A History of the Mahrattas v1.c28.73

v1.c28.73

¹ They ranged them in lines, gave each of the unfortunate wretches a few grains of parched grain, and the Bihishtee (or water carrier) went along pouring a little water into their palms, after which they were beheaded. Naroo Bhugwunt, Koolkurnee of Arla, one of the persons led out to execution, relates his escape in the following manner. He was Carcoon in charge of the accounts of a party of Afghans belonging to the Bhow's artillery at the time they left the Deccan. When the Mahrattas attacked their countrymen, the Jemadar of the Afghans, Hoossein Khan, who was a person well known, represented to the Bhow that his people were afraid to fight, as they had been assured, both by the Rohillas and the Abdallee, that they should be executed if they appeared in arms against their own king. He therefore solicited and obtained his discharge; but he assured Sewdasheo Rao that he would return when he could with safety; that he had eat his salt and regretted his being compelled to leave his service. He afterwards kept up a correspondence with the Bhow, to which the narrator was privy. The Bihishtee, who poured the water into his hand, was the same that had served with Hoossein Khan. He immediately ran to the Jemadar and told him, ‘here is our Bramin about to be killed.’ Hoossein Khan came forward, said something to his countrymen, which the narrator believed was, ‘he wanted him as a slave,’ and dragged him violently by the arm towards his tent, where he remained for a day. The Jemadar then asked him through an interpreter, if he would like to stay with him or go back to the Deccan. To which the narrator replied, that ‘he would like to stay with him.’ ‘Tell him he lies,’ said the Jemadar; shortly after he called him on one side, told him in Hindoostanee (which he could speak very well when he chose,) that a party of horse belonging to a friend of his would escort him twenty kos from camp; the generous Afghan at the same time gave him five gold mohurs, telling him to be careful his escort knew nothing of his having money, and thus they parted. The narrator, after they had gone some distance, bethought him of the Jemadar’s advice, and conceiving it likely that his conductors might search him, put his gold into his mouth, and shortly after when they turned round towards their camp, thought his treasure quite secure. But one of their party, more cunning than the rest, had observed him put the money in his mouth, and when his companions had got to a sufficient distance he set out after the prize. Presently, the narrator, who was running on as fast as he could, heard a cry of ‘Ho! Bohman!’ behind him, and turning round saw an Afghan with large eyes and a very long beard in pursuit of him;—he stood in terror. ‘Ho, Bohman!’ said he in broken Hindoostanee, ‘what have you got in your mouth?’ and obliged him to give up his gold mohurs; he then told him ‘to go to the devil,’ and galloped back to rejoin his comrades.