, by the strength and
activity which he displayed, had not Hossein begged him to moderate
his efforts.

"Native man never work like that, sahib. Not when he's paid ever so
much. Work still less, no pay. The French would soon notice the sahib,
if he laboured like that."

Thus admonished, Charlie adapted his actions to those of his
companions and, after working until dawn approached, he managed, with
Hossein, to evade the attention of the officer; and, drawing off,
hurried away to rejoin Clive. The latter was moving from the west, by
a road leading to the northern face of the fort. It was at the battery
which Renault was erecting upon this road that Charlie had been
labouring. The latter informed Clive of the exact position of the
work, and also, that although strong by itself, it was commanded by
many adjoining houses; which the French, in spite of their efforts,
had not time to destroy.

This news decided Clive to advance immediately, without giving the
enemy further time to complete their operations.

Chapter 22: Plassey.

As the English troops advanced, they were met on the outskirts of the
settlement by the enemy, who contested bravely every garden and
inclosure with them. The British force was, however, too strong to be
resisted, and gradually the French were driven back, until they formed
in rear of the battery. Clive at once took possession of the houses
surrounding it, and from them kept up, all day, a heavy fire upon the
defenders; until, at nightfall, these fell back upon the fort, after
spiking their guns. The loss of this position compelled the French to
abandon the other outlying batteries, from which, during the night,
they withdrew their guns into the fort.

The next four days Clive spent in bringing up the guns landed from the
fleet, and establishing batteries round the fort; and on the 19th he
opened fire against it. On the same day the three men of war; the Kent
of sixty-four guns, the Tiger of sixty, and the Salisbury of fifty,
anchored just below the channel, which the governor believed he had
blocked up. The next four days were spent by the fleet in sounding, to
discover whether the statements of the French deserter were correct.

During this time, a heavy cannonade was kept up unceasingly between
Clive and the fort. In this the garrison had the best of it, silenced
some of the English guns, killed many of the assailants, and would
certainly have beaten off the land attack, had the fle