ntries gleaming through the trees. The first
men who I came up to stood in a little group together, their muskets
resting on the ground, while they talked together in low tones. They
looked up as I approached, and seeing the Company's uniform, saluted
me, while I stopped to show them the pass which I carried. But they
said nothing, and as I passed on further into the camp I was struck by
the silence that prevailed. All round me I saw the men cooking their
suppers, or passing to and fro with water vessels, but their heads
hung down, and I heard none of the cheering and singing which
generally prevailed when Colonel Clive had his troops upon the march
against an enemy.

Pressing forward to the headquarters, I found the same evidences of
dejection increased on all sides, till at last I met Major Coote
walking with two other officers away from the commander's tent. The
Major at once stopped me, and asked me how I did, but in so dull a
fashion that I could see he was as dispirited as the rest.

"I am quite well, I thank you, sir," I answered him, "but a little
surprised at the state of the camp. I am but this moment arrived from
Moorshedabad. Can you tell me if anything untoward has taken place?"

Major Coote turned to the two young officers, and signed to them to
withdraw. As soon as they were out of earshot he stepped up to the
side of my horse, and laying his hand on the saddle addressed me in a
low tone--

"Harkye, Ford, I know you to be a discreet youngster, and so I'll tell
you my mind plainly. I don't know what news you bring from
Moorshedabad, and I don't ask, but we've had such accounts from that
cursed place lately that Colonel Clive has begun to believe that not a
single man of them all is to be trusted, from Meer Jaffier down. He
doesn't think them worth fighting for, and what's more, he doesn't
think they mean to join him as they have promised. The long and short
of it is, he has just called a council of war of all his officers--you
would have been there if you had arrived an hour sooner, and therefore
it's no breach of confidence to tell you--he called the council to
decide whether we should go forward and fight, or give it up and go
back. And he gave his own voice for going back, and the d--d council,
two-thirds of 'em, followed suit; and the upshot of it is we're to put
our tails between our legs and _go_ back--and that's why you see the
whole army ready to throw down their arms like so many children!"