among a heap of dying men and horses, and his head was presented to Sháh Ismá'íl, who had the skull set in gold for a drinking cup. In spite of this calamity, the Uzbegs had no thought of evading a battle with Bábar, whatever they might have done had the Sháh himself been at the front. Hamza Sultán, one of their chiefs, marched to meet him, but the two armies missed each other on the way, and each arrived at the other's camping-ground only to find it deserted. It was a game of cross-purposes, and each suspecting some insidious ruse on the part of the other, and being totally misinformed as to their respective strengths, beat a hasty retreat, thanking God for a merciful escape.
The Uzbeg power was still very strong in Transoxiana; though Shaibáni was dead, his veteran captains still led the tribes; and Bábar could not venture to attack them until he was reinforced by a body of Turkmán troops sent to his support by the Persian Sháh. The enemy, still greatly superior in numbers, courted the issue of battle, and Bábar withdrew at his top speed to a strong position in the mountain passes towards Abdara, where he awaited their attack. The battle took place early in 1511. 'At midnight news came that the Uzbegs were advancing in full force; the commanders announced this simultaneously to the whole army, and up to daybreak every man was busy getting his arms ready. About sunrise our pickets came in and reported that the Uzbeg army was approaching. There-
