d form into a
solid body to receive their onset. As they approached there was a
tall young man in a high turban that blazed with diamonds, mounted on
a noble white horse, who spurred swiftly in front, and rode straight
for where our commander was posted, with me beside him. The Meer, who
did not want courage, perceiving that this young man sought him out,
instantly galloped forward to meet him, and cast his javelin. The
javelin passed by the young man's ear; he pulled up his horse, and
threw his own in return with such good aim that he struck Meer
Jaffier on the shoulder, who reeled and fell off his horse on to the
ground. The other instantly rode up and leaped off his white horse to
despatch his enemy, but I was on the spot just in time, and without
dismounting, succeeded in striking the young man on the neck with my
scymetar with such force that he fell down dead.

No sooner did they see him fall than the whole troop of the enemy's
horse turned round and went off, casting away their banners as they
rode. Meer Jaffier, who had merely been stunned for the moment, came
to himself directly afterwards, and on looking at the dead man's face
recognised him to be no other than the Phouzdar of Purneah himself. We
were informed afterwards that he had mistaken us for the Nabob's own
bodyguard, and had come out to attack the Nabob himself.

This lucky accident put an end to the campaign, the whole country at
once submitting to Surajah Dowlah. The ungrateful young tyrant chose
to resent my action, declaring that it was his design to have put his
cousin to death with his own hand, but Meer Jaffier expressed himself
very handsomely about the service I had rendered him, and presented
me with the white horse which the Phouzdar had ridden.

As soon as we were returned to Moorshedabad Surajah Dowlah marked his
sense of resentment against me by withdrawing my liberty on parole,
and ordering me into close confinement again. I thus learnt how
dangerous is the path of those who would advance themselves at courts
where everything depends on the personal favour of the monarch, and
not, as in our own happy country, where the power is distributed among
the Houses of Parliament and great Ministers, so that no man hath it
in his power unduly to depress another. However, I had not lain in my
new prison very long before I had reason to rejoice at the Nabob's
caprice, which had restored to me the right of plotting my escape from
him. For one even