1 HTSTdftY OP THE STKHS. 83
2 The hill rajahs lost no time in carrying their
3 threats against Govind into execution, and for this
4 purpose collected a large army.
5 They soon reached the fort and dug covered
6 waj/S around it. At this time Govind Singh had
7 five pathans in his service, each holding a com¬
8 mand of j 00 horsemen. These men resolved to Five Pathans
9 resolve to
10 desert him and join the enemy, in order to partici- desert Govind.
11 pate in the spoils of the fort. They therefore
12 wrote to the rajahs, offering the services of them¬
13 selves and their followers, provided they should
14 share in the pillage of the fort. The rajahs
15 readily agreed to their terms, and next day the
16 five pathans, whose names were Kali Khan, Bheem
17 Khan, Nujabut Khan, Dhyad Khan, and Choor
18 Khan, went to Gooroo Govind and requested
19 their discharge. The Gooroo was astonished v at
20 the demand, and that at a time when he most
21 wanted their services; he therefore replied, fi Is
22 this the reward I receive for all my kindness to
23 yo>, i . -and is it now when I require your services
24 that y'bu wish to leave me V
25 It may be here stated, that though Govind had
26 as previously noticed, 20,000 followers, who be¬
27 came in one day Sikhs or Singhs, yet among such
28 a crowd of low-caste men, there were compara¬
29 tively few who knew anything of the art of war. «
30 Under such circumstances, he was obliged to
31 engage the services of the Mussulmans, who were
32 then, as now 1 , the best soldiers in Hindustan, par¬
33 ticularly as cavalry. It was not difficult to secure