74 
RHABAD. 
out his dagger and rushed towards the spot where I was sitting. 
He yelled aloud, with the cry of a wild beast, for his followers 
to assist him in the work of slaughter. Seeing that something 
more than threats, was now to be put in practice, I started on 
my feet, and, with those who were near me, seized our pistols. 
This show of resistance a little checked the impetuosity with 
which our assailant was crossing the stream, though he still 
came on, with his eye and arm particularly directed against 
Sedak Beg; who, I know not how, had excited his most parti¬ 
cular denunciations of vengeance. Five or six of the sturdiest 
of his villagers, followed the call of their master; and, on ob¬ 
serving their approach, we put ourselves in a better attitude of 
defence. The odds, as to efficient arms, were then in our fa¬ 
vour ; and the fellows, appearing to think the same, instead of 
pressing on to obey the commands they had received, pinioned 
their foaming chief; and drew him pretty far out of harm’s way, 
while his imprecations of revenge for a while were alike levelled 
at them and at us. But, though at last turned from making a 
second open attack upon us, by persuasions we could only guess 
at, we saw that the intent was still in his mind ; for he would 
not leave the ground. Sheathing his poignard sullenly, he sat 
down, with some of his people round him, not far distant from 
us, (though the stream was still a separation,) scowling, grum¬ 
bling, and muttering to himself, till the sun nearly sunk ; when 
he and his train disappeared. Shortly after, a single horseman 
came out at the gate of the village, into which the chief had 
vanished; and took a suspicious road into the mountains oppo¬ 
site to our halting-place. The Ameen-i-Doulah’s mehmandar 
assured me, this man and his probable errand were no symp¬ 
toms of safety to us; and I might rely on it, that should we 
