These were summoned to surrender; and, resistance being impossible,
they at once laid down their arms. Ladders were lowered to them, and
they were marched as prisoners to the fort.
The next morning, when the defenders of the fortress looked over the
valley, the great camp was gone. The nizam and Bussy, despairing of
the possibility of carrying the position, at once so enormously strong
by nature, and so gallantly defended, had raised the siege; which had
cost them over two thousand of their best soldiers, including two
hundred French killed and prisoners, and retreated to the plateau of
the Deccan.
The exultation of the rajah and his troops was unbounded. They felt
that, now and henceforth, they were safe from another invasion; and
the rajah saw that, in the future, he should be able to gain greatly
increased territory, as the ally of the English. His gratitude to
Charlie was unbounded, and he literally loaded him with costly
presents.
Three weeks later, a letter was received by the latter from Mr.
Saunders, congratulating him upon the inestimable service which he had
rendered, and appointing him to the rank of captain in the Company's
service. Now that the rajah would be able to protect himself, should
any future assault be made upon him--an event most unlikely to happen,
as Bussy and the nizam would be unwilling to risk a repetition of a
defeat, which had already so greatly injured their prestige--he had
better return to Madras, where, as Mr.
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