1 THE WAR WITH THE BRITISH. 181
2 preserve the independance of our country." By language
3 such as this, many of the officers were induced to assume an
4 appearance of fidelity, while they nevertheless continued their
5 endeavours for the betrayal of the army.
6 It has been said that the conduct of Teja Sing, in particular,
7 savoured much of treason to the Khalsa. His strange con-
8 duct in ordering a retreat before the wearied and almost
9 defenceless British force at Ferozeshuhur, on the morning
10 of the 22nd December, is inexplicable on any other supposition
11 than that of treachery. It was on this occasion, while he
12 was haranguing the troops, and persuading them of the neces-
13 sity for retiring, assuring them that unless they did so, their
14 bridge of boats and the whole line of the river in their rear
15 would be immediately occupied by the British, — while he was
16 thus discoursing, an old Seik horseman, a soldier of the times
17 of Runjeet, galloped up to him, and drawing his sword, strove
18 by threats and fierce invectives, to induce the Sirdar to order
19 the advance instead of the retreat of the army. He pointed
20 to the exhausted British forces unable to fire a shot, and
21 asked what was to be feared from them, who, he declared,
22 would not be able to stand a vigorous charge from the fresh
23 troops now opposed to them. The conduct and language
24 of this brave old trooper induced Teja Sing with joined
25 hands solemnly to protest and swear by the name of God
26 and his Gooroo, that he had no other intent in retiring than
27 that of saving the troops by preventing their retreat from
28 being cut off by the British. But the old horseman, still
29 convinced of the treachery of the Sirdar, cursed him as a
30 traitor and a coward before the whole army, and then quietly
31 returned to his post in the ranks.
32 The troops however, though convinced of the treachery of
33 their chiefs, could only follow where they led; for no one
34 came forward from among themselves to lead or advise them,
35 and without a head they could do nothing. They therefore