162 Twelve Years’ Military Adventure. [Frs. 
during the siege. The night appointed for this duty was particularly dark. 
Pushing on rather too eagerly with the light company of the 33d regiment, 
which had, by those means, got separated from the main body, he came sud~ 
denly on a work of the enemy’s, who opened a heavy fire. The light com= 
any, finding themselves unsupported, retreated rather precipitately, leaving 
Colonel Wellesley and Captain M‘Kenzie by themselves. In this predicament 
they endeavoured to regain their division ; but in the attempt, owing to the 
darkness of the night, they quite lost their way, and it was not till after grop- 
ing about for some hours that they succeeded in regaining the British camp, 
but without their division. Having proceeded to head-quarters, to report the 
State of affairs, Colonel Wellesley, hearing that General Harris was asleep, 
threw himself on the table of the dining tent, and, being much fatigued with 
the night’s labour, fell fast asleep. The next in command had, in the interim, 
after the repulse of the head of the colunm, and the loss of the commander, 
thought it prudent to proceed no further, and made the best of his way back 
to the camp with the division. Arriving at the tent of the commander-in- 
chief to make his report, he was surprised to find his missing supetior, fast 
locked in the arms of Morpheus, in the situation above described. This affair, 
of course, made considerable noise, and things were whispered about not at 
all to the advantage of Colonel Wellesley ; and it is to be supposed that the 
commander-in-chief must have partaken of this feeling towards the Colonel, 
otherwise he would not have ordered General Baird to wadertake the attack 
which had failed the preceding night. General Baird most handsomely re- 
quested that Colonel Wellesley might again be appointed to the duty, ashe 
was convinced that the circumstances which had caused his failure were 
purely accidental... Colonel Wellesley was accordingly directed to, make 
another attempt the night following, and succeeded: yet, so poisonous is the 
breath of slander, and so rapidly is it wafted, if not by the loud trumpet of 
fame,, at least by the low but quick vibrations of malice, that it requived years 
of victory entirely to wipe away the impressions then received from the minds 
of those who are more ready to listen to evil than to good report.” 
The district which is traversed by the Toorabudra is infested by 
Bheels, who are thieves by birth and education; for, in India, the 
divisions of society are so strongly marked, that even the robbers form a 
distinct and, for some purposes, a recognized class. The stories that 
one has heard of the ingenuity of these thieves almost pass belief. The 
author contributes to the stock the following :— 
« A bet was laid by a gentleman that he would procure a Bheel who should 
steal the sheet from under, a person without waking him. ‘The thing was 
effected in the following manner: the Bheel approaching the person, who lay 
on his side, from behind, carefally folded up the sheet in small compact plaits 
till it reached his back ; then, taking a feather, he tickled the nose of the 
sleeper, who immediately scratched his face and rolled over on the other side 
when with a slight effort he completely released the sheet, and bore it off in 
triumph.” 
- You can scarcely ever talk with a person who knows this part of 
India, or any part in which the Bheels are to be found, who cannot 
furnish similar instances of their ingenuity and dexterity. As no disgrace 
attaches to them for the exercise of that which is their profession, and 
their only means of living, they make no scruple of practising it openly ; 
their sole object, next to making good their booty, being to escape detec- 
tion. Their powers of endurance are extraordinary, and they will suffer 
any pain or privation in the pursuit of their design. An old officer of 
our acquaintance, was. marching a small detachment up the country, 
when owing to the damps which the monsoon had. produced, he was 
attaeked by a rheumatic fever, which confined him to his bed. He 
