ultimately succeeding in her attempt to secure the throne for the pretender, since he was acting under the orders of his Government, who had declared the right to be another’s; and if he and all his Assistants were killed, his Government would soon send others to carry out their orders.  “I am,” she said, “in my right place, and so is the young King, my grandson, and so are you.  Why do you talk to me or to anybody else of leaving the throne and the baraduree?” But some of her furious followers, afraid that she might yield, seized him by his neckcloth, dragged him towards the throne, on which the boy sat, and commanded him to present his offerings of congratulation on the threat of instant death.  They had, they said, placed him on the throne of his ancestors by order of the Begum, and would maintain him there.  Had he or either of his Assistants lost their temper or presence of mind, and attempted to resent any of the affronts offered to them, they must have been all instantly put to death, and a general massacre of all their supposed adherents, and the pillage of the palace and city, would have followed.

The Begum’s Wakeel, Mirza Allee, seeing the life of the Resident and those of his Assistants and attendants in such imminent peril, since he so resolutely refused to give any sign whatever of recognition to the pretender, and aware of the consequences that would inevitably follow their murder, seized him by the arm, and in a loud voice shouted out that it was the Begum’s order that he should conduct him out into the garden to the south.  He pushed on with him through the crowd, followed by all his small party, and with great difficulty and danger they at last reached the garden, where Colonel Monteath had just brought in and drawn up his five companies in a line facing the baraduree.  Finding the entrance to the north-west occupied by the Begum’s party.  Colonel Monteath marched along the street to the west of the palace, and entered the baraduree garden by the south-west gate.  As the Resident went out.  Colonel Roberts, who commanded a brigade in the Oude service, went in, and presented to the pretender his offering of gold mohurs, and then went off and hid himself, to wait the result of the contest.  Captain Magness drew up his men and guns on the left of Colonel Monteath’s, and was told to prepare for action.  He told the Resident that he did not feel quite sure of his men in such a crisis, and the line of British sipahees was made to cover his rear, to secure them.  The King and minister had commanded him to act precisely as directed by the Resident, and he himself knew this to be his only safe course, but the hearts of his men were with Moonna Jan and the Begum.