Some days before we arrived, they advanced a few marches, with the intention of attempting to surprise us by a night attack; but afterwards hearing that we were not all in the habit of going to sleep at night, they retired to Kandahar, to deliberate on the subject, and thereby saved the army of the Indus from utter and immediate destruction.
Hadji Khan, who had been long in correspondence with Burnes, and also in the confidence of the Kandahar Ameers, was not a bad specimen of a traitor. His whole life had been devoted to the profession, and he had risen by it from an obscure station to considerable influence, changing his politics with the times, and also his friends, when more influential ones presented themselves. Believed and trusted by all, he was faithful to none.
This clever traitor now attached himself to Shah Soojah, being the first chief of any influence who joined that monarch.
FOOTNOTES:
[21] The cause of all this difficulty in procuring carriage for the Bombay army, was a demand of the Scindian camel-owners for payment from the time they were originally hired, which responsibility Sir J. Keane would not undertake, and the camel-owners refused to advance. The demand was no more than usual; and the results of this economy were injurious, and might have been fatal.
[22] It was afterwards known that these tribes had been instigated by Mehrab Khan of Kheiat to annoy us as much as possible during our progress.
[23] The rear columns were attacked here, but by a very small body of Beloochees, who soon retired.
[24] The Dhoomba sheep is so named from Dhoom, the tail, which grows to a great size with this species.
[25] Surwans are camel-drivers.