1 130 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 by the Seik horsemen, with some of the sirdars at their head.
3 These on approaching informed Heera Sing that no harm
4 should happen to him or any of his followers, if they would
5 only give up the Pundit Jellah. But as the Pundit, thinking
6 only of his own personal safety, continued making signs to
7 the Rajah to push on without listening to the call of the
8 pursuing horsemen, the party still hurried forward. The
9 Seiks, finding all their efforts to bring them to a stand without
10 resorting violence useless, and considering themselves treated
11 with indignity, they, under the command of Sirdar Sham Sing
12 Attarrewallah, and General Meva Sing Majeeteea,* attacked
13 the flying party in the rear and on either flank- and thus
14 a running skirmish was kept up until they had proceeded
15 somewhat more than two coss, when all the infantry of the fugi-
16 tives was either killed or dispersed. About this point Sirdar
17 Jewahir Sing came up with the pursuit at the head of a body
18 of horse, part of Ventura's dragoons.f The two guns also
19 which had followed the chase were now occasionally brought
20 to bear upon the flying Dogras. Still a party of Patan horse
21 * Meva Sing Majeeteea displayed on this occasion a most rancorous feeling
22 towards the Dogras, riding about among the Seiks and calling on them to slaugh-
23 ter the soors. His brother Mathaub Sing was a thrun ko braa, or own brother
24 of Heera Sing, who lavished on him a lakh of rupees within a few days of
25 his death. Yet were these two the first to turn against the Minister, Mathaub
26 Sing sending his battalions and guns to join Jewahir Sing. Again while he and
27 his brother Meva Sing personally, with about two hundred of their cavalry, went
28 in pursuit of the fugitive Wuzeer, the infantry of the former at his command
29 entered the city and fort to disarm, plunder, and imprision any of the Dogras
30 they might find there.
31 + This body of cavalry was well affected towards Heera Sing and his party,
32 but when the rumour went abroad that tumaum Khalsa, the whole Khalsa, was
33 united against the Minister, they, in accordance with the principle of union
34 among the troops, fell into the general stream. It was a maxim of the army that
35 the Khalsa should ever be united, and that whoever sought to divide it against
36 itself should perish. The murder of Rajah Suchet Sing is an illustration of
37 this mode of proceeding ;— the brave but unfortunate chief was first attacked
38 by the very troops on whom, in exchange for their promises of support, he had
39 the previous night lavished upwards of sixty thousand rupees.