rd at once to advance, he led his men to storm the redoubt and the
mound on its right. For a short time Sinfray and his gallant Frenchmen
showed a bold front; but the vigorous onslaught of the English struck
fear into the hearts of his native allies; the news that the Nawab had
fled completed their panic; and then began a wild and disorderly flight;
horsemen galloping from the field; infantry scampering this way and that;
elephants trumpeting; camels screaming, as they charged through the
rabble. With British cheers and native yells Clive's men poured into the
Nawab's camp, some dashing on in pursuit of the enemy, others delaying to
plunder the baggage and stores, of which immense quantities lay open to
their hand.

By half-past five on that memorable twenty-third of June the battle was
over--the battle that gave Britain immediately the wealthiest province of
India and, indirectly, the mastery of the whole of that vast Empire. The
loss to the British was only twenty-three killed and fifty wounded.

Clive rested for a while in Sirajuddaula's tent, where he found on his
inkstand a list of thirteen courtiers whom, even in that moment of dire
extremity, he had condemned to death. From a prisoner it was learned that
the Nawab had escaped on a camel with two thousand horsemen, fleeing
toward Murshidabad. All day he had been in a state of terror and
agitation. Deprived of his bravest officer Mir Madan, betrayed by his own
relatives, the wretched youth had not waited for the critical moment.
Himself carried to his capital the news of his defeat.

Orders were given to push on that night to Daudpur, six miles north of
Plassey. But some time was occupied by Clive's commissariat in replacing
their exhausted bullocks with teams captured in the Nawab's camp.
Meanwhile Clive sent Eyre Coote forward with a small detachment to keep
the enemy on the run. Among those who accompanied him was Desmond, with
Bulger and Mr. Toley. Desmond hoped that he might overtake and capture
Monsieur Sinfray, from whom he thought it likely he might wrest
information about Mrs. Merriman and her daughter. Diggle had made use of
Sinfray's house; it was not improbable that the Frenchmen knew something
about the ladies. As for the seamen, they were so much disgusted at the
tameness of the enemy's resistance that they were eager for anything that
promised activity and adventure. Their eagerness was no whit diminished
when Desmond mentioned what he had