RHOTAS TAKEN. 
89 
and being found to be occupied by an old woman, 
was permitted to pass through the strong and well- 
protected portal. The next dooly was examined with 
a similar issue, and likewise permitted to enter. When 
it was ascertained that the third contained only an 
old woman, the scrutiny was deemed satisfactory, and 
no further inspection took place. The men bearing 
the bags had preceded the doolies, and as these latter 
were borne into the fortress, Krishn Ray was counting 
the bags of supposed treasure, which, it has been said, 
he intended to transfer to his own private stores. 
The doolies were borne to the apartment appointed 
for the women’s reception, where they were un- 
covered, when the soldiers leaped from the places 
of their concealment, threw off their disguise, placed 
arms in the hands of their comrades, and rushed 
upon the astonished garrison with the fury of tigers. 
The struggle was short, but decisive. The Hindoos 
were overpowered; and Shere Shah, who had en- 
camped at a small distance from Rhotas behind the 
hill, was admitted into the fortress, of which he took 
immediate possession, the Rajah meanwhile mak- 
ing his escape with a few followers, who were at- 
tached to his person, by a private passage. 
“ Thus fell,” says Ferishta, “ one of the most im- 
pregnable fortresses in the world into the hands of 
Shere Khan, together with much treasure which had 
been accumulating for ages. The merit of the in- 
vention of the stratagem, however, is not due to Shere 
Khan ; the fort of Asseer, in the Deccan, having long 
before been surprised in the same manner by Nuseer 
Khan Farooky, ruler of Candeish.” 
i 3 
