Page:Aurangzíb and the Decay of the Mughal Empire.djvu/54

48 Dárá's attack. Instead of annihilating Aurangzíb, he went to support his own left wing which had at length been repulsed by the enemy's right, and thus he lost the best chance that fate ever threw in his way.

Meanwhile Murád-Bakhsh was hotly engaged with Dárá's right, and was fighting like a lion and reeking with slaughter. Three thousand Uzbegs charged up to his ensanguined elephant, and arrows, spears, and battle-axes rained so thickly that the frightened animal turned to fly. The Mughal courage was again put to the test. The elephant's legs were quickly chained. Then Rája Rám Singh, of the valiant Rantela stock, came riding up with his Rájputs, insolently shouting, 'Dost thou dispute the throne with Dárá Shukóh?' and hurling his spear at the Prince, tried to cut his elephant's girths. The Mughal, wounded as he was, and sore beset on all hands, cast his shield over his little son, who sat beside him in the howdah, and shot the Rája dead. The fallen Rejputs, in yellow garb, and stained with their warpaint of turmeric, were heaped about the elephant's foot, and 'made the ground yellow as a field of saffron.' In another part of the field, the Ráhtor Rája Rúp Singh sprang from his horse, and having 'washed his hands of life,' cut his way through the Mughals, and throwing himself beneath the elephant strove to out the girths of Aurangzíb's howdah. The Prince had enough to do to hold his own without this desperate assault; but he found