GHAZIPORE. 
69 
their heroic deeds, by telling of the craven-hearted 
fear and shrinking cowardice of their victims. Cast 
off those paltry cords from the hands of these demi- 
gods ; arm them with costly and well-tried weapons • 
fill well their girdles with gold ; and mounting them 
upon the noblest Arabs in my camp, with abject 
deference and all courtly honour set them forth upon 
their journey. But, ere they depart, to render them 
more worthy the caresses of their queens, more 
eloquent in their own praise and our disgrace, more 
powerful in battle when next we meet, just clip their 
ears_ and noses from their heads, burn out their 
tongues, take from them the fingers of the right 
hand, and snap in twain the bones of their right arms. 
Hence! Nay; herein my presence shall this com- 
pliment he paid them/ 
“ Thus mutilated did my grandfather return to j the 
camp of the conqueror with his three followers, and 
shortly hence retired to Ghazipore, where his relations 
dwelt, and where he had left his wife and two sons for 
protection. He did not long survive his cruel misfor- 
tune ; but praised be Brahma, ere he died he was deeply 
avenged on his mutilators ; for shortly after his return 
to the camp, the Maharhatta army captured a whole 
regiment of Hyder Ali’s sipahies, and retaliated upon 
them the same punishment, sending them to hail their 
chief, tied back to back, with black banners flying 
between them. Under these painful circumstances 
were my father and Bhagut, my uncle, deprived of both 
