1 EARLY HISTORY
2 OF
3 RUNJEET SING.
4 At the time of his father's death, Runjeet Sing-, who now
5 became chief of the Sukerchuckia Missall, was a mere child,
6 and his mother and mother-in-law — he had been already
7 married to Mehtab Kour, daughter of Goorbux Sing' and
8 Suda Kour — ruled the tribe in his name. These two
9 women, both of them of evil repute, were chiefly aided and
10 influenced by their paramours. In 1793, however, Runjeet being
11 now about seventeen years of age, followed the example
12 of iiiis father by putting his mother to death. For several
13 months before this tragical event the young chief had
14 formed many plans and schemes for convincing himself
15 of the innocence or guilt of his mother whom he had
16 strong* reason to suspect of being engaged in criminal
17 intrigues with one Laik Misser^ In pursuance of these
18 schemes, Runjeet one morning before day-break quietly
19 entered the chamber of his mother, and finding that Laik
20 Misser was actually there, he passed on silently to another
21 apartment where he summoned two or three of his followers
22 and provided himself with a sword. He then returned to his
23 mother's chamber in the full determination to slay both her
24 and her paramour. Laik Misser, however, hearing some noise
25 and immediately suspecting the cause, had made his escape.
26 Runjeet entered the room and found that he had fled, and his rage
27 at being thus thwarted was redoubled on finding the fugitive's
28 shoes, and a portion of his dress in the apartment. He how-
29 ever, placed a restraint on his wrath or rather dissembled it,