The Eruption
 

[ Pt. II
 

CHAPTER  V.

ALIGAKH AND NASIRABAD.
 

^
 

Just as the tremendous shock was shaking the whole of
North-Western India, towards Umballa and the Panjab, so also
in the South, another part of the country was trembling
through another of its waves. In the town of Aligarh, below
Delhi, there was the regiment called the " 9**^ Native Infantry."
Some detachments of this regiment were stationed at Minpur,
Itawa, and Poland. The Government had such confidence in
this regiment, that they thought that it would never revolt
even though all the Sepoys in India should rise against them.
Though the officials heard rumours that, in the bazaars of
Boland, secret revolutionary societies were rife, they believed
that the 9*^ regiment was sure to stand aloof from them, and
remained idle in this sense of false security.

About the month of May, the places about Boland selected
from amongst them a revered, faithful, and freedom-loving
Brahmin, and deputed him immediately to Boland town. The
Brahmin walked away with quick steps, his heart overwhelmed
with conflicting emotions of hope of success and fear of failure
of the errand on which he went, towards the military station
of Boland, which, on the one hand was relied upon by the English
for loyalty, and, on the other, was looked upon with hopeful
eyes by the Mother-country. Will my compatriots listen to
my pleadings for the freedom of the Mother-country and for
the protection of religion ? Have these military men wings
capable of soaring in the heavenly atmosphere of Swaraj ? Or
will they despise my hopes of the future, and cling again to
the dread and dark narcotic of slavery? and use their swords
on  the   neck   of  their   compatriot,   charging   me with having

132       "