1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS, 145
2 hold themselves in readiness several times during
3 the night, while turning out in the day-time was
4 a common occurrence. The noise of a mounted False alarms ot
5 officer’s horse galloping through camp was looked cummen,”
6 upon as a sure sign that the Sikhs were advancing,
7 and that an order to arms would speedily follow!
8 But the Sikhs were otherwise employed, constructs sikhs busily
9 ing a work of defence, which would in their opinion eae
10 defy the attack of any troops, however daring; the "="
11 engineer who planned it having assured them that
12 they might rest perfectly secure in their strong-
13 hold. No attempt had been made since the 14th
14 January to molest or disturb them, and latterly the
15 Sikh horsemen did not show themselves in such
16 numbers about Little Sobraon. There was, in
17 short, a perfect lull in the campaign—a calm that
18 foreboded a coming storm; and the Sikhs were
19 busily employed in preparing the ingredients for the
20 tempest. Though at Moodkee, Feerozshuhur, and
21 Alleewal, they had lost upwards of 150 guns, they
22 were still reported to hdve a great many more, but
23 few of any large size; and most of their gunners
24 were said to have fallen in those actions. The
25 latter fact seemed certain from their anxiety to get
26 more men. A Native soldier belonging to the A Native
27 48rd light infantry, who had incautiously advanced alert eg
28 too far to the front of the camp, was taken prisoner, te Soe
29 and at once appointed to the artillery branch, of
30 the duties of which, however, he was profoundly
31 ignorant. He was placed on a horse, and the
32 Sikhs were mightily amused at his awkwardness as