erson fettered, or
divested of its treasures; but he was permitted to be at large in his
tent. His seemingly placid and penitential manner lulled his captors
into the belief that he bitterly lamented his former treachery; but, had
their vigilance been ever so exemplary, his escape would have been
accomplished, for a conspiracy was formed--no doubt with a view to
gain--by some sepoys of his guard, and of those forming his escort, to
facilitate his escape under cover of the night. The conspirators so
managed, as to get on sentry at the same time, or relieve each other;
but the officer on the night-duty had positive orders to see the rajah,
and did see him, every relief, which I believed was hourly. He had, in
the course of the day, feigned ill, and wrapped himself up in his
bed-covering; and the officer was naturally satisfied on seeing him, as
he supposed, as usual, enveloped in his bed-clothes; but the cunning
rajah, instead of being penitent for his crimes, had, under the garb of
sickness, actually planned and made his escape: and several of our
native soldiers (the conspirators) had flown with him. Some time after
he was gone, they discovered that the object whom the officer of the
night supposed to be the sick rajah wrapped up in his bed-clothes, was
nothing more than a large pillow. When the last officer went his rounds,
he was satisfied, from appearances, that his charge was secure. This
hint ought to be a warning to young soldiers, not to trust to others
what they ought to do themselves. The neglect of the inferior officer
fell upon the commanding officer in charge, and he was brought to
general court martial, but acquitted, on the ground of the conspiracy of
his detachment. There could have been no necessity for such a trial, had
the visiting officer detected the escape at the prescribed time of his
visiting, and not been satisfied with the appearance instead of the
reality. What could be expected from such a character--from one who had
planned the destruction of those very people who so basely aided and
abetted his escape? Of the sepoys who thus broke their allegiance to the
government, all who were taken suffered the heavy penalty of their
crime--death. This should ever be the result of conspiracy. There can be
no question that the rajah had bribed them with some valuable jewels at
the time, or held out to these infatuated and mercenary traitors golden
promises of future aggrandizement. His escape was in the very