slay thee with all thy
relatives and advisers! Wait a little!'"'"

SECTION CXCIII

"'Bhishma said, "Thus addressed, O king, by that messenger, king Drupada,
like a thief caught (in the act), could not speak. He exerted himself
greatly, by sending sweet-speeched emissaries with his own instruction to
them, saying,--This is not so,--in order to pacify his brother. King
Hiranyavarman, however, ascertaining once again, that the child of the
king of the Panchalas was really a daughter, issued out of his city
without losing any time. He then sent messages unto all his powerful
friends about that deception practised on his daughter, of which he had
heard from her nurses. Then, that best of kings, having mustered a large
army, resolved, O Bharata, to march against Drupada. Then, O monarch,
king Hiranyavarman held a consultation with his ministers about the ruler
of the Panchalas. And it was settled among those high-souled kings that
if, O monarch, Sikhandin was really a daughter, they should bind the
ruler of the Panchalas and drag him from his city, and installing another
king over the Panchalas they should slay Drupada with Sikhandin. Taking
that to be the fixed resolution (of all whom he had summoned) king
Hiranyavarman once more sent an envoy to the descendant of Prishata,
saying 'I will slay thee, be calm."'

"'Bhishma continued, "King Drupada was not naturally courageous. In
consequence, again, of that offence of his, he became filled with fear.
Sending his envoys again to the ruler of the Dasarnakas, king Drupada,
afflicted with grief, approached his wife and took counsel with her. And
possessed with great fright and with heart afflicted with grief, the king
of the Panchalas said unto his favourite wife, the mother of Sikhandin,
these words, 'My powerful brother, king Hiranyavarman, having mustered a
large force, is coming towards me in anger. Fools that we both are, what
are we now to do in respect of this our daughter? Thy son, Sikhandin,
hath been suspected to be a daughter. Under this suspicion, Hiranyavarman
with his allies and followed by his army wisheth to slay me thinking that
he hath been deceived by me! O thou of beautiful hips, tell us now what
is true or false in this, O beautiful lady! O blessed lady, hearing from
thee first, I will settle how to act. I am very much endangered and this
child, Sikhandin, also is equally so. Indeed, O queen, O lady of the
fairest complexion, thou too art threatened wit