149 



now created fresh doubts of the fidelity of the sepoys, nor did that 

 of the native officers in general escape suspicion. A distrust which 

 at length gave rise to a very disagreeable circumstance. 



On the 23d of February, in consequence of a horseman having 

 imputed treachery to the subahdar Missauber, the Europeans 

 came at night to the commanding officer, alleging the horseman 

 could prove the subahdar to have frequently received letters from 

 Mirza, and carried on his correspondence by the man who for- 

 merly conveyed letters from captain Torriano to colonel Gordon ; 

 adding that the subahdar was accessary to the late desertions, and 

 particularly to those of the preceding night: all this was rirmly 

 believed by the regulars, and under this circumstance the dis- 

 tressed state of the garrison rendered it difficult on what measures 

 to resolve. If only a private and delicate investigation took 

 place, the complainants might attribute it to an ill-founded con- 

 fidence, and be apprehensive of falling a sacrifice. If, on the con- 

 trary, a public inquiry was adopted, they might lose the attach- 

 ment of an officer, whose great exertions and general good charac- 

 ter had given him much weight in the garrison, and particular 

 influence over the sepoys. Engineer Blachford was also informed, 

 that two sepoys of the sultaun's guard had just been with the 

 quarter-master serjeant, and informed him of a concerted plot for 

 assassinating the officers and seizing the fort: the attack was to 

 commence at head-quarters. 



A fresh difficulty now arose, in consequence of two sepoys 

 being ordered for execution in the evening. The Europeans em- 

 ployed to execute the last criminal, having been stigmatized by 

 their companions as hangmen, were averse to a repetition of that 



