Halat-i Asad Beg 1.7

1.7

As the sun rose, that rising sun set off with Ya’kub Khan, with whom he was at that time very familiar. The attendants hearing the drum beat for marching, prepared to follow. The private tent of Abu-l Fazl was yet standing, when the troops of the Bundela appeared from behind the Sarai with a shout, and fell upon the camp. All the attendants who were ready, mounted and escaped along the road, while Mirza Muhsin of Badakhshan, who was in the act of mounting, got on his horse and advanced towards the robbers to reconnoitre. When he had gone a little way, he came upon Nar Singh’s main body. After carefully surveying these forces from an eminence, he, like a courageous man, cut his way through them all, horse and foot, and reached ’Allami. As soon as he came up with the escort, he saw at a glance that they were all quite off their guard, marching in disorder, careless, and without their arms. Going forward, he reported what he had seen of the robbers. As soon as the Shaikh heard it, he halted, and asked him what was to be done. He advised him to proceed rapidly. The Shaikh said, “You mean we are to fly?” He answered, “It is not flying; only let us go on thus,” and, striking his spurs into his horse, he set forward at a rapid pace, saying, “Let us proceed in this way; as I am going, so do you go, as far as Gwalior.”