1 A sergeant of
2 pioneers sur-
3 prised.
4 Escapes to -
5 camp.
6 The Sikhs oc-
7 cupy the post.
8 The British
9 post of Rho-
10 dawala.
11 A gallant at-
12 tack on the
13 Sikh horse-
14 men by Lieu-
15 tenant Becher.
16 A night attack
17 expected,
18 144 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
19 ment or breast-work for the picquet; and he, as
20 usual, proceeded to the place early one morning,
21 and did not discover his mistake until he found
22 himself in the midst of the new occupants, one of
23 whom seized the bridle of his horse! He fortu-
24 nately disengaged himself, and lost no time in riding
25 back at full speed to camp, while the Sikhs vainly
26 discharged several matchlocks after him.
27 On getting possession of this position, where
28 there was a smal] round tower at no great distance
29 from the village, the Sikhs burned the latter, and
30 levelled the tower with the ground. Their ad-
31 yanced post now occupied the vacant space, and
32 they could be seen in great numbers crowding
33 about it, and moving occasionally to a picquet of
34 cavalry in front of the British camp. On their
35 right, the British had an entrenched place named
36 Rhodawala, defended by an infantry brigade, with
37 some mounted guns. It was only a short distance
38 from camp, and a favourite ride for the officers.
39 On one occasion a party of Sikh horsemen was
40 surprised in the neighbourhood, and a gallant
41 charge made on them by Lieutenant Becher, of
42 the irregular cavalry, who killed some and wounded
43 others. In front of the British camp there was the
44 dry bed of a Nullah, which might have been de-
45 fended against cavalry; and if the Sikhs had
46 availed themselves of it, they would have had some:
47 chance of making a successful night attack on the
48 right of the British camp. Such an event was
49 probably expected, as the troops were ordered to