DISTRESS IN THE DESERT. 
75 
mayoon ordered all those who could fight, to form the 
rearguard, and allowed the women and baggage to 
move forward ; but the enemy did not make their 
appearance. The king rode on in front to see how it 
fared with his family ; and it was fortunate he did so, 
for night coming on, those in the rear lost their way, 
and in the morning the enemy were discovered in 
close pursuit. The king was left with a few soldiers 
only, commanded by one Ameer Sheikh Ali, who, 
with about twenty brave men, resolved to sell their 
lives dearly ; and having repeated the creed, turned 
upon their pursuers. The first arrow discharged 
reached the heart of the chief of the enemy, and the 
remainder fled. The Moghuls, pursuing in their turn, 
took many of the enemy’s camels ; after which the 
king, coming to a well, ordered the whole party to 
kneel down and offer up prayers for their escape. 
During the day those who had lost their way joined 
again. 
“ On marching forward, the Moghuls were more 
distressed than before, there being no water for three 
whole days. On the fourth day they came to a well, 
which was so deep that a drum was beaten to give 
notice to the man driving the bullocks that the bucket 
had reached the top. 
“ This simple mode of raising water,” says Captain 
Briggs, the translator of Ferishta’s f History of the 
Rise and Fall of the Mohammedan Power in India,’ “is 
practised throughout the East. A large leathern bag 
or bucket, containing from ten to fifteen gallons, is 
suffered to drop into the well, and drawn up by oxen, 
the rope passing over a small wheel which traverses 
