1 90 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 wishes should be theirs, and whatever line of policy he might
3 adopt, he had only to mention it to them, and they were ready to
4 support it ; and that when force was required for the execution
5 of any part of that policy, he had only to give them the word
6 and his will should be wrought ; and by way of testifying their
7 sincerity, they then on the spot proposed the murder or impri-
8 sonment of certain sirdars who were suspected of being privy
9 to the conspiracy of the Scindawallas. By this as well as by their
10 oaths and promises, Heera Sing was convinced that his pur-
11 pose was fully supported; and he now, but with apparent reluc-
12 tance, agreed to accept the office of Wuzeer.
13 Since the death of Shere Sing and his Wuzeer Dehan Sing,
14 money and valuable property had been profusely lavished among
15 the soldiery, and the pay of most of the officers had been
16 advanced threefold. Horses, elephants, carriages, costly jewel-
17 lery, stored up by Kunjeet Sing were now scattered abroad
18 in the most reckless profusion. Instances were known even of
19 officers havinsr chosen for themselves the best horses and ele-
20 phants in the old king's stables, positively refusing to accept
21 any other. In short the most licentious wishes, the most avarici-
22 ous desires of the Khalsa, men and officers, seemed now ful-
23 filled, and nothing which they coveted was withheld from them.
24 But to effect this the treasures of money and property that
25 had been accumulated by Runjeet Sing for many years, were
26 so far drained that if not quite emptied it would at least take
27 as many years of a policy like Runjeet' s to restore them to their
28 former condition. During the first two months after Shere
29 Sing's death, betwixt thirty-five and forty lakhs of rupees
30 were, it is said, abstracted from the treasury. But though
31 so much money and valuables were lavished on the soldiery,
32 it is thought that it was not more than perhaps an eighth
33 part of what Heera Sing took to himself.