frightened Seodeen Sing, that he retired from
the conflict.

The Gurgbunsee family had, however, by this time added a great part
of the Muneearpoor estate to their own, and many other estates
belonging to their weaker neighbours; and, by the plunder of
villages, and robbery on the highways, become very powerful. Dursun
Sing was superseded in the contract, in 1837, by the widow of Hadee
Allee Khan; and Hurpaul recovered possession of the Muneearpoor
estate, which he still held in the name of the _Lady Sogura_. In
1843, she managed to get the estate transferred from the jurisdiction
of the contractor for Sultanpoor, to that of the Hozoor Tehseel, and
held it till 1845, when Maun Sing, who had succeeded to the contract
for the district, on the death of his father, Dursun Sing, in 1844,
managed through his uncle, Bukhtawar Sing, to get the estate restored
to his jurisdiction. Knowing that his object was to absorb her
estate, as he and his father had done so many others, she went off to
Lucknow to seek protection; but Maun Sing seized upon all her nankar
and seer lands, and put the estate under the management of his own
officers. The Lady Sogura, unable to get any one to plead her cause
at Court, in opposition to the powerful influence, of Bukhtawur Sing,
returned to Muneearpoor. Maun Sing, after he had collected the
greater part of the revenue for 1846, made over the estate to Hurpaul
and Seoumber Sing, who put the lady into confinement, and plundered
her of all she had left.

Feeling now secure in the possession of the Muneearpoor estate,
Hurpaul and Seoumber Sing left a small guard to secure the lady, and
went off, with the rest of their forces, to seize upon the estate of
Birsingpoor, in the purgunnah of Dehra, belonging to the widow of
Mahdoo Sing, the tallookdar. She summoned to her aid Roostum Sa and
other Rajkomar landholders, friends of her late husband. A fight
ensued, in which Seoumber Sing and his brother, Hobdar Sing were
killed. Hurpaul Sing fled and returned to his fort of Kupragow. The
Lady Sogura escaped, and presented herself again to the Court of
Lucknow, under better auspices; and orders were sent to Maun Sing,
and all the military authorities, to restore her to the possession of
her estate, and seize or destroy Hurpaul Sing. In alarm Hurpaul Sing
then released the mother of the Lady Sogura, and prepared to fly.

Maun Sing sent confidential persons to him to say, that he had been
ordered by the Court