"
"And release all the captives," Mrs. Holland exclaimed, clasping her
hands.
"I sincerely trust so, Margaret," her brother said gravely; "but,
after what happened last time, we must not be sanguine. Scattered
about as they may be, in the scores of little hill forts that dot the
whole country, we can, unhappily, never be sure that all are
delivered, when we have only the word of a treacherous tyrant like
Tippoo. We know that, last time, he kept back hundreds of prisoners,
among whom, as we may hope, was your husband; and it may be that,
however completely he may be defeated, he may yet retain some of them,
knowing full well it is impossible that all these hill forts and their
dungeons can be searched. However, doubtless if an English army
marches to Seringapatam, many will be recovered, though we have reason
to fear that many will, as before, be murdered before our arrival."
When the Rajah returned from Arcot, on the following day, he brought
back the news that General Meadows had moved to the frontier at
Caroor, fifty miles beyond Trichinopoly, and that the war was really
about to begin.
"You know," he said, "how matters stand, up to now. Tippoo, after
making peace with the Nizam and the Mahrattis, with whom he had been
engaged in hostilities for some time, turned his attention to the
western coast, where Coorg and Malabar had risen in rebellion.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138