1 THE WUZEERUT OF HEERA SING. 117
2 jaub was publicly made known ; and thereupon, Rajah Heera
3 Sing, seemingly in the greatest consternation, immediately
4 called a general assembly of the Khalsa officers and Punches.
5 The meeting was harangued by the Minister in language which
6 he had learnt by rote from the frequent repetition of Pundit
7 Jellah. The purport of his speech was briefly as follows : — That
8 since the death of Shere Sing the state and country had
9 never been in such danger as now ; — that Uttur Sing Scinda-
10 walla, supported by twelve or fifteen thousand British troops,
11 had actually crossed the Sutlej into the Punjaub, and that
12 the British army was encamped on the bank of the river ;
13 that Uttur Sing had renewed his former engagement with
14 the British of six annas in the rupee as their share of the
15 revenue ; that they had agreed to occupy the country and to
16 put him at the head of affairs; that they would disband the whole
17 Seik army, whose assistance was now, if ever it had been,
18 most urgently required for the maintenance of the national
19 honor and independance ; that Uttur Sing, with three thousand
20 of his own followers, was encamped with Baba Beer Sing,
21 and that they had only to show a bold front to him to induce
22 him either to recross the Sutlej into Hindostan, or to accept terms
23 of reconciliation and come to Lahore, where he, Heera Sing,
24 would endeavour, at any cost, to make him a friend of the
25 state ; and lastly they had only to hint to Baba Beer Sing,
26 that he was too holy and good a man to harbour or countenance
27 one like Uttur Sing Scindawalla, who, as was plain to all,
28 had actually sold his country.
29 The Seiks, after much hesitation, agreed to comply with the
30 Minister's propositions, still declaring however, that they would
31 not stir from Lahore if they thought they should have to fight
32 against or injure the Baba. But Heera Sing in the presence
33 of the troops prostrated himself at the name of the Baba,
34 and prayed to heaven that the holy man might, by some divine
35 interposition, be induced to separate himself from Uttur Sing,