1 116 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 named, all Uttur Sing's correspondence was daily sent to
3 the Minister at Lahore.
4 Thus matters had advanced towards a crisis when the day
5 appointed for Uttur Sing's return across the river became
6 known to the Minister who prepared his schemes accordingly.
7 Shaik Imam-ood-deen, son of the Governor of Cashmere, and
8 himself Governor of the Jullundur Doab, a well known enemy
9 of the Khalsa, was now taken into the Wuzeer's confidence, and
10 instructed in the part he was to act. He was on some pretence
11 and at a certain time to he ready with at least fifteen hundred
12 Muckthas, or irregular troops, near the B aba's camp. Then
13 when the Khalsa troops had by some pretext been induced
14 to surround the camp, and in the confusion and tumult which
15 must necessarily ensue, the Shaik was to find some means of
16 bringing on a disturbance. In the general melee which would
17 follow, he was to make sure of the different victims, of whose
18 names a list was given to him. Being notoriously an inveter-
19 ate enemy of the Seiks and their race, the Shaik who governed
20 the district in which the scene was laid, was just the man
21 for this purpose, and he entered into the scheme proposed with
22 the greatest readiness. Jewahir Mull, the Dewan of the
23 late Bajah Suchet Sing, and a younger brother of Heera
24 Sing-, was likewise made privy to the affair, and was with
25 about two thousand five hundred Chariyaree Gorechars to
26 support and assist the Shaik in the performence of his part
27 of the plan. Their rule of action was to raise and keep up
28 as much confusion and hostility as possible among the mixed
29 mass that were to be assembled at the camp of Baba Beer
30 Sing on a certain day. By this it was hoped that the
31 Seik battalions might, by the means to be employed, be involv-
32 ed, they knew not how, in a general fight, which should have
33 the appearance of being brought on by some mischance, as
34 was very often the case with the Seik soldiery.
35 All being now arranged, Uttur Sing's entrance into the Pun-