The French, indeed, had already bribed some of the native soldiers within the fort; who were to reply to a signal made without, if they were in a position to open the gates.
However, by good fortune their treachery had been discovered, and when the French arrived they received no reply to their signal; and as Arcot would be sure to fall if they defeated Clive, they marched away without attacking it, to take up the position which they had agreed upon beforehand.
It was at nine in the evening that Clive, at Vendalur, obtained intelligence that the enemy had assembled at Conjeveram.

The troops had already marched twenty-five miles, but they had had a rest of five hours, and Clive started with them at once, and reached Conjeveram, twenty miles distant, at four in the morning.

Finding that the enemy had again disappeared, he ordered the troops to halt for a few hours.
They had already marched forty-five miles in twenty-four hours, a great feat when it is remembered that only the Arcot garrison were in any way accustomed to fatigue, the others being newly raised levies.
The greater portion of the Sepoys had been enlisted within the fortnight preceding.
"I don't know, Mr.Marryat, whether the French call this fighting.

I call it playing hide and seek," Tim Kelly said.

"Shure we've bin marching, with only a halt of two or three hours, since yisterday morning; and my poor feet are that sore that I daren't take my boots off me, for I'm shure I'd never git 'em on agin.