1879.] W. Irvine—The Bangash Nawabs of Farrukhabad. 119 
Sahib Dad Khan Khatak and Mir Mahbib ’Alam had both been 
together in the service of Shamsher Khan, chela, and from being together, 
a firm friendship had sprung up between them. ‘They had two bodies but 
one heart. In fact it was in reliance on Sahib Dad Khan that Mahbtb 
’Alam had undertaken this affair. Bhai Khan, Khidmatgdr, found the 
tent of Sahib Dad Khan Khatak, and made over to him the whole of the 
parwanahs and letters. He then asked his way to the tent of Hisim-ud- 
din, to whom he delivered the note from Mir Muazz-ud-din Khan and 
demanded a reply. When Hisim-ud-din had opened and read the letter, 
he sent areply to the following effect: “ You think I have got into a 
“ difficult position by espousing Nawab Ahmad’s Khan’s cause. This idle 
“thought you must put far from you, for one hundred thousand brave men, 
“more or less, with their leaders, all carrying on their bodies their own 
“grave clothes, are in the train of Ahmad Khan and prepared to conquer 
“or to die. Now, to slay those who already believe themselves dead, is a 
“task of extreme difficulty. 
Har kih dast-i-khweshtan az jan ba-shust 
Khiid ba-mand, 0 dushman-i-khid ré ba-khusht 
Murdah miydbad nijat az dast-i-maut 
Zinda-hi urd namayand jumla pusht. 
“Even if it were true that the Wazir would shortly slay or cap- 
“ture the Nawab, I ask you one question:—Suppose that the Wazir 
“were in danger from Ahmad Khan, and I wrote to you, requesting 
“you to forsake the Wazir, and save your life by coming over to our 
“side, I ask if you would not hold it your duty as a leader and a 
“Sayyad to prefer death to disgrace? You would not forsake the Wazir, 
so what you would not do yourself, you should not advise others to do. 
“I beg to be excused from obeying such a foolish request.”” This answer 
was made over to Bhai Khan, and he returned to Sahib Dad Khan’s tent. 
The latter’s answer was as follows :—“<I have distributed the parwinahs 
‘and letters; hereafter I will report the result. I object to keeping the 
“messenger here, as it will get me into trouble, I therefore send him 
“back.’’? The messenger received these two letters and set out on his way 
back. 
Now the thieves and plunderers among the Rohelas, who infested the 
camps of Ahmad Khan and Sa’dullah Khan, were unequalled in the arts of 
thieving and highway robbery. They were in the habit of hiding on the 
right and left of the batteries. At night they used to repair to the Wazir’s 
camp, where they seized horses, camels and equipage of all sorts, with which 
they returned to their own camp. After disposing of the property, they 
