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JUNE, 1879.]
THE FALL OF PÅTAN SOMANÅTH.
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were broken by the fire of his glance. God strength for travel, how then shall I bring you has forbidden idol-worship, hence they suffered an answer; except you aid me I cannot take injury. The infidels gazed at them in wonder. your letter." Then the Hâji said :-"O old The HÂji now saw that it would be better for woman, do what I tell you. Place one foot him to leave the city, and return to his former over the other, and close your eyes, and open dwelling, and he also resolved to write to the them when your feet next touch the ground, Ghaznavide Sultan, and to invite him to come, and give the note to the Sultân; and when he and by God's grace abolish this infidelity. He shall give you a reply, and when you shall have therefore quitted the city, and as he found the told him all that he may ask, and he shall shrine of Masam Shah a pleasant place, he grant you permission to depart; then go to took up his residence there, and considered the place where you alighted, and close your how to destroy the Râjâ. After the departure eyes, and you will again rejoin me." Then of the Haji, the Råjå hardened his heart, and quickly causing the old woman to sit down, again sent for the Ghånchan's son, and causing he made her take his note in her hand, and him to be laid in front of the temple like a close her eyes. He then asked a blessing goat, he cut his throat, and made a tilá with his from God, and thus caused her to fly like lightblood. In the city, however, a rumour arose, ning through the air and alight at Ghazni. The that by this act the Rajâ would lose his king- old woman now went in front of the Sultan's dom, that his fate had changed, and that he palace, and cried for justice, saying that she would be utterly destroyed. The Ghanchan's had been oppressed by infidels. The attendants relations now met, and bewailed the antimely told the Sultan, who was then suffering from end of her son. The Haji said that the Raja painful opthalmia. The old woman now said had by acting thus sown the seeds of the that she had a letter for the Sultan, but refuses bábúl.* The Ghånchan became distracted by to give it to the attendants, as she said she had grief at her loss, and saying that she had no instructions to give it into the Sultan's own helper but God, betook herself to the Haji for hand. Eventually the Sultan sent for her, and consolation, and amid floods of tears, confided took the letter from her, and placed it on his to him all her grief, and how the Rajâ had so eyes, and was at once miraculously cured of his wickedly slain her son. The Hâji however ophthalmia. He then asked the old woman what said :-“O mother, be patient, for this has hap- sort of a place Pâtan was, and she told him pened through God's permission, your son has that the strong fort of Patan was a kos in cirbeen slain without fault, but he will attain a cumference, and that it was situated in the lofty rank at the resurrection, and though the province of Sorath in the empire of Dehli, that tyrant has escaped punishment, and is careless, the gates were of iron, and riveted with iron I will now contrive that you shall obtain your rivets, and that a deep ditch built up with stone, revenge, and with that view will write a note and well filled with water, in which the Raja tomorrow morning." Accordingly he wrote kept a boat, surrounded the fort. She further next morning a letter to Sultan Mahmud Ghaz- told him that the fort was situated on the shore navi describing the oppression which prevailed of the ocean, and that the infidel army was very at Patan, and concluded by saying :-"Directly | numerous, while the Raja was a hard-hearted, you read the contents of this letter, assemble pitiless man, who daily slew some one before sour troops, and come hither in person, for thus his idol. She then concluded by saying that is the prophet's order." Then addressing the she had given him all the information she knew Ghånchan, he said :-"Old woman, you must about Patan, and adjured him to uproot the take this note quickly to Ghazni, and give it rule of the infidels, and establish there the into the Sultan's own hand, and deliver my religion of Islâm. The Sultân at once sounded message, and whatever comes into your mind his drums for a march, and ordered his at the moment, that say." She replied :-"How army to be assembled. The old woman on this can I go, Haji, I have never even heard of asked for permission to depart, and the Sultan Ghazni, how then shall I find it, I have no wrote the following reply to the HÂji :-"I
A very thorny tree-Acacia Arabica.
