Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/185

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Chapter XI
159

their seventeen mouths. The woods and the hills all resounded with the deep roar. The infidel force, weary with fighting all day, shuddered for fear of their lives. Telingis, Mussulmans, up-country men, all fled before the fire ; only a few white soldiers remained to die at their posts. Bhavananda was watching the fun of it. " Comrades " he said, "the enemies are breaking away, come let us fall on them." Then the army of Children recrossed the river in large numbers with new zeal and ran to attack the infidels and fell on them. These had not the opportunity to fight again. Like the huge and proud mad tusker who was carried away by the waves of the Bhagirathi, the infidels were swept away by the Children. They found that behind them was Bhavananda's force and before them the eruns. Captain Hay was then done for ; nothing remained for his forces then. All soldiers,— Foujdari and Badshahi, English and native, black and white— all fell or fled. Jivananda, Dhirananda and Bhavananda pursued them, took their guns, and killed many Europeans and sepoys. Seeing the disaster, Hay and Watson sent a message to Bhavananda offering to surrender and forbidding further bloodshed. Jivananda looked at Bhavananda but he said " No, that cannot be, I have got to die to-day.' 1 Then Bhavananda raised his hand and with a loud Harihol fell on them furiously. No one survived the sally. Only 20 or 30 white soldiers gathered themselves in one place determined