1 PHOOLA SING, THE AKALEE. 189
2 bank of the Loonda or Cabul river. Victory at first seemed
3 to have declared against the Seiks, for in spite of all that
4 Runjeet with his European generals Ventura and Allard could
5 do to prevent it, a panic spread among the troops, who were on
6 the point of turning to flee before their AfFghan foes.
7 Several unsuccessful attempts to drive the enemy from his
8 position on the hill of Teree, in which they had been repulsed
9 with great slaughter, had exhausted their strength and broken
10 their spirits, and a shameful defeat seemed inevitable. In vain
11 Runjeet threatened and implored, in vain he adjured them
12 bv their God and their Gooroo to advance, in vain dismounting
13 from his horse he rushed forward sword in hand calling on
14 his troops to follow him, — his threats, his entreaties, his adju-
15 rations, and his example were alike disregarded. The troops
16 would not advance, they were beginning to retire in panic
17 flight, and the day seemed lost. Runjeet was in despair and
18 as a last resource was about to betake himself to his prayers
19 and his beads. Just at this critical juncture, however, he
20 saw, to his great joy and equally great surprise, the black
21 banner of Phoola Sing and his Akalees moving along the
22 foot and then up the side of the disputed hill. The Akalee
23 chief at the head of his five hundred desperadoes was advancing
24 against the enemy. Runjeet had himself seen Phoola Sing,
25 in the heat of the engagement, struck from his horse by
26 a musket ball which shattered the cap of his knee ; he had seen
27 him borne to the rear to all appearance utterly disabled. But
28 there was Phoola Sing seated on an elephant actually leading his
29 little band to the assault. On went the Akalees after their
30 leader who from his elephant shouted an invitation to the whole
31 army to follow them. The army did not respond to his call,
32 but up the hill and towards the foe went Phoola Sing and his
33 men, determined to decide the fate of the day by a des-
34 perate assault. The Affghans waited not for their attack,
35 but rushed down the hill to become the assailants. At this