He had not to wait long for the gratification of his curiosity. An action took place: the forces were warmly engaged, and Mr. L. walked about within musket-shot distance to observe the manœuvres of the two armies. The English had planted a battery on a rocky elevation, which made much havoc among the Mahratta forces. Between this battery on its flank and an opposite cliff there was a deep ravine, which rendered all access from one height to the other impracticable: but a sloping ground, by making a circuit in the rear of the Mahratta forces, afforded a practicability of bringing field-pieces to the summit of the cliff to bear on the English battery from the Mahratta side.
Mr. L. took an opportunity of addressing himself to General N., and pointed out to him the probability of silencing, or, at least, of annoying the English battery from the cliff in question; but the general treated his remark in a slighting manner, and, riding to another part of the field, took no farther notice of him. Mr. L. had seated himself on a hillock, still making his reflections, when an old Mahratta officer, who had heard the conversation between Mr. L. and the general of the artillery, and had partly understood what Mr. L. proposed should be done, approached him. “Well, sir,” said he, “what do you think of our artillery?”—“If I were a flatterer,” replied Mr. L., “I should say that it was well served; but, as I am not, you will pardon me if I think it bad.” The officer went on—“You see the day is likely to go against us—what would you do if you had the command?”—“Oh! as for the command, I don’t know,” rejoined Mr. L., “but this one thing I do know, that, if I had but two pieces of cannon, I would turn the day in your master’s favour.”—“How would you do that?” asked the officer: “perhaps I could put two field-pieces at your disposal.”—“If you could,” said Mr. L., “I would plant them on yonder height” (pointing at the same time to it), “and let my head answer for my presumption, if I do not effect what I promise.”
The bearing of the Frenchman and his energetic manner of speaking, together with his evident coolness and self-possession on a field of battle, made a great impression on the Mahratta officer. “Come with me, young man,” said he, “I will conduct you to the rajah.”—“With all my heart,” replied Mr. L. When brought into his presence, Scindeah asked the officer what the stranger wanted, and the officer repeated the conversation that had just passed. “Well,” says Scindeah, “he does not ask for money, he only asks for guns: give them to him, and let them be served by some of my best gunners. The idea may be good: only be expeditious, or we may soon be where that infernal battery of the English can annoy us no longer.”
Accordingly, without a moment’s delay, two field-pieces were dragged up by the back of the cliff to the spot pointed out, Mr. L. entrusting the command of one of them to another Frenchman, whose curiosity had brought him on the field also. The very second shot that was fired at the English battery blew up an artillery waggon (caisson) full of powder. The explosion dismounted some of the cannon, killed several men, and created so much confusion, that the English, in consequence of it, eventually lost the battle, and were forced to retreat. Mr. L. had two or three of his men killed. “There! you may take your cannon back,” said he, as soon as the explosion took place; “I have nothing farther to do;” and he and his brother Frenchman walked away to watch the result of the mischief they had done.
When the day was over, an officer of the rajah’s conveyed to Mr. Loustaunau his master’s request that he would attend on him at his tent. Mr. L. presented himself, and Scindeah received him with marks of great consideration. Addressing himself to Mr. L., “You have done me, sir,” said he, “a most essential service to-day; and, as a small recompense for your gallantry and the military talent you have shown, I beg your acceptance of a few presents, together with the assurance that, if you like to enter my service, you shall have the command of a company immediately.” Mr. L. thanked him in proper language, and, declining the presents offered, said, “Your highness will excuse me if I refuse your gifts: I will, however, with pleasure accept the sword which I see among them, but nothing else. The offer of a commission in your army I must equally decline, as I am bound to return to our ambassador, to whom I owe too many obligations to take any step without his permission.” Scindeah could not but approve of this reply; and Mr. L., making his bow, returned towards the place where he was lodged.
