1 THE WUZEERUT OF HEERA SING. 107
2 while on their return, on their arrival at the Chenaub, altered
3 their intention and marching- towards Seealkote joined their
4 fortunes with those of Cashmeera Sing and his brother. This
5 occurred a few days before any troops from Lahore arrived at
6 Seealkote.
7 The brothers were encouraged and instig*ated to the line
8 of conduct which they had adopted, by Suchet Sing, who had
9 promised them ample assistance both in money and men, but
10 who never aided them with any thing1 more substantial than
11 promises. Disappointed in their expectations from this quar-
12 ter, the brothers now, instead of repairing to Lahore to present
13 themselves to the Durbar, went off to the Manjh country,
14 as the district betwixt the Ravee and the Sutlej is called,
15 and there wandered about among the gooroos and faqueers,
16 endeavouring to secure their intercession and mediation with
17 the Court on their behalf.
18 Now it should be mentioned, that when the battalions of
19 Dehan Sing, with six guns and five hundred horse, were sent
20 off from Lahore against Seealkote, the entire body of the
21 Khalsa troops protested strongly against the measure, in the
22 apprehension that these troops would not only take the fort
23 but that they would probably put the two sons of Runjeet
24 Sing to death. These and such like considerations induced the
25 troops, immediately after the departure of this detachment from
26 Lahore, to create disturbances, which they carried to such a
27 degree that Rajah Heera Sing, the minister, was for three
28 or four days surrounded by them, and virtually kept a prisoner
29 in his house in the city. The Khalsa swore vengeance and
30 extermination against the Rajah, his party, and all the Dogras,
31 in case any harm should happen to the two princes. They
32 seemed as if nothing would appease or assure them. The
33 terms they offered to the minister as the conditions of their
34 return to their duty were — 1st. That Peshora Sing and Cash-
35 meera Sing should be preserved harmless, and safely escorted