Three
days were spent, in continuous labour, in putting the fort of Arcot
again in a position of defence; and, leaving Kilpatrick in charge
there, he marched out with two hundred Europeans, seven hundred
Sepoys, and three guns, and attacked and took Timari, the little fort
which before baffled him.
This done, he returned towards Arcot to await the arrival of a
thousand Mahratta horse, which Murari Reo had promised him. When these
arrived, however, they proved unwilling to accompany him. Upon their
way, they had fallen in with a portion of Riza Sahib's retreating
force, and had been worsted in the attack; and as the chance of
plunder seemed small, while the prospect of hard blows was certain,
the free-booting horsemen refused, absolutely, to join in the pursuit
of the retreating enemy.
Just at this moment, the news came in that reinforcements from
Pondicherry were marching to meet Riza Sahib at Arni, a place
seventeen miles south of Arcot, twenty south of Vellore. It was stated
that, with these reinforcements, a large sum of money was being
brought, for the use of Riza Sahib's army. When the Mahrattas heard
the news, the chance of booty at once altered their intentions, and
they declared themselves ready to follow Clive.
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