Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/115

 VICTORIES OF SULTAN GHIYAS 83 men of the tribe of Tolaki and placed them all under his command in the fort, so as to enable him to hold it until the Sultan's return from Ghazni. Raja Kolah Pithaura marched against the fort, whereupon the Sultan returned and faced him at Na- rain. All the rajas of Hindustan were with Kolah. The battle was formed, and the Sultan, seizing a lance, made a rush upon the elephant which carried Govind Rai of Delhi. The latter advanced to meet him in front of the battle, and then the Sultan drove his lance into the raja's mouth and knocked two of his teeth down his throat. The raja, on the other hand, returned the blow, and inflicted a severe wound on the arm of his adver- sary. The Sultan reined back his horse and turned aside, but the pain of the wound was so insufferable that he could not support himself on horseback. The Mussulman army gave way and could not be controlled. The Sultan was just falling, when a brave young Khalji recognized him, jumped upon the horse behind him, and clasping him round the bosom, spurred on the horse and bore him from the midst of the fight. When the Mussulmans lost sight of the Sultan, panic fell upon them; they fled, and halted not until they were safe from the pursuit of the victors. A party of nobles and youths of Ghor had seen and recognized their leader with that lion-hearted Khalji, and when he came up, they drew together, and forming a kind of litter with broken lances, they bore him to the halting- place. The hearts of the troops were consoled by his appearance, and the Mohammedan faith gathered new