nued his fire.

Clive, after the council had decided that nothing should be done till
nightfall, had lain down in the hunting box to snatch a little repose,
his thoughts having kept him awake all night. Major Kilpatrick, seeing
the retirement of the enemy; and that the French artillerymen
remained, unsupported, on the mound; at once advanced, with two
hundred and fifty Europeans, and two guns, against it; sending word to
Clive what he was doing. Clive, angry that any officer should have
taken so important a step, without consulting him, at once ran after
the detachment, and severely reprimanded Major Kilpatrick, for moving
from the grove without orders. Immediately, however, that he
comprehended the whole position, he recognized the wisdom of the
course Kilpatrick had taken, and sent him back to the grove, to order
the whole force to advance.

Saint Frais, seeing that he was entirely unsupported, fired a last
shot; and then, limbering up, fell back in perfect order to the
redoubt at the corner of the intrenchment, where he again posted his
field pieces, in readiness for action.

Looking round the field, Clive saw that two of the divisions which
formed the arc of the circle were marching back towards the
intrenchments; but that the third, that on the left of their line, had
wheeled round and was marching towards the rear of the grove. Not
having received the letter which Meer Jaffier had written to him, he
supposed that this movement indicated an intention to attack his
baggage; and he therefore detached some European troops, with a field
gun, to check the advance. Upon the gun opening fire, the enemy's
division halted. It ceased its advance, but continued apart from the
rest of the enemy. In the meantime, Clive had arrived upon the mound
which Saint Frais had left; and, planting his guns there, opened fire
upon the enemy within their intrenchments.

The Indian soldiers and inferior officers, knowing nothing of the
treachery of their chiefs, were indignant at being thus cannonaded in
their intrenchments by a foe so inferior in strength; and horse, foot,
and artillery poured out again from the intrenchments, and attacked
the British.

The battle now raged in earnest. Clive posted half his infantry and
artillery on the mound of the tank nearest to the enemy's
intrenchments, and the greater part of the rest on rising ground, two
hundred yards to the left of it; while he placed a hundred and sixty
picked shots, Europe