answering them in French they, being unable to see his uniform in the
darkness, and supposing him to be a French officer, allowed him to
advance.

He passed boldly forward into the grove. He proceeded nearly through
it, until he came within sight of the guns, which were still keeping
up their fire upon those of the English; while a hundred French
infantry, who were in support, were all occupied in watching what was
going on in front of them. Symmonds returned to the detachment, by a
path to the right of that by which he had entered, and passed out
without seeing a soul.

Lieutenant Keene gave the word to advance and, following the guidance
of Mr. Symmonds, entered the grove. He advanced, unobserved, until
within thirty yards of the enemy. Here he halted, and poured a volley
into them.

The effect was instantaneous. Many of the French fell, and the rest,
astounded at this sudden and unexpected attack, left their guns and
fled. Sixty of them rushed for shelter into a building at the end of
the grove, where the English surrounded them and forced them to
surrender.

By this sudden stroke, the battle of Kavaripak was won. The sound of
the musketry fire, and the immediate cessation of that of the enemy's
guns, told Clive that the grove was captured. A few minutes later
fugitives, arriving from the grove, informed the commander of the
enemy's main body of infantry of the misfortune which had befallen
them. The French fire at once ceased, and the troops withdrew.

In the darkness, it was impossible for Clive to attempt a pursuit. He
was in ignorance of the direction the enemy had taken; his troops had
already marched sixty miles in two days; and he would, moreover, have
been exposed to sudden dashes of the enemy's cavalry. Clive,
therefore, united his troops, joined his baggage, which the little
guard had gallantly defended against the attacks of the enemy's
cavalry, and waited for morning.

At daybreak, not an enemy was to be seen. Fifty Frenchmen lay dead on
the field, and sixty were captives. Three hundred French Sepoys had
fallen. There were, besides, many wounded. The enemy's artillery had
been all captured. The British loss was forty English and thirty
Sepoys killed, and a great number of both wounded.

The moral effect of the victory was immense. It was the first time
that French and English soldiers had fought in the field against each
other, in India. The French had proved to the natives that they were
enormo