1 36 FROM THE DEATH OF NOO NEHAL SINGH
2 Rajah Heera Singh recovered from the grief and
3 stupor in which the murder of his father had
4 plunged him, than he called upon the army to
5 avenge the twofold murder. His orders were
6 promptly obeyed by the troops and European
7 officers, then at Lahore, and the citadel being
8 invested, a heavy fire of artillery was opened
9 upon the walls, which soon began to crumble
10 before it; and a practicable breach being effected,
11 it was immediately carried by assault, and the
12 greater part of Ajeet Singh’s followers mas-
13 sacred. In the mean time, Ajeet Singh, fore-
14 seeing the result,endeavoured to escape by lower-
15 ing himself by a rope from an unfrequented part,
16 but being seen and recognised by a party of
17 soldiers, he was pursued and put to death, his
18 head severed from his body, and taken to Heera
19 Singh, who rewarded the soldiers with ten thou-
20 sand rupees. Tranquillity being again tempo-
21 rarily restored, a council, with Heera Singh
22 at its head, was held, at which it was determined
23 to place a reputed son of the late Runjeet Singh,
24 Dhuleep Singh, the present Maharajah, a boy
25 about ten years of age, upon the throne, with
26 the Rajah Heera Singh as minister, which was
27 accordingly carried into effect immediately. But
28 a very short time elapsed before the uncon-
29 trollable soldiery renewed their preposterous
30 demands for increase of pay (upon the same