It is clear, then, that, in the event of the mutinous contagion spreading to Central India, the maintenance of order in the country north of the Narbadá depended entirely on one of two contingencies. The first of these was, naturally, the early fall of Dehlí; the second, the advance of reinforcements from the south. In view of the latter contingency, the paramount importance of maintaining, at all risks, the line of the Narbadá will at once be recognised. BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. May. Political considerations Central india. which affected the Narbadá. Crossing the Narbadá below Indúr, and running The line of right through the territories under the Central Indian Agency to a point on the Chambál directly north of Gwáliár, ran the direct road from Bombay to A'gra. Not only was this road invaluable as a postal and telegraphic line, but it was absolutely necessary as a military road, constituting, as it did, the direct route by which troops from the south could advance. The importance of maintaining this line, more especially the portion of it south of the Narbadá, cannot be over-rated. Its weak points were those where it was com- Weak points manded by the troops stationed at Méhidpúr and at A'gar, and where it passed through stations held by troops belonging to the Gwáliár Contingent, such as Siprí and Gwáliár, and where it traversed Dholpúr. of that line. Indúr. At Indúr, for the protection of the trea- The troops at sury and other public buildings, was a detach * There was, in 1857, no the Madras and Bombay predirect telegraphic line between sidencies could be effected was Madras and Calcutta, and the that by Agra and Indúr.only circle by which tele- Central India in 1857. graphic communication with BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. May. Policy of Summons troops from Sirdárpúr and Bhopal. 208 COLONEL DURAND'S FIRST PRECAUTIONS. ment of the Málwa contingent, two hundred strong. These were the only troops stationed there when the news of the mutiny of the 10th of May at Mírath reached the Residency. Colonel Durand received this intelligence on the 14th of May. He comprehended at a glance its importance. He saw that it was but the first act of a very tragic drama. But his duty was clear to him. To maintain his own position at Indúr as long as it could be maintained; to sever all intercourse between the native troops of the regular army and the soldiers of the native contingents; to secure the Narbadá, and the important road I have described; to re-assure the native princes under his superintendence:-these were his first considerations, and he set himself at once to act upon them. It happened that, in addition to the troops I have mentioned, there was a regiment of Bhíls at the station of Sirdárpúr, near Mandlésar, about forty miles from Indúr. The Bhils are men who have no caste prejudices, and who, reclaimed from a wild life by the British, had always proved good soldiers. Durand sent at once to Sirdárpúr for two hundred and seventy of these men. Believing, too, that of all the contingents, those who had been raised at Bhopal were the least likely to waver in their fidelity, he ordered up a strong detachment of cavalry and infantry and two guns from that place. These troops, using every expedition, reached Indúr on the 20th of May. Colonel Durand being precluded, as an officer in political employ, from exercising military HOLKAR SENDS TROOPS TO THE RESIDENCY. 209 duties, the command of these detachments, and the arranging for the protection of the Residency, devolved upon Colonel Stockley of the Bhíl corps. BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. May 14. disposition of cepts a guard They arrived just in time. The native troops in Mutinous Máu had not escaped the contagion of the disease the troops at by which the entire native army had been infected. Máu. Not only were they, at this very time, ripe for revolt, but they had even debated whether it would not be advisable to make at once a dash for the scene where their brethren were fighting, by way of Indúr. Conscious that such a move was possible, that, under certain circumstances,such, for example, as the presence in the ranks of the native troops of a master mind,—it was certain, Durand had made every preparation to meet the Durand accontingency. In consequence of his requisition of Mahárájá Mahárájá Holkar had supplied him with cavalry Holkar's to form pickets on the roads. From the same source he had received half a battery of guns and three companies of infantry. These had been posted so as to command the approaches to the Residency. A certain number of troopers were kept always in the saddle. Yet, after all, if the attempt had been made, the chances of the English at Indúr would have been poor. For the question quis custodiet ipsos custodes had not then been solved. A few days later it was solved, not exactly to the credit of the custodes. * The cavalry furnished by at Indúr, the Mahárájá was Holkar were never considered requested to remove them, trustworthy. When, there- and to send them on distant fore, Colonel Travers arrived duty. This was done. troops. BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. June. vers arrives and assumes command at Indúr. In the middle of June a further detachment of cavalry from Bhopál, under their commandant, Colonel Travers, arrived at Indúr. The command Colonel Tra- of the entire force round the Residency devolved, then, on Colonel Travers, as the senior officer. This onerous duty could not have fallen to a more gallant soldier or to a truer-hearted man. To him was then committed the military care of the Residency, and it is only just to record that not a single precaution was neglected to ensure the safety of its occupants against the effects of a sudden rising. Gloomy intelligence from the outer world. For some short time prior to the arrival of Colonel Travers affairs had appeared to move more smoothly. From the outer world, however, there came intelligence which more than ever convinced Durand that, unless a decisive blow should be struck speedily at the heart of the rebellion, the drain upon his resources would be hard to meet. Thus, disquieting rumours from Nasírábád and Nímach; the more than doubtful behaviour of detachments of the Gwáliár contingent; the receipt of a letter from the officer commanding that contingent expressive of his distrust of their loyalty; intelligence that emissaries from the native regiment at Máu had been discovered tampering with the men of the Bhopál contingent:-these reports, scious of the the one following the other in quick succession, were more than sufficient to satisfy Durand that, literally, he and his were standing on a quicksand. It is true that their feet still rested on the treacherous surface, but every wave of the tide, every effort of the feet to extricate themselves, Durand is perfectly con. danger of his position. THE LIP-SERVICE OF THE SEPOYS. 211 made the position more perilous, the danger more apparent. The BOOK VIII. Chapter III. 1857. June. that the affect the troops at Máu: This, in fact, was the case when, on the 1st, Durand received intelligence of the mutiny at Possibility Nasírábád; on the 6th, of that at Nímach. The disastrous information which reached Durand could not be news might hidden from the regular troops at Máu. head-quarter wing of the cavalry regiment there stationed had just mutinied at Nímach. How would the men of the other wing, and the men of the infantry regiment, receive the news? Should they revolt, would the European battery be able to disperse them? Should they make a rush for Indúr, would the troops of Holkar oppose them or unite with them? These were questions on the solution of which depended, not only the lives of the Europeans, but the maintenance of British authority in Central India. by it. For a moment it seemed as though the native but they are apparently troops at Máu were about to prove an exception not affected to their comrades, that amid the faithless they would be faithful. Reports, indeed, to their discredit were rife. It was openly stated that they were in league with the troops of Holkar, and that, strong in that alliance, they intended to master the guns at Máu, and then march on Indúr. But they showed no outward sign of ill-will or of disaffection. Never were they more respectful; never more fervent in their protestations of loyalty. taken in. Durand was not taken in. He saw through it. Durand is not As he wrote to Lord Elphinstone," it was all moonshine." But to him there was still a glimmering |