Later Mughals v2.c16.s7.4

v2.c16.s7.4

The plundered fugitives first brought the disastrous news into the city, and thence it was carried into the palace. Clamorous groups of the wounded and plundered assembled at the gates; but when called upon to tell their story, they were in such a state of terror and contradicted each other so much that the facts could not be arrived at. The Emperor and his courtiers laughed at them. What could Baji Rao have to do at Kalka Devi? It was some small raid of Mewati thieves and nothing more. Why had the traders been so careless and over-confident as to take their goods into a waste place? But doubts still lingered in the minds of the courtiers; and in the afternoon a man disguised as a mendicant was sent to Kalka Malcha and Tal Katora to find out how things stood. The messenger returned before midnight. Appearing before the Emperor he took out of his beggar's wallet a handful of grain, mostly dry unground gram, a few scraps of raw half baked bread devoid of salt and some pods of red pepper.* These were the alms he had received in the Mahratta camp. He told them that in the morning by breakfast time there would be an attack on the city. [Ashob 113b.]