1 180 THE WAR WITH THE BRITISH.
2 before the Governor-General. Thus perished the independence
3 of the once powerful state founded by Runjeet Sing.
4 It has been already remarked, that the troops who formed
5 the Seik army on the Sutlej, strongly suspected that they
6 had been betrayed into the hands of the enemy by their own
7 chiefs, acting under secret instructions from the Ranee. The
8 conduct of those chiefs, and especially that of Teja Sing*,
9 was, it must be owned, such as to strengthen, if not confirm,
10 these suspicions. There was but too much reason for them
11 to believe that the whole or nearly the whole of their sirdars
12 and officers, were combined in a treacherous scheme to entrap
13 them, and deliver them up an easy prey to the British army.
14 Instead of watching for opportunities to employ the force
15 to the best advantage against the enemy, it seemed as if the
16 leaders of the Seiks were intent only on placing their troops in
17 such a position as might render them an easy and complete
18 conquest to their foes. Notwithstanding, however, that the
19 Seik soldiery more than suspected these designs and intentions
20 of their chiefs, they were unable to extricate themselves from
21 the position into which they had been thrown. They
22 gave vent to their alarm and indignation in fierce reproaches
23 on the treachery of their leaders, but that was all they could
24 do. " We know, " they said to their leaders, " that you have
25 leagued with the Court to send us against the British and to
26 pen us up here like sheep for them to come and slaughter us
27 at their convenience • but, remember, that in thus acting, you
28 play the part not only of traitors to your country, but of ruth-
29 less butchers and murderers. You destroy a whole army,
30 which, whatever its faults and crimes may have been, has always
31 been ready to obey the orders of the state and its officers.
32 We might even now punish 3rou as you deserve, but we will
33 leave you to answer to your Gooroo and your God, while we,
34 deserted and betrayed, as we are, will do what we can to