1 66 THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAUB.
2 bedience to the injunctions of his father, who had
3 prohibited a collision under any circumstances.
4 Upon witnessing the flight of his troops, to-
5 gether with the loss of some pieces of artillery,
6 in the moment of despair at the consequences he
7 had brought upon himself, turning to his own
8 personal suite, of which about 100 had remained
9 with him, he addressed them briefly on the shame
10 and disgrace which awaited their conduct ; and
11 being determined not to survive the disasters of
12 the day, he induced them to make a last effort to
13 retrieve their ill fortune. The Sikhs had now
14 precipitated themselves about two miles into this
15 fatal pass, which allowed but four horsemen to
16 work abreast.
17 The little band above mentioned, with their
18 leader at their head, resigning themselves to the
19 will of the Comptroller of all Destinies, with their
20 war shout of " Allah Akhbar !" threw themselves
21 headlong on the foremost of their pursuers, who,
22 by the superior weight of their Toorkee chargers,
23 the nervous blows from the vigorous arms of their
24 assailants, and the meteor-like charge, were on
25 the instant overwhelmed and dismounted. The
26 sudden check so unexpectedly sustained threw
27 the Sikhs into confusion ; and being ignorant of
28 the number of their opponents, they wheeled
29 round, and pell-mell rode over their own masses !