1 134 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 Disparity be- the force at Sir Harry Smith’s disposal; but this
3 Harry Smith’s disparity never concerned a general who had
4 ga fought at Moodkee and Feerozshuhur, with such
5 fearful odds as had there presented themselves on
6 the part of the Sikhs. His only wish, and that of
7 his brave army, was to have another opportunity
8 of measuring swords with the Khalsa troops.
9 The small fort of Loodianah contained all the
10 sick of Her Majesty's, and the Honourable Com-
11 pany’s troops, which had left the place to join the
12 army of the Sutlej, as well as all the ladies and
13 children of the officers. For the defence of these,
14 Comparatively there were at Loodianah only a couple of Native
15 the gavrieon of regiments, the Nusseeree and Sirmoor battalions,
16 thedefenceless afterwards augmented by the 30th Native infantry,
17 the City, the Ist light cavalry, and about 1,500 of the Put-
18 teealah horse. Such a mere handful could hardly
19 be expected to meet Runjoor Singh’s numerous
20 army in the field, though they might keep posses-
21 sion of the fort until relieved; the arrival of Sir
22 Harry Smith, with the first division of the army of
23 the Sutlej, must therefore have been anxiously
24 looked for, and joyfully hailed by the inmates of
25 the fort, as well as the inhabitants of the city of
26 Loodianah, many of whom were in the greatest
27 Consternation State of alarm, and had actually sent their money
28 ofthe City. across to Phillaer, to be in the safe keeping of the
29 Sikhs, since they looked for no protection from
30 the British, Many of the Hindoos, at least,
31 adopted this novel plan, but the Mussulmans, both
32 in India and in the Punjab, never doubted the