THE SUBA OF BENGAL. 
89 
feelings of his nature. Shere Afkun waited upon the 
emperor, and communicated to him what he had done. 
Jehangire extolled his bravery with warmth, and 
thus escaped the hero’s suspicion. 
He was not however permitted to remain long 
unmolested. Kuttub, suba or governor of Bengal, 
knowing his master’s wishes and in order to ensure 
his further favour, hired forty ruffians to assassinate 
the dreaded omrah. So confident was the latter in 
his own strength and valour that he took no precau- 
tion to protect himself either against secret or open 
enemies. He retained only an old porter in his house, 
all his other servants occupying apartments at a dis- 
tance. The assassins entered his room where their 
victim was asleep, when one of them, touched with 
remorse, cried out, “ Hold ! are we men ? What ! forty 
to one and afraid to encounter him awake !” The 
Turkoman, aroused by this timely and manly expos- 
tulation, started from his bed, seized his sword, and 
retiring backward before the assassins had all entered, 
reached the corner of the apartment, where he pre- 
pared to defend himself to the last extremity. The 
ruffians, fearing their victim would escape, rushed on 
him so tumultuously that they encumbered each 
other. Shere Afkun, taking advantage of their con- 
fusion, laid several of them dead at his feet ; many 
others fell desperately wounded and the rest be- 
took themselves to flight. The man who had warned 
the hero of his danger, stood fixed in mute astonish- 
ment at the prowess of him whom he had been hired 
to murder. His intended victim advanced, and kindly 
taking his hand, welcomed him as his deliverer, 
i 3 
