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2 ress Seealkote, which was given to him and his brother, Peshora
3 Sing, as an appanage from their father.
4 Jellah impaired the civil list of the king, Dulleep Sing,
5 and his mother, Ranee Chunda, and that of his uncle Jewahir
6 Sing, to such an extent that they could not live in a style due to
7 their rank. This prompted the brother of the ranee, Jewahir-
8 Sing, to allure Dulleep Sing out of the fortress on an elephant,
9 and to take refuge with the troops of General Avitabile,
10 but the kidnapper was received by the general in command,
11 Misser Jodaram, a Brahmin, and father-in-law to Jellah, with,
12 instead of friendly salutation, a stroke in the face, and he im-
13 prisoned them both, for which he lost his nose when sirdar
14 Jewahir Sing became wuzeer. In the city the rumour was
15 current that Jewahir Sing intended to convey Dulleep Sing
16 to Ferozepore, to deliver him to the English. Early in the
17 morning Heera Sing went out on horseback, and brought
18 both the fugitives back to the city. According to custom,
19 a salute of hundreds of cannon were fired on the entrance of
20 Dulleep Sing, who was given up again to his mother in the fort-
21 ress. Jewahir Sing was dragged to prison. At that time Jellah
22 Pundit entered into a tender connection with a widow of Sheer
23 Sing, and promised her that he would murder Dulleep Sing,
24 and place her son, as legitimate heir of the Guddee, on the
25 throne. The affair could not be performed secretly, and it
26 reached the ears of impartial persons, so the Ranee Chunda
27 became informed of this conspiracy, and that was quite sufficient
28 to suffocate it at its birth. Women's cunning surpasses all
29 skill, especially if the question concerns their own interest.
30 First of all, she contrived to secure the good will of the treasurer,
31 Lall Sing. Who would have thought that a man, who owed
32 his splendid position to Rajah Dhyan Sing, and who lived
33 always in the society of Heera Sing, with whom he contracted
34 brothership, and with whom Jellah Pundit exchanged turbans
35 as a token of true amity, would have played the felon against
36 these friends, in supporting the ranee with his advice and activity P
37 First of all he occasioned the release of her brother, Jewahir