The force of Murari Reo was, at that time, the most formidable of any
purely native army of Southern India. Recruited from desperadoes from
all the Mahratta tribes, well disciplined by its leader, it had more
than once fought, without defeat, against bodies of Europeans; while
it had, in all cases, obtained easy victories over other native
armies.
Presently the horsemen opened, and a compact body of three thousand
Mahratta infantry, accompanied by an equal number of the irregulars of
the rajah's brother, advanced to the attack; while the cavalry at
their sides swept down upon the flanks of the rajah's position, and
thirty pieces of artillery opened fire.
Not a shot was fired in return, Charlie ordering his men to lie down
behind the breastworks, until they received the word of command to
show themselves. The Mahratta horsemen, compelled by the bends of the
stream to keep near the foot of the slopes, came forward in gallant
style; until suddenly, from every wall and every clump of bushes on
the slopes above them, a tremendous fire of musketry broke out, while
the twelve field guns, six of which were posted on either side of
Charlie's centre, poured a destructive fire into them.
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