1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 19
2 by the Sirdars and numerous troops: the foremost
3 “amongst the latter were those of Ventura and
4 Avatabili. Entering the gate with drums beating, 5) ora Singh
5 the people became alarmed, believing as they did 2#¢ksLabore.
6 that Ajeet Singh was in possession of the fort
7 and prime minister. The guns soon began to
8 play on both sides; great numbers fell, and the
9 fight continued unabated throughout the night.
10 In the morning, Heera Singh’s force was joined
11 by General Ventura with six guns, which he placed lire
12 in position. Aboug nine o'clock, Raee Kesree ;
13 Singh advised his master Soochet Singh to seize
14 the royal musjid; but the Rajah was unwell at
15 the time, and requested his follower to do as he
16 recommended. At this juncture, Lena Singh was Lena singh is
17 observed coming from the Iuzooree Bagh (Royal womuet by
18 Garden) and going towards the Badshace Mugjid “eee Singh.
19 for ammunition. Kesrce Singh took aim and the
20 Sirdar fell mortally wounded, but was drageed
21 through the gate into the sleeping apartments,
22 where he died two days afterwards. When Kesrce
23 Singh had cleared the Musjid, he applied his scaling Who enters
24 the Fort.
25 ladders and entered the fort; here he seized on
26 several Sirdars who were brought to him by the
27 troops, who begged forgiveness and asserted that
28 not they but their leaders were to blame. Ajeet
29 Singh, seeing that the fort could no longer be
30 maintained, escaped over the wall by means of
31 a rope, but a Mussulman soldier observing him,
32 pursued, and Ajeet Singh thus hotly pressed, took
33 off his golden bracelets and threw them at the man