THE RAJPOOT CHIEFS. 



265 



acquired the epithet of " faithful of the faithful," by his 

 promptitude to submit to the loss of life, on an occasion 

 connected with the most atrocious superstition. Jesswint, 

 through the pressure of deep remorse, had become subject 

 to a temporary alienation of mind, imputed by the magicians 

 to the operation of an evil spirit, which, being exorcised, 

 was said to declare that the chief could only be restored by 

 some one suffering death as a voluntary sacrifice. Nahur 

 Khan instantly offered himself as the victim. The magi- 

 cians, however, saved .him, by pretending that the spirit had 

 descended into a vessel of water, which being swallowed 

 by Nahur, the reason of his illustrious master resumed its 

 seat. At another time, Jesswint, in a fit of rage, ordered 

 his faithful chief to be thrown into the den of a tiger, and 

 there to contend, unarmed, for his life. But Nahur pre- 

 sented to the monster so firm an aspect that it turned away ; 

 when the brave commander observed that honour forbade 

 him to attack an adversary who would not look him in the 

 face. On another occasion, when employed against Soor- 

 tan, also one of the most gallant of these chieftains, with a 

 chosen band, he surprised him in the dead of night, stabbed 

 a solitary sentinel, and having bound the warrior with his 

 own turban to his pallet, sounded the alarm, that the snr- 

 Vol. II.— Z 



