Halat-i Asad Beg 2.1

2.1

After two or three months, news came from the army which had been sent under Ray-rayan to chastise Nar Singh. A number of the most distinguished officers had accompanied him, and Ziau-l Mulk Kasi was second in command. All at once despatches came from them to this effect : “We had completely routed Nar Singh, and driven him into the walled fort of Iraj, with a body of 400 Rajputs ; we had invested the fort and made our approaches, and it seemed inevitable that he must fall into our hands the next day. The fort is situated on the banks of a broad deep river, the other three sides being exposed to the land. The general, Ray-rayan, undertook himself to guard the river bank, placing the other officers on the three remaining sides. At midnight, when sleep was heavy upon all, the Rajputs got out. Cutting through the wall on the river-side, they led their horses down the glacis, and mounting upon the river bank, crossed over at a place where there was some kind of a ford, passing through the Ray-rayan’s elephant stable, and by the time your slaves and the other chiefs had discovered what had happened, he had advanced far on his way. By this stratagem he has escaped.”