They believed them
fully capable of rousing the countryside, of working on the religious
feelings of the unsophisticated rustics and setting them to murdering
and plundering right and left. But they doubted their ability to
judge of the army's sleepiness. These doubters were the older men,
who had had experience of England's craft in war. They knew of the
ability of some at least of England's generals to match guile against
guile, and back up guile with swift, unexpected hammer-strokes.
There were men who claimed that what had happened in Jailpore would
be repeated in Bholat and elsewhere. There was no need, these maintained,
to march and join hands with other rebels. Each unit was sufficient
to itself. Each city would be a British funeral pyre. Why march?
Some said, "The general at Bholat will learn of the massacre, and
will learn too, that not quite all were killed. He will come hotfoot
to find the four we could not find. For these British are as cobras;
slay the he cobra and the she one comes to seek revenge. Slay the
she one and beware! Her husband will track thee down, and strike
thee.
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