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1659] Afzals side. The wounded man relaxed his hold, and Shivaji wrested himself free, jumped down from the platform, and ran towards his own men outside.

The Khan cried out, "Treachery ! Murder ! Help ! Help!" The attendants ran up from both sides. Sayyid Banda faced Shiva with his long straight sword and cut his turban in twain, making a deep dint in the steel cap beneath. Shiva quickly took a rapier from Jiv Mahala and began to parry. But Jiv Mahala came round with his other sword, hacked off the right arm of the Sayyid, and then killed him. Meanwhile the bearers had placed the wounded Khan in his palki, and started for his camp. But Shambhuji Kavji slashed at their legs, made them drop the palki, and then cut off Afzals head, which he carried in triumph to Shiva.*

Freed from danger, Shivaji and his two comrades then made their way to the summit of Pratapgarh and fired a cannon. This was the signal for which his troops were waiting in their ambush in the valleys below. At once the armies of Moro Trimbak and Netaji Palkar and the thousands of Mavles