When night came, and General Norolli, having made his dispositions, had also returned to his quarters, whilst yet on horseback, and, as if moved by jealousy to repress the exultation which he imagined Mr. L. might have indulged in, he called out in a loud and angry tone, “Where is Mr. Loustaunau, where is that gentleman?” Mr. L., who was standing not far off, approached, and, as the general dismounted, said, “Here I am, general, at your command.”—“I saw,” observed Mr. L. (interrupting himself whilst relating this part of his story to me) “that the general was in a rage, which appeared more plainly as he continued.”—“Who, sir, authorized you to present yourself to the rajah without my leave? don’t you know that all Europeans must be introduced by me?”—“General,” replied Mr. L., “I was summoned by his highness, and I went: if you are angry because I have done some little service to your master, I cannot help it. You are not ignorant that I pointed out to you first of all the commanding position which struck me as fitted for planting a battery: you refused to listen to my suggestion; and, if it was afterward adopted by others, that is your fault, not mine.”—“Sir,” cried the general, irritated more and more by this remark, “you deserve to have this whip across your shoulders.”—“General,” retorted Mr. L., “you suffer your anger to get the better of your reason: if you have any whippings to bestow, you must keep them for your Portuguese—Frenchmen are not accustomed to take them.” The general’s fury now knew no bounds; he put his hand on one of the pistols in his girdle, intending to shoot Mr. L. “But I,” said Mr. L., “was ready; and, with my eyes fixed on him, would have seized the other, had he drawn it out, and I would have shot him; for, you know, in self-defence, one will not stand still to have a bullet through one’s body, without preventing it, if possible. However, some officers held the general’s arm, and shortly after I retired, and, remaining a day or two more in the camp, returned to the place where I had left our ambassador.
“When I told him what had happened—‘Stay with me, Loustaunau,’ said he; ‘it is my intention to raise a few troops here, and, since you seem to like fighting, you shall be employed:’ but in a few weeks the ambassador was recalled to France, and he offered to take me with him, promising to get me employment at home. However, I considered that I had better chances in remaining where I was, than in going to my native country, where birth, patronage, and the usages of good society, are necessary for a man’s advancement, all which I wanted.”
Mr. Loustaunau, left to his own exertions, recollected the rajah’s offer; and on applying to him, received a commission in the Mahratta army. Eminently qualified by nature for military command, his advancement was rapid; and, after distinguishing himself in several actions, and showing likewise a very superior judgment in political affairs, he finally became general of Scindeah’s troops, although I could not ascertain in how short a time. His reputation spread rapidly through the territory, and his noble conduct and intrepidity must have been very generally known, since, on one occasion, after having been severely wounded in his left hand, two fingers of which he had lost, the commander of the English forces sent a flag of truce and his own surgeon with an offer of his professional assistance, fearing that Mr. L. might not have a European surgeon to attend him. Scindeah, in his despatches to him, styled him a lion in battle, and a lynx in council. He consulted him in difficult negociations with the East India Company’s servants; and, in acknowledgment of his services, he gave him a village as an appanage to his rank. Mr. L. married the daughter of a French officer, by whom he had four or five children, one of whom is now living at Givet, in the department of the Ardennes.
Mr. L. was fearless at all times, and inimical to despotism even in the centre of its worshippers. Scindeah had unjustly imprisoned an Armenian merchant, whose wealth he intended to confiscate for his own benefit. As the oppressive act was founded on no just grounds, and application had been made to General Loustaunau for his interposition, when he found that entreaties were of no avail, “one day,” said he, “I took fifty of my men, fellows de bonne volonté, and, marching strait to the rajah’s palace at a time when I knew he was in his divan, I entered, walked up to him, and in a mild, but pretty determined tone, said, ‘Your highness, be not alarmed, I am come to ask a favour of you: you must release the Armenian merchant, as I have sworn to set him free.’ Scindeah saw that I meant not to trifle, and, assuming a friendly air, he complied with my request. The guards were astounded at my audacity, but they dared not stir, for I and my men would have sabred them instantly.”
After having covered himself with glory, as the French express it, he obtained his congé; and, being resolved to return to France, he visited some of the English settlements in his way to the place of his embarkation, where he was most honourably and hospitably treated. He always spoke of this period as the happiest of his life, and mentioned the names of some English gentlemen with the highest encomiums and most pleasing reminiscences.