ion.

"Now I shall lie down, and try to get a few hours' sleep before
morning. I am wet to the skin, but fortunately in these sultry nights
that matters little."

"I must go my rounds," Charlie said, "and see that the sentries are on
the alert. If the men were not so tired, I should have said that the
best plan would have been to make a dash straight at the enemy's camp.
It would take them quite unprepared, even if they know, as I daresay
they do, that we are close at hand; and they would lose all the
advantage of their artillery."

"Yes, if we had arrived an hour before sunset, so as to be able to
learn something of the nature of the ground, that would be our best
course," Major Coote agreed. "But, even if the troops had been fresh,
a night attack on an unknown position is a hazardous undertaking.

"Good night. I must see Clive, and take his last orders."

At daybreak the English were astir, and the position of the enemy
became visible. He occupied strongly intrenched works, which the Rajah
Dulab Ram had thrown up during his stay. The right of these works
rested on the river; and extended inland, at a right angle to it, for
about two hundred yards; and then swept round to the north, at an
obtuse angle, for nearly three miles. At the angle was a redoubt,
mounted with cannon. In advance of this was a mound, covered with
jungle. Halfway between the intrenchments and the mango grove were two
large tanks, near the river, surrounded by high mounds of earth. These
tanks were about half a mile from the English position. On the river
bank, a little in advance of the grove, was a hunting box belonging to
the nabob, surrounded by a masonry wall. Clive took possession of
this, immediately he heard the sound of the nabob's music, on his
arrival.

Soon after daylight, the nabob's troops moved out from their
intrenchments, and it was evident that he was aware of the position of
the English. The French, with their four field guns, took up their
post on the mound of the tank nearest to the grove, and about half a
mile distant from it; and in the narrow space between them and the
river two heavy guns, under a native officer, were placed.

Behind the French guns was the division of Mir Mudin Khan, the one
faithful general of the nabob. It consisted of five thousand horse,
and seven thousand foot. Extending, in the arc of a circle, towards
the village of Plassey, were the troops of the three traitor generals
Rajah Dulab Ram, Yar