1 118 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAU.
2 or be by some other means kept out of the way of harm ,-
3 and he solemnly and repeatedly assured the Seiks that not
4 a man of them felt a greater reverence and regard for the Bii
5 than he did. Thus assured the battalions marched from Lahore,
6 and Generals Mathaub Sing Majeeteea and Goolaub Sing
7 Calcutteea advanced with their divisions from Umritsir and
8 Kussoor. Meean Lall Sing, a relative of the Minister, was
9 sent in charge of the whole expedition and to direct the plan
10 to the desired result. Every thing turned out exactly to the
11 wishes of the Wuzeer, whose plans were so well devised and
12 arranged that they could hardly fail of success. The Seik
13 troops, advancing on all sides, closed round the camp of the
14 Baba and his companions. They still believed, however, that
15 a reconciliation would be quickly effected, and that Uttur
16 Sino* would return with them to Lahore as a friend. From
17 this anticipated event, they, the soldiers, hoped to reap a harvest
18 of presents and favours on their return to the capital.
19 But these peaceful anticipations were not destined to be real-
20 ised. Meean Lall Sing sent Seiks of different grades backwards
21 and forwards betwixt the Khalsa camp and that of Baba Beer
22 Sing, ostensibly for the purpose of persuading the holy man to
23 give up Uttur Sing, or to compel him to recross the river.
24 This, as it was intended it should, created some confusion and
25 contention among the troops, who began to close round the
26 Baba's camp. Meean Lall Sing improved this tumult to his
27 own purposes, by advising the Seiks to unlimber their artillery
28 and to range it in front of Uttur Sing's force, in the
29 hope of overawing them by this significant threat, and thereby
30 inducing them to yield. This, of course, greatly increased
31 the confusion and uproar, and led by various imperceptible steps
32 to a general engagement. When the firing commenced, Gene-
33 ral Goolaub Sing was engaged in a conference with Uttur Sing,
34 who immediately on seeing the turn that affairs were taking,
35 and knowing the character of the man, concluded that he had