On arriving there, he
found a large body of Sepoys firing away at random. Believing them to
be his own men, for the French and English Sepoys were alike dressed
in white, he halted the English a few yards from them, and rushed
among them, upbraiding them for their panic, striking them, and
ordering them instantly to cease firing, and to form in order.
One of the Sepoy officers recognized Clive to be an Englishman, struck
at him, and wounded him with his sword. Clive, still believing him to
be one of his own men, was furious at what he considered an act of
insolent insubordination; and, seizing him, dragged him across to the
Small Pagoda to hand him over, as he supposed, to the guard there. To
his astonishment he found six Frenchmen at the gate, and these at once
summoned him to surrender.
Great as was his surprise, he did not for a moment lose coolness, and
at once told them that he had come to beg them to lay down their arms,
that they were surrounded by his whole army, and that, unless they
surrendered, his troops would give no quarter. So impressed were the
Frenchmen with the firmness of the speaker that three of them at once
surrendered, while the other three ran into the temple to inform their
commander.
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