Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/243

THE BATTLE AT JAHAN-NUMA 201 the second and third onslaught the enemy was defeated and fled toward Delhi in disorder, while many fell under the swords and arrows of my men. When the men fled, an extraordinary incident occurred, in that one of the great war elephants fell down and died. When I heard of it, I declared it to be a good omen. My victorious troops pursued the enemy to the vicinity of the city and then returned to present themselves at my tent, where I congratulated them on their vic- tory and praised their conduct. On the next day, Fri- day, the third of the month (Dec. 13), I left the fort of Loni and marched to a position opposite to Jahan- numa, where I encamped. I now held a court, issuing a summons to the princes, amirs, and minor officers, all of whom came to my tent. Each of my soldiers was a brave veteran, and had used his sword manfully under my own eyes, but there were none that had seen so many conflicts and battles as I had beheld, and no one of the amirs or heroes of the army that could compare with me in the amount of fighting I had gone through and the experience I had gained. I therefore gave them in- structions as to the mode of carrying on war; on mak- ing and meeting attacks; on arraying their men; on giving support to each other; and on all the precau- tions to be observed in warring with an enemy. I ordered the amirs of the right wing, the left wing, the van, and the centre to take their proper positions, and cautioned them not to be too forward or too backward, but to act with the utmost prudence and caution in