1841.] Extracts from Demi-Official Reports,, 121 



Deh Koondee Sirdar's restoring the arms which he had taken from Hussan 

 Khan's father and engaging to give 2 or 3 daughters to the heir and his 

 relatives, to close the blood account. 



Agha Hossein our guide, who thought it well to remove all ill blood 

 from Hussan Khan's heart for the excusable share that he had in the past 

 disasters, went to Dowlut Yar, with a koran, on which he declared before 

 witnesses that he absolved the chief from all obligations to repair his 

 former losses, and called upon him to say in the same solemn way that by- 

 gones should be bygones. The Chief consented, and accepted a present 

 which we sent with a letter to his address from Shah Shoojah, but his 

 manner on both occasions was so sullen that our guide resolved to give 

 him the least possible opportunity of doing us an injury. 



The Atalik arrived in our camp next morning, and speaking with con- 

 fidence about our road forward, sent us on with a small escort under his 

 brother and son, while he went to get back from Hussan Khan a horse 

 stolen from our pickets which had been traced to Dowlut Yar. "When 

 we had got 2 miles down the valley we were met by 60 horsemen, who 

 called out to us to stop and pay zucat. The Atalik's brother riding a head, 

 and explaining that we were envoys on the King's affairs, and not traders, 

 our waylayer replied that we had paid our way to others, and why not to 

 him. ' They are guests of the Atalik' exclaimed his brother, i and by God 

 and the Prophet they shall not give a needle or a Chillum of tobacco.' 

 * Then by God and the Prophet we will take it', rejoined the robber ; where- 

 upon he ranged some of his men in line to face us and caused others to 

 dismount upon a rock behind and to set their guns in rest. We lost no 

 time in getting ready for defence, but the Atalik's brother riding out 

 between our fronts, called a parley, and drew a line which neither party 

 was to pass till peace or war had been decided on. Three quarters of an 

 hour was consumed in debate, which was thrice broken by demonstration of 

 attack and by the end of this time 30 or 40 men of the same tribe had col- 

 lected on foot from a rear encampment, with the evident intention of making 

 a rush at our baggage in the event of our becoming engaged in front, 

 We had despatched several messengers to bring up our host, and just 

 at the affair had assumed its worst look, a cry was raised that he was 

 coming. Looking back, we could see horsemen pouring out like bees, 

 from the tents surrounding Dowlut Yar, and all hastening in our 

 direction, but while our Eimauk escort exclaimed that the Atalik was 

 coming in force to the rescue, our opponents cried out in scorn that 

 Hussan Khan was coming to help them to plunder us, and each party,. 



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