Thus strengthened, he conceived the idea of marching on Indore; but General Michel, divining his purpose, sent two columns, under Colonels Hope and Lockhart, to cut him off. Tantia then retired leisurely to Rajghur. [Sidenote: 1858.] General Michel thereupon moved up to Nulkeera, about a hundred miles north of Mhow, and there added his troops, including Sir W. Gordon’s squadron of the Seventeenth, to the united columns of Colonels Hope and Lockhart. [Sidenote: September.] On the 14th September Michel, having obtained information of Tantia’s movements, marched on Rajghur, some five-and-thirty miles distant. His force consisted of the following troops:-- Seventeenth Lancers 80 3rd Light Cavalry 180 71st Highland Light Infantry and 92nd Highlanders 600 15th and 4th Rifles, N. I.} 4 guns, Bengal Artillery } 240 ---- 1100 Heavy rain was falling, and the cotton soil of Malwa was a sea of black mud. With great difficulty Michel reached Chapera, about half-way to Rajghur, and there halted. Next day the rain ceased, and the heat was so terrible that one-third of the European infantry fell out exhausted, several of them actually dying of sunstroke, while many of the artillery horses dropped dead in the traces. The march that day lasted from 4 A.M. till 5 P.M., when Michel at last arrived in sight of the enemy; but his infantry were then three miles in rear of the mounted men, and so much spent that attack was out of the question. At 2.30 next morning Michel advanced, but found that Tantia had retired. The Seventeenth and the native cavalry, the whole being under the command of Sir W. Gordon, were pushed forward on the track of Tantia’s retreat, and presently came upon his whole force, 8000 men and 27 guns, drawn up for battle in two lines. After a trifling skirmish the cavalry was halted to permit the infantry and guns to come up; but the rebel army, on seeing the advance of the British, forthwith gave way and fled. Then Sir W. Gordon, who had been posted on the extreme right, was let loose with the cavalry, and dashing to the front, dispersed (to use Michel’s own words) all symptoms of an organised body. The pursuit was kept up for four or five miles till men and horses were tired out. [Sidenote: 1858. 15th Sept.] The heat was terrible; the infantry fell out in great numbers under the midday sun; and when the cavalry finally halted under the shade of some trees, an officer of the native cavalry died then and there from sunstroke. But not a drop of blood was shed on the English side; and the losses of the Seventeenth consisted of a single horse killed. The trophies of the cavalry consisted of Tantia’s whole park of 27 guns.