80 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
to their resentment, they attacked a neighbouring vil- 
lage, which had manifested signs of hostile intention, 
and cut off the inhabitants to a man. 
Fearing the consequences of this rash act of retalia- 
tion, the Emperor’s followers threatened to leave him, 
and endeavour to make their peace with the Rajah, 
who was preparing to avenge the slaughter of his 
subjects ; and in fact, two of his most confidential 
attendants actually did desert. In this dilemma, 
Humayoon gave orders that his little band should 
direct their march westward. They accordingly tra- 
velled all night with the utmost despatch ; neverthe- 
less, in spite of their activity, at daybreak it was 
discovered that they were pursued by three detach- 
ments of the Rajah’s troopers, the whole amounting to 
fifteen hundred men. Humayoon was now reduced 
to sixteen troopers, and these, in fact, were the boldest 
of his followers, whom he had mounted on the bag- 
gage horses. These brave men were placed under 
the command of a gallant officer, named Ali Beg, who 
advanced resolutely towards the enemy, resolved to 
perish in defence of his sovereign. He gave orders to 
his little band to discharge their arrows when suffi- 
ciently near the advancing foe to be certain of their 
aim ; and this order they executed so happily, that at 
the first discharge the two principal leaders of the ene- 
my fell dead upon the plain. Seeing the fate of their 
chiefs, a panic seized the troops of the Rajah, which 
were raw levies, made up on the present emergency 
from the undisciplined and ill-conditioned inhabi- 
tants of the desert, and they fled in all directions. 
