114 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



all the people ia motion, taking their weapons, I felt 

 persuaded that the locality was not an asylum for a 

 tranquil man ; so I looked for a passage to make my 

 escape from the garden — the scene of horror — and betake 

 myself to the spot where I had left my horse and servants. 

 These were still waiting, at a place which was separated 

 from me by a small low garden wall, and a narrow ditch. 

 I hastened towards them, jumped over the wall and ditch, 

 and arrived safely at the spot. It was by a fortunate 

 chance that I took this direction for my escape ; my 

 people telling me afterwards, that at the great entrance 

 to the garden the bullets hissed and flew about, and that 

 they were in great anxiety for my life. Thus I was 

 saved in a critical moment, by taking a firm resolution, 

 without any hesitation. 



Having said thus much about my own preservation, I 

 will now proceed with my narrative. 



At the time of Sheer Sing's reign, we mustered about 

 twenty Europeans, for the most part French and English 

 officers, in the service of the Lahore government. It was the 

 common saying, that we should bye and bye form a colony ; 

 but Jellah Pundit dismissed them from the service, one 

 after the other, alleging economical motives, but, in fact, 

 from religious fanaticism ; so that I and the Spaniard only 

 remained. But at last I too was dismissed. Nevertheless, 

 I remained in the city ; and cautiously made preparations 

 for my departure, and for that purpose had sold all my 

 effects at a very low price. I did this partly by the advice 

 of my friends, partly by my own inclination, persuaded as 

 I was that such misgovernment could not be of long dura- 

 tion, and anticipating what the future must bring forth. 

 I did not doubt for one moment that they would bring 

 the heads of the minister and his bad adviser as trophies 

 to Lahore ; and my supposition was realised by the result. 

 The fanatics, the Akalees ( immortals ), or rather the 

 robber-pack, the Nahungs, exhibited for money the head 

 ofjellahjat Lahore and Umritsir : "That is the rogue," 

 they exclaimed, "who iuduced the young Heera Sing to 



