with what effect we could: and I humbly think that none of us would have been taken alive, for we had well weighed the result in such a case; but, thank God! we were speedily relieved from this untoward situation by the arrival of the killadare himself, who, at our request, ordered the guards to withdraw. He was very inquisitive; in fact, our appearance was enough to excite curiosity; and as we were very hungry, we said we would barter with him. He asked, how? We replied, if he would be pleased to order us something to satisfy our craving appetites, we should then cheerfully give him all the information in our power. He laughed heartily, repeating several times, “What a curious barter!” He, however, readily acceded to our request, ordering some rice, doll,[[26]] and ghe,[[27]] which we soon converted into a good dish of cudgeree,[[28]] and while preparing, one or the other was answering his questions, for we could all talk Moorish, but learned it not from choice. In short, he appeared pleased with our information, and grew kind; and we were no less pleased with his bounty. He made us large offers to stay with him, which we thankfully declined; and after gaining what information we could relative to the Mahratta camp; where they were? whether any English were with them? who had the command of them? &c. though, by the bye, we had learned his name before; and our mentioning it, we afterwards conjectured, induced him to treat us with kindness;[[29]] we heartily thanked him for the refreshment we received, and he as heartily wished us safe to the Mahratta camp: thus, with mutual good wishes, we left him.