54 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
the city, when the Suba halted, and mounted his 
elephant of state, under pretence of appearing with 
becoming pomp before the inhabitants of Burdwan. 
Shere Afghan reined up his horse while the Suba 
was ascending the haoda , and at this moment one of 
the pikemen, pretending that the chief was in the 
way of his master, struck his horse with his weapon, 
and began to drive it before him. Shere Afghan, 
enraged at the insult, and knowing that the slave 
would not have ventured upon such an abominable 
insolence without his master s orders, perceived that 
a new plot was laid against his life. He turned sud- 
denly upon the pikeman, and threatened him with 
instant death, whereupon that cowardly wretch fell 
to the ground, and cried that he was slain. Swords 
were immediately drawn. Shere Afghan had no 
time to deliberate. He spurred his gallant charger 
up to the royal elephant, and tearing down the haoda , 
at one blow clove the skull of the recreant Suba in 
twain, from the crown to the chin. Then turning 
his reeking sword upon the attendant nobles, he first 
of all slew the Suba’s counsellor and confidential 
friend, Aba Kahn, an Omra of five thousand horse, 
and each successive blow laid prostrate in the dust 
another chief. Panic-struck at the deadly powers 
of the renowned hero, the whole body of nobles 
fled with their attendants to a distance ; and Shere 
Afghan, believing that he had effectually rid himself 
of his enemies, began to look to the state of his 
