ad already marched twenty-five miles, but they had had a rest of five
hours, and Clive started with them at once, and reached Conjeveram,
twenty miles distant, at four in the morning. Finding that the enemy
had again disappeared, he ordered the troops to halt for a few hours.
They had already marched forty-five miles in twenty-four hours, a
great feat when it is remembered that only the Arcot garrison were in
any way accustomed to fatigue, the others being newly raised levies.
The greater portion of the Sepoys had been enlisted within the
fortnight preceding.

"I don't know, Mr. Marryat, whether the French call this fighting. I
call it playing hide and seek," Tim Kelly said. "Shure we've bin
marching, with only a halt of two or three hours, since yisterday
morning; and my poor feet are that sore that I daren't take my boots
off me, for I'm shure I'd never git 'em on agin. If the French want to
fight us, why don't they do it square and honest, not be racing and
chasing about like a lot of wild sheep."

"Have you seen the moonshee, Tim? He is with the baggage."

"Shure and I saw him," Tim said. "The cart come in just now, and there
was he, perched up on the top of it like a dried monkey. You don't
want him tonight, shure, yer honor."

"Oh no, I don't want him, Tim. You'd better go now, and get to sleep
at once, if you can. We may be off again, at any minute."

Arcot is twenty-seven miles from Conjeveram. Clive felt certain that
the enemy had gone on to that place; but, anxious as he was for its
safety, it was absolutely necessary that the troops should have a rest
before starting on such a march. They were, therefore, allowed to rest
until twelve o'clock; when, refreshed by their eight hours' halt and
breakfast, they started upon their long march towards Arcot, making
sure that they should not find the enemy until they reached that
place.

Had Clive possessed a body of cavalry, however small, he would have
been able to scour the country, and to make himself acquainted with
the real position of the French. Cavalry are to a general what eyes
are to a man, and without these he is liable to tumble into a pitfall.
Such was the case on the present occasion. Having no doubt that the
enemy were engaged in attacking Arcot, the troops were plodding along
carelessly and in loose order; when, to their astonishment, after a
sixteen-mile march, as they approached the town of Kavaripak just as
the sun was setting, a fire of artil