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908 AH. JULY 7th. 1602 to JUNE 26th. 1503 AD. 163
•with some other begs, who were to discuss matters with the Khwaja after by some means or other getting a man into the fort. While waiting for their return, we sat on our horses, some of us patiently humped up, some wrapt away in dream, when suddenly, at about the third watch, there rose a warcry1 and a sound of drums. Sleepy and startled, ignorant whether the foe was many or few, my men, without looking to one another, took each his own road and turned for flight. There was no time for me to get at them; I went straight for the enemy. Only Mir. Shah Qikhin and Baba Sher-zad (Tigerwhelp) and Nasir's Dost sprang forward; we four excepted, every man set his face for flight. I had gone a little way forward, when the enemy rode rapidly up, flung out his warcry and poured arrows on us. One man, on a horse with a starred forehead,2 came close to me; I shot at it; it rolled over and died. They made a little as if to retire. The three with me said, ' In this darkness it is not certain whether they are many or few; all our men have gone off; what harm could we four do them ? Fighting must be when we have overtaken our run-aways and rallied them.' OS" we hurried, got up with our men and beat and horse-whipped some of them, but, do what we would, they would not make a stand. Back the four of us went to shoot arrows at the foe. They drew a little back but when, after a discharge or two, they saw we were not more than three or four, they busied themselves in chasing and unhorsing my men. I went three or four times to try to rally my men but all in vain! They were not to be brought to order. Back I went with my three and kept the foe in check with our arrows. They pursued us two or three kuroh (4-6 m.), as far as the rising ground opposite Kharabuk and Pashamun. There we met Muh. 'AH Mubashir. Said I, ' They are only few; let us stop and put our horses at them.' So we did. When we got up to them, they stood still.3 Our scattered braves gathered in from this side and that, but
1 For several battle-cries see Th. Radlofi's Riceuils etc. p. 322.
2 qdshqa dtliq kishi. For a parallel phrase see i. 926.
3 Babur does not explain how the imbroglio was cleared up ; there must have been a dramatic moment when this happened.
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