ith satisfaction the
misfortunes that had befallen Scindia and the Rajah of Berar but,
when he saw that they were threatened with annihilation, he
prepared to aid them. He had, however, delayed too long and, when
Scindia and the Rajah of Berar had been obliged to crave for peace,
he kept his army on the frontier of the Rajah of Jaipore, now a
British ally.

General Lake addressed a letter to him, saying that the British
Government were willing to leave him unmolested; but requiring, as
a pledge of his good intentions, that he should withdraw into his
own territory. Holkar sent back a long list of demands, which were
impossible to satisfy; and also addressed a letter to General--now
Sir Arthur--Wellesley, threatening to overrun the whole country,
unless some of the districts in the Deccan were ceded to him and,
after sending off this letter, he began raiding the territory of
Jaipore. Colonel Murray was therefore sent to aid the rajah, and to
march in the direction of Holkar's capital; while Lord Lake marched
westward, until he neared Jaipore.

On the 15th of May a detachment captured the strong fort of
Rampoora, the sole fortress which Holkar possessed north of the
Chumbul river; and Holkar immediately fell back. The heat being now
intense, the general left Colonel Monson, with five battalions of
Sepoys and three thousand irregular horse, sent by Rajpoot allies,
and returned to Agra, losing numbers of his men on the march, by
sunstroke.

Harry had been left with Colonel Monson. The latter, intending to
cooperate with Colonel Murray, entered Holkar's territory and, on
the way, captured a strong hill fort. He afterwards advanced fifty
miles beyond the range of mountains that formed the frontier.

On the 7th of July he heard that Holkar was advancing, with his
whole army, to meet him. Monson's force was much weakened by the
absence of two detachments, one of which had garrisoned the hill
fort that had been captured, and another had gone to fetch a supply
of grain. Almost at the same time he heard a report that Colonel
Murray intended to fall back.

After consulting with Harry, who, as one of Lord Lake's staff, was
considered as his special representative, it was agreed that it
would be madness, with so small a force, to give battle to Holkar
and, at four in the morning on the following day, Monson sent off
his baggage and stores; and remained, with his troops drawn up in
order of battle, until nine o'clock; leaving