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miles to the south-west of Sitapur, where that battalion was cantoned, and about fourteen miles west from Nimkhar. Captain HoUings made his arrangement to surprise this party, and on the evening of the 3rd of July 1841 A. D., he marched from Nimkhar at the head of three companies of that battalion, and a little before midnight he came within three-quarters of a mile of the rebel's post. After halting his party for a short time, to enable the ofificers and soldiers to throw off~ all superfluous clothing and utensils, Captain Hollings moved on to the attack. When the advanced guard reached the outskirts of the robber's position about midnight, they were first challenged and then fired upon by the sentries. The subahdar in command of this advanced guard fell dead, and a non-commissioned officer and a sepoy were severely wounded. The whole party now fired in upon the gang and rushed on. " One of the robbers was shot, and the rest all escaped out on the opposite side of the jungle. The sepoys believing, since the surprise had been complete, that the robbers must haveleft all their wealth behind them, dispersed, as soon as the firing ceased and the robbers disappeared, to get every man as much as he could. While thus engaged, they were surrounded by theGohdr (or body of auxiliaries which landholders used to send to each other's aid on the concerted signal) and fired in upon from the front and both right and left flanks. Taken by surprise, they collected together in disorder ; while the assailants from the front and sides continued to pour in their fire upon them, and they were obliged to retire in haste and confusion, closely followed by the assailants, who gained confidence and pressed down as their number increased by the quotas they received from the villages the detachment had All efforts on the part of Captain HoUings to to pass in their retreat. preserve order in the ranks were in vain. His men returned the fire of their At the head of the auxiliaries were pursuers, but without aim or effect. Pancham Singh* and Mirza Akbar Beg of Deoria, and they were fast closing-
upon the party, and might have destroyed it, when Girwar Singh, Tumandar, came up with a detachment of special police of the Thuggee and Dacoity Department.
in
" At this time the three companies were altogether disorganized and disheartened, as the firing and pursuit had lasted from midnight to daybreak ; but on seeing the special police come up and join with spirit in the defence, they rallied, and the assailants, thinking the reinforcement more formidable than it really was, lost confidence and held back.
mounted the fresh horse of the Tumandar, and led detachment without further loss or molestation back to Nimkhdr. His loss had been one subahdar, one hawaldar, and three sepoys, killed one subahdar, two hawaldars, one naik, and three sepoys, wounded and missing Captain Hollings's groom was shot dead, and one of his palanquinbearers was wounded. His horse, palanquin, desk, clothes, and all superfluous clothing and utensils, which the sepoys had thrown off preparatory Attempts were made to the attack, fell into the hands of the assailants. to take up and carry off the killed and wounded, but the detachment was. " Captain Hollings
his
- Of Ahrori
