Riyaz al-salatin 30.8

30.8

And from the people of that place who had been taken prisoners, it was ascertained that at a distance of five farsang from that fort, was a large and populous city. Fifty thousand Mongolian cavalry thirsty for blood and archers were assembled in that city. Every day in the market of that city, nearly a thousand or five hundred Mongolian horses sold, and were sent thence to Lakhnauti. And they said "you have an impracticable scheme in your head with this small force." Muhammad Bakhtiar, becoming apprised of this state of affairs, became ashamed of his plan, and, without attaining his end, retreated. And since the inhabitants of those environs, setting fire to the fodder and food-grains, had removed their chattels to the ambuscades of the rocks, at the time of this retreat, for fifteen days, the soldiers did not see a handful of food-grains, nor did the cattle see one bushel of fodder. Neither human beings saw any bread except the circular disc of the sun. Nor did the cattle see any fodder except the rainbow! From excessive hunger the soldiers devoured flesh of horses and horses preferring death to life placed their necks under their daggers. In short, in this straitened condition, they reached the bridge. Since those two commandants quarrelling with each other had deserted their posts at the head of the bridge, the people of that country had destroyed the bridge. At the sight of this destruction, the heart of the high and the low suddenly broke, like the Chinese cup.