1 The uncer-
2 tainties of war.
3 The remnant
4 of the Sikh
5 army obliged
6 to yield,
7 La] Singh
8 readily returns
9 to his allegi-
10 ance, and this
11 easily account-
12 ed for.
13 212 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
14 It was almost beyond the power of belief, on the
15 morning of the 10th February, that in ten days
16 more the army which was then about to attack the
17 strong Sikh-entrenchment at Sobraon would be
18 ericamped at Lahore, and that fortress be in the
19 possession of the British! But such are the glori-
20 ous uncertainties of war—which in a few hours
21 change the destiny of nations, and produce results
22 which no previous calculation nor foresight could
23 anticipate!
24 When the army of the Sutlej had crossed the
25 Punjab without the slightest opposition, the Sikh-
26 troops who were still in the field could not meet
27 the British; their power was broken, and they were
28 a miserable, starving rabble, glad of any security
29 whereby their entire annihilation might be pre-
30 vented. Accordingly when their leaders were
31 ordered to return to their allegiance, and disband
32 their soldiers, as well as deliver up all the guns still
33 in their possession, which had been pointed against
34 the British, little or no difficully was opposed to a
35 compliance with the measure, which dire necessity
36 forced upon them. The Sirdars, though obliged to
37 join and lead the Khalsa troops, were in general
38 averse to the war, and now that the result of the
39 struggle had completely broken the warlike or
40 rather the disorderly spirit of the Sikhs, they were
41 not unwilling to embrace an opportunity of being
42 restored to their homes and families. Lal Singh
43 trusting to the power of his mistress, the Ranee,
44 was no doubt glad to exchange the toil and trouble