1 252 THE LORDS OF THE HILLS; —
2 now their allowance, exclusive of the presents they received, was
3 eighteen rupees a day.
4 In 1809 when Jey Sing, the last of the rightful Rajpoots of
5 Jummoo died, and Runjeet Sing sent his Dewan, Bowanee Doss*
6 surnamed Khooha, or the humpbacked, with Bii Ram Sing, and a
7 body of 2,500 men, to take possession both of Jummoo and Bhow.
8 On the appearance of the force, the family of the late Rajah,
9 unable to offer resistance, fled across the Sutlej, on which the
10 Seiks took quiet possession of the state, its capital and govern-
11 ment. In 1811, however, an occurrence trivial in itself but im-
12 portant in its results, disturbed them greatly in the possession
13 of their ill-gotten prize. Hawking has ever been a favourite
14 amusement of the Seik chiefs, and many of the birds employed
15 in this sport were caught on or near the Tri Nokur a Devi, a
16 lofty three-peaked sacred mountain, about twenty miles north
17 of Jummoo. The birds caught here were considered the pro-
18 perty of the Jummoo court, and on that place going into the
19 hands of the Seiks were claimed by that of Lahore. It hap-
20 pened, however, that sometime in 1811, it was reported at
21 Lahore, that one Deedoo, a Rajpoot living near the sacred hill,
22 and about sixteen miles from Jummoo, had caught a remarkably
23 fine hawk. The Seik authorities of the district regarding the
24 bird as the property of their masters or themselves, demanded
25 it from its captor. Deedoo, however, stoutly refused to surrender
26 his prize. On this an officer and twelve men were sent to take it
27 from him by force. They arrived at the hut of Deedoo and de-
28 manded the surrender of the bird. On this a parley ensued, and
29 Deedoo proposed to accompany them to the Durbar at Jum-
30 moo, carrying the hawk with him. This was agreed to, and
31 time was given him to prepare for his departure. The hospita-
32 ble Deedoo hereupon provided them with the raw materials
33 of a meal, which they proceeded to cook in a small area
34 adjoining the hut. While they were thus employed, Deedoo
35 committing the hawk to the care of his wife, the only other in-