1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 93
2 himself thoroughly acquainted with Sikh affairs and
3 their actual position at Lahore. Though appointed
4 to another office, he kept his place, and watched
5 with intense interest the coming events, the pro-
6 gress of which he communicated to his superiors,
7 who, it is said, acknowledged his vigilance by calling
8 him an alarmist! How he merited this, results have His energy of
9 shewn :—When the Khalsa troops were actually :
10 marching on the Sutlej, Captain Nicolson could not
11 possibly mistake their intentions, nor forget his duty
12 so far as to conceal his belief that they would
13 soon cross the river into the British territories.
14 His position gave him the best opportunities of
15 receiving correct information, and if he supplied
16 this to his superiors, and took measures for guard-
17 ing against any sudden inroad on Feerozpore, he
18 performed his duty as a faithful servant to the
19 state., As in the case of Broadfoot, we have no
20 means of ascertaining the real merits of the case;
21 and Nicolson, like his superior, falling in the field,
22 has left to others the-task of doing justice to his Knowledge of
23 acts. He had been trained in the political school, and nae
24 his intercourse with the Affghans, and particularly
25 with the Ameer Dost Mohummud (whom he con-
26 ducted to Hindostan and again back to the left bank
27 of the Sutlej), rendered him a man unlikely to be pre-
28 maturely alarmed, or circumvented by the Sikhs.
29 It may be asked what all this political or personal General re-
30 discussion has to do with the battle of Feerozshuhur. """*
31 Not very much perhaps; but our military readers
32 must excuse us. if. in our endeavonre to trace effecta