The Memoirs of Bābur 908.2.3

908.2.3

They were not to be brought to order. Back I went with my three and kept the foe in check with our arrows. They pursued us two or three _kuroh_ (4-6 m.), as far as the rising ground opposite Kharābūk and Pashāmūn. There we met Muḥ. `Alī _Mubashir_. Said I, 'They are only few; let us stop and put our horses at them.' So we did. When we got up to them, they stood still.[633] Our scattered braves gathered in from this side and that, but several very serviceable men, scattering in this attack, went right away to Aūsh. The explanation of the affair seemed to be that some of Ayūb _Begchīk's_ Mughūls had slipped away from Aūsh to raid near Andijān and, hearing the noise of our troop, came somewhat stealthily towards us; then there seems to have been confusion about the pass-word. The pass-words settled on for use during this movement of ours were Tāshkīnt and Sairām. If Tāshkīnt were said, Sairām would be answered; if Sairām, Tāshkīnt. In this muddled affair, Khwāja Muḥ. `Ali seems to have been somewhat in advance of our party and to have got bewildered,—he was a Sārt person,[635]—when the Mughūls came up saying, 'Tāshkīnt, Tāshkīnt,' for he gave them 'Tāshkīnt, Tāshkīnt,' as the counter-sign. Through this they took him for an enemy, raised their war-cry, beat their saddle-drums and poured arrows on us. It was through this we gave way, and through this false alarm were scattered! We went back to Aūsh.