1 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 35
2 bring him an English rifle, which he begged to
3 present to the Maharajah ; and in the act of
4 presenting it, he dexterously turned the muzzle
5 towards him and shot the Maharajah through
6 the heart. A short conflict immediately took
7 place, in which the Maharajah's attendants were
8 quickly overpowered; several were killed, and
9 the remainder took to flight. Shere Singh's
10 head was then severed from his body and fixed
11 upon a pole, and carried all round the camp of
12 Ajeet Singh. His body was claimed and given
13 up during the day to two of Shere Singh's wives,
14 and the usual suttee rites performed over it. In
15 the mean time, Ajeet Singh, after the committal
16 of this atrocity, directed his steps towards the
17 city; but meeting the Rajah Dhyan Singh in
18 his carriage, he dismounted and got into it, with
19 the intention of returning together. It appears
20 that a dispute took place between them respect-
21 ing the future fonn of government, but which
22 was quickly terminated by Ajeet Singh stabbing
23 the Rajah to thef heart. He afterwards caused
24 his head to be cut off, and sent it to his son, the
25 Rajah Heera Singh, of whom further mention
26 will be made. Ajeet Singh, after having caused
27 the whole of the late Maharajah's family to be
28 murdered, even to an infant bom the day pre-
29 vious in the Zenana, then shut himself up with
30 his followers in the citadel. No sooner had the