Tantia Topee had 5000 men and 6 guns. His advanced guard alone was visible when Michel moved out to meet him, [Sidenote: 9th Oct.] and he himself was quite unaware of Michel’s proximity. Tantia’s position, as it happened, was strong; his advanced guard having reached an elevated village, surrounded by high scrubby jungle, in which it was impossible for infantry to perceive an enemy, while his guns commanded the ground over which the British must advance. With unusual boldness Tantia sent his cavalry forward and menaced both flanks of the British. Just at that moment an alarm was raised in the British rear. A party of Velliattees had contrived, owing to the thickness of the jungle, to steal up unperceived in rear of Michel’s support, and had succeeded in murdering a wounded Highlander. Sir W. Gordon at once galloped up with his troop of the Seventeenth; whereupon the Velliattees promptly vanished into the jungle. With some difficulty Sir W. Gordon espied some of their heads through the foliage, and forthwith gave the order to open out and pursue at the gallop. In an instant the handful of men dashed into the jungle, heedless of what might be there, and was in the midst of the Velliattees. Order of any kind on such ground was impossible, so every man worked for himself; and with such effect did the lances play that when the Seventeenth finally emerged from the jungle they left over eighty of the rebels dead on the ground. Every man of the forty-three that were present of Sir William Gordon’s troop killed two, and Gordon himself, galloping like the wind, killed four with his own sword, and knocked over as many more with his horse’s chest. He had, however, a narrow escape; a rebel, who was just about to fire at his back, being killed in the nick of time by Sergeant Cope. Tantia’s main army as usual turned and fled when the British infantry fairly advanced against them. Had Michel’s cavalry been more numerous he might have cut the whole of the rebels to pieces; but, as things were, he had to be content with one hundred of them left dead on the field, a large number of prisoners, and Tantia’s six guns. [Sidenote: 1858.] “I solicit to bring Sir William Gordon’s services prominently to the notice of His Excellency,” wrote General Michel after this action, “and those of the squadron under his command, who did their duty admirably.”