44- 
lives OF THE MOGHUL EMPERORS. 
delightful spot in the pass, accompanied each only by 
a hundred followers, where they might renew their 
vows of amity, and divide between them the fruitful 
province of Transoxiana. Timur, suspecting treach- 
ery, proceeded to the place with a body of three 
hundred horse, having previously posted a strong de- 
tachment in the defiles in front and rear of the pass. 
Hussyn advanced, accompanied by a thousand troopers, 
and attacking Timur’s followers just as the two amyrs 
were about to embrace, the troops which had been 
placed in ambush suddenly rushed upon Hussyn’s 
cavalry, put them to the rout, killed many, and took 
a great number of prisoners. 
After this, Timur doubting the fidelity of some of 
his officers, made them inscribe their names on a 
muster-roll and swear fealty to him, which they did 
in the following terms : — We call God to witness, 
that if we shall be guilty of a breach of our promise, 
or desert the Amyr Timur, we hope we may be over- 
whelmed with the divine anger.” * He now retired 
with his forces to Makhan in Khorassan, where he 
recruited his army. Hearing that Hussyn had des- 
patched twelve thousand men under the command 
of an able leader, to attack him, he prepared to 
meet them ; but, in spite of their oath of fealty, his 
confidence in the fidelity of his own troops was shaken. 
His own account of the matter is at once curious 
and affecting. 
“ I did not place much confidence in them ; which 
they having heard, came to me with the Koran, on 
* Memoirs, p. 96. 
