हम्मीर महाकाव्यम् (रणथम्भौर चौहान वीरगाथा एवं इतिहास)

19
country and solicited his aid. Thus he obtained in the form of
many horses and men from the king's army. Thus reinforced,
Shahâbu'ddîn rapidly advanced upon Dehlî, which he at
once captured. The inhabitants were panic-stricken, and fled from
the city in every direction. Prithvîrâja was greatly surprised
at this, and said that this Shahabu'ddîn was acting like a
naughty child, for he had already been defeated several times by
him, and as often allowed to go unmolested to his capital.
Prithvîrâja, elated with his former victories over the enemy,
gathered the small force that was about him, and with this
handful of men advanced to meet the invader.
Slightly attended as the king was, Shahâbu'ddîn was greatly
terrified at the news of the approach of the king, for he remem-
bered too well the former defeats and humiliations sustained at
his hands. In the night, therefore, he sent some of his con-
fidential servants into the king's camp, and through them, with
promises of large sums of money, he seduced from their allegiance
the king's master of the horse and the royal musicians. He
then sent a large number of his Muhammadans secretly to the
enemy's camp, who entered it early in the morning, when the
moon in the west had scarcely reached the horizon, and the
sun was but beginning to illuminate the east.
All was now uproar and confusion in the king's camp. Some
cried out, "Oh, brave comrades! up and to your arms! Haste,
haste! the enemy has approached and taken us by surprise. Let
us fight and return conquerors to our homes or to heaven!"
While the king's followers were thus preparing to meet their
assailants, the disloyal master of the king's horse, as advised by
his seducers, saddled and brought forth as the king's charger
that day a horse styled Nâtyârambha ('leader of the dance'),
and the musicians, who were waiting their opportunity, when
the king had mounted, began to play upon their instruments
tunes that were the king's favourites. At this the royal steed