TIMUR BEG. 
33 
to gain over to his interests. Being joined about 
this time by one of his friends at the head of forty 
troopers, he intrusted this friend with his secret pur- 
pose of gaining over the nomadic hordes, and sent 
him to join his other troops at Karindan ; at the same 
time giving him orders, that, the moment he heard the 
standard of independence was raised at Samerkund 
by the supporters of Timur, he should march thither 
with the entire body of his forces. 
The prince’s liberal offers, enforced as they were 
by his courtesy and manly bearing, the known re- 
sources of his genius, and his indomitable intrepidity, 
produced a very favourable effect upon the wandering 
tribes, whose lives were generally spent amid perils : 
such numbers flocked to his standard, and swore 
they would devote themselves to his cause, that in a 
short time he was at the head of a small but formid- 
able army. Finding himself now in a condition to 
being his career of conquest, he made up his mind 
immediately to commence active operations. Hav- 
ing come to this resolution, he selected a thousand 
of his bravest soldiers, whom he determined to 
despatch to Samerkund, and disperse secretly over 
the city, and that another thousand should follow to 
ensure the success of his enterprise. When his ar- 
rangements were completed, he repaired secretly to the 
capital, and took up his abode with his sister. Be- 
fore, however, he could avail himself of his prepara- 
tions, his intentions were discovered; and he was 
obliged to quit the capital in haste, in order to escape 
the threatened vengeance of the inhabitants. 
Repairing to Kesh, the fugitive prince collected the 
