1 182 THE WAR WITH THE BRITISH.
2 returned with Teja Sing to the banks of the Sutlej, and thence
3 across that river.
4 It is reported, as an illustration of the personal character of
5 Teja Sing", that while the army was lying- in the entrenched
6 camp, on the banks of the Sutlej at Hurree-ka-puttun, or
7 Subraon, he, being in a manner compelled by the troops to
8 take up his quarters in the midst of them, sought to secure
9 himself from the consequences of the anticipated cannonade,
10 by erecting a small but strong circular tower to which he
11 might retire for safety. It is said also, that just as he
12 had completed this triple- walled fortalice, a Brahmin astrolo-
13 ger persuaded him that it would be no defence for him unless
14 constructed according to certain rules and proportions, which
15 he, on consultation with the stars, had discovered. The disinter-
16 ested seer added, that on being duly rewarded for his pains,
17 he was willing to communicate the secret of construction
18 on the proper plan ; and on receiving five hundred rupees
19 as earnest money, he declared that to ensure the requisite
20 strength, the walls must be equal in thickness to the length
21 of three hundred and thirty-three long grains of rice, or
22 about three English yards and a quarter, while the inner
23 chamber to which the Sirdar was to retreat, in case of need,
24 was to be a regular circle, the diameter of which must
25 be thirteen and a half spans of Teja Sing's own measurement.
26 Report says further, that the gallant Sirdar might have
27 been seen day after day engaged in vain attempts to lay
28 down .the plan and dimensions of his little fort on the
29 prescribed scale, — idly busied in spanning over a certain spot
30 of ground, while the soldiery were hard at work forming and
31 strengthening their entrenchments. While he was thus em-
32 ployed, one of the European engineers then in camp happened
33 to pay him a visit, and on learning, to his great amusement
34 what the Sirdar was so anxiously engaged upon, pulled forth
35 an English foot-rule, and with the greatest expedition and pre-