DEATH OF SHERE AFKUN. 
01 
Terrified at his prowess, the soldiers began to 
discharge their arrows and muskets at him from 
a distance ; his horse, struck by a ball in the fore- 
head, fell dead under him. Covered with wounds 
and bleeding at every pore, the still undaunted lion- 
slayer called on the suba’s officers to advance and 
meet him in single combat, but they, one and all, 
declined the encounter. At length, seeing his end 
approaching, the brave Turkoman, like a devout Ma- 
homedan, turned his face towards Mecca, threw some 
dust upon his head by way of ablution, there being 
no water near, and standing up calm and undismayed 
before the armed files of his murderers, received at 
one discharge six balls in his body and expired 
without a groan. 
The beautiful widow was immediately transported 
to Delhi, but Jehangire refused to see her, whether 
from remorse or policy is uncertain. He ordered her 
to be confined in one of the worst apartments of the 
seraglio. The daughter of the Tartar Aiass was 
a woman of haughty spirit and could ill brook this 
indifference. It preyed deeply upon her mind. Mean- 
while she was not idle. Being very expert at work- 
ing tapestry and all kinds of embroidery, and in 
painting silks with the richest devices, she applied 
herself with great assiduity to those employments. 
In a short time the exquisite productions of her taste 
and skill became the talk of the capital. The la- 
dies of the omrahs of Delhi and Agra would wear 
nothing on grand occasions but what came from the 
hands of the beautiful Mher-ul-Nissa. She therefore 
