repared to press
that unfortunate chieftain into flight or ruin. Yakoob Beg, in want of
allies and soldiers however, interfered and suggested an alliance
instead of a war _a outrance_. The thwarted Sadic was only too glad to
get off on such favourable terms, and joined his forces to those of his
late enemy now besieging the Khitay with renewed vigour. This merciful
termination of a difficulty, that might have become serious had it not
been cured in time, was a performance very creditable in a diplomatic
sense to Yakoob Beg. In a small way it may be compared with Frederick
the Great's action at Pirna, where he received the services of 40,000
Saxon troops. But, perhaps, still more remarkable was the manner in
which Yakoob Beg averted the danger from the Badakshi army. The
Badakshi, like their kinsmen the Afghans, may be considered, _caeteris
paribus_, to be superior soldiers, on account of their larger build and
more active habits, to other Asiatics, so that Yakoob Beg with his
half-disciplined followers would have had some difficulty and must have
incurred considerable loss in overcoming these new invaders. He made
overtures to them, and the Badakshi, seeing that he was likely to give
them exciting and profitable employment, entered into negotiations with
him. The result was that they took service under him; and Yakoob Beg for
the first time found himself at the head of a large army, composed of
Khokand, Kashgar, Kirghiz, and Badakshan levies. It was fortunate for
himself that he had been able to arrange his affairs so satisfactorily,
for a fresh danger was approaching from the east.

The reader may have observed that we have said little of Buzurg Khan
during the operations of the campaign up to this point. Indeed, there is
little or nothing to say of the movements of that prince, for he had
been mainly stationary at Kashgar, where he passed his time in his
harem, or besotted under the use of drugs. Yakoob Beg had from the very
commencement come to the front as responsible chief, and as events
progressed the people and the army came to look upon him as their future
ruler. But Yakoob Beg, it would seem, was really in earnest in
supporting the Khoja prince, for on several occasions not only did he
give Buzurg the most salutary advice, but he also compelled him to take
an active part in the public business. Such fits of action were most
distasteful to the effeminate prince, and he always returned with
renewed zest to the il