24 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
and, leaping into a small boat, rowed hastily down the 
stream. In a few minutes they were out of sight of 
the spot where their enemies reposed, and in half an 
hour they had reached the fort of Sirkeh’ s pretended 
enemy Sanghir, to whose presence he quickly gained 
admittance. He informed the Raja, who was, in 
truth, not only a friend, but a near relation, of all 
that had befallen him, and explained to him the 
stratagem by which he had lured the game into his 
toils. Having concerted a plan of operations, San- 
ghir immediately despatched messengers to all his 
commanders, ordering them to send forth their forces 
in small detached bodies to surround the position of 
Mallek-ul-Tija. He also sent a fleet courier to the 
troops of Sirkeh, who, according to their secret 
instructions, had filed off from the line of march, and 
now lay encamped at the foot of the hills overlooking 
the spot occupied by the enemy. 
The army of Mallek-ul-Tija remained sunk in 
deep sleep until a late hour of the morning, and were 
awoke, every man, by a stranger, who, uttering a 
war-cry at his side, plunged a dagger into his heart. 
Thus died the renowned Mallek-ul-Tija and ten 
thousand of the faithful ; and thus was the bloody 
revenge of the wily Sirkeh fully satiated. 
