1 158 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 gent patrons. On this self same day Misser Lall Sing- was with
3 great pomp installed Rajah of Rhotas and Domelia, in the pre-
4 sence of all the Sirdars of the Court, summoned for the occasion
5 by Heera Sing-, who himself made the accustomed " teeka" or
6 mark on the forehead of his favourite, and, as a special token of
7 favour, with his own hand waved the chourie over the head of
8 the new made Rajah.
9 About a month after this the Wuzeer and the Pundit were put
10 to death, but during the interval, Rajah Lall Sing, one of the
11 principal conspirators against them, was more than usually
12 assiduous in his attendance upon them. With the Pundit he
13 even exchanged turbans, thus becoming, ceremonially, his
14 sworn friend and brother ! During the same period too, he was
15 in the habit of sitting up with the Wuzeer almost nightly,
16 engaged in gambling and debauchery.
17 On the night before the murder, Lall Sing, accompanied by
18 General Mathaub Sing and Meva Sing Majeeteea, who were
19 both privy to the conspiracy, waited on the Wuzeer and the
20 Pundit, with whom they remained for a long time, endeavour-
21 ing to persuade them that they had nothing to fear, as they, the
22 conspirators, with many other sirdars, and the whole body of
23 the Khalsa, were ready to die in their cause if necessary.
24 This had the effect of throwing the Wuzeer and the Pundit off
25 their guard, and lulling them for the time into a deceitful feeling
26 of security. They did not till too late suspect the extent of
27 their danger, for had they done, so they might at any moment
28 have obtained the protection of the French division, eight or
29 -ten thousand men, which was ready to turn out in their de-
30 fence. The same night and just before the interview with his
31 victims, Lall Sing had sent a message to the Ranee, with his
32 good wishes, for the success of the enterprise, accompanying
33 his compliments with a present of some seventeen or eighteen
34 thousand rupees, and an offer of as much more to aid in
35 paying the expences of the undertaking. Again, while Sirdar