1 170 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 renew her lamentations at her brother's tomb. At
3 length, however, the fire of her anger having some-
4 what abated, she presented herself before the assem-
5 bled councils ; and after upbraiding them for their
6 treachery and cruelty, she promised to forgive them
7 on condition that the instigators of the bloody deed
8 were delivered into her hands. But these, all of
9 them members of the Dogra faction, had in the
10 interval safely transferred themselves to Jammu,
11 and the grief -stricken Rani was fain to content
12 herself with a letter of condolence from Ghulab
13 Singh, and profuse expressions of regret that his
14 very limited power prevented him from punishing
15 her enemies as they deserved. The troops, at the
16 same time, renewed their assurances of loyalty to
17 herself and Dhulip Singh, and, to complete the
18 reconciliation, agreed to accept as minister whomso-
19 ever she chose to nominate. The Rani thereupon
20 dismissed them with her blessing, and the pleasing
21 intimation that their services might shortly be re-
22 quired for the invasion of British India.
23 Whilst the storm was gathering, an ominous calm
24 pervaded the Punjab. War preparations were com-
25 menced in earnest throughout the kingdom, and
26 nowhere was anything talked of but the coming
27 struggle. Ordinary tasks were laid aside and party
28 strifes and private feuds were forgotten in the
29 common desire to aid in the arming of the Khalsa.
30 Some of the older sirdars did, it is true, shake their
31 heads and utter words of warning ; but finding
32 themselves unheeded, and being, before all else, Sikhs,
33 they gave way to the general enthusiasm, determined,