1 28 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 Sikhs who wished to establish the Rajah as Prime
3 Minister. He thereupon reached the right bank~
4 of the Ravee with a considerable force, which he
5 left encamped there, crossing over to Lahore with
6 only about fourteen of his followers, among the rest
7 Kesree Singh, who had performed so prominent a
8 part after the death of Dyan Singh. Soochet
9 Singh, on reaching Lahore, informed the Mahara-
10 jah that he had arrived and wished to pay his re-
11 spects. In answer to this, he was ordered to leave
12 his camp. Immediately after this reply, he ob-
13 served an immense force moving from . Lahore
14 towards Meean Meer, where he then was. His
15 attendants warned him, that their purpose was
16 hostile, and advised him to recross the Ravee and
17 join his own soldiers. To this he lent a deaf ear,
18 as he could not believe that his neptiew would
19 thus take him by surprise. The guns, upwards of
20 two hundred in number, approached, and the Rajah
21 was urged to flee, but in vain. At length he rose
22 up, and armed himself; the Sikhs rushed upon him,
23 and a fierce and sanguinary conflict ensued, but of
24 short duration, as he had but a handful of brave men
25 His brave de- wherewith to contend against thousands. Soochet
26 fence and
27 death.
28 The acts of
29 Busunth
30 Singh.
31 Singh slew three men with his own hand before he
32 fell mortally wounded by two bullets. Kesree Singh
33 killed five, and two of these after he had fallen.
34 Conspicuous for bravery among Soochet’s men was
35 Busunth Singh, who slew no fewer than seventeen
36 Sikhs. The desperate valour of the Rajah struck
37 a panic through the Sikhs, and the gunners fled in