264 THE MEMOIRS OF THE EMPEROR BABAR to me: " You have fortified our ground in such a way that it is impossible that he should ever think -of com- ing here." I answered: " You judge him by the khans and Sultans of the Uzbegs, but you must not estimate our present enemies by those who were then opposed to us, for these opponents have not even the sense to know when to advance and when to retreat." God brought everything to pass favourably, and all hap- pened as I foretold. During the seven or eight days that we remained in Panipat, a very small party of my men advanced close to the enemy's encampment with its vastly supe- rior force and discharged arrows at them, but, notwith- standing this, they would not move or make any at- tempt at a sortie. Finally, induced by the persuasion of some Hindustani amirs in my interest, I sent Mahdi Khwaja and other officers with four or five thousand men to make a night attack. They did not assemble properly in the first instance, and as they marched out in confusion, they did not get on well. Even when dawn came on, they continued to linger near the ene- my's camp till it was broad daylight, whereupon our opponents beat their kettle-drums, got their elephants ready, and marched out against them. Although our people did not effect anything, yet they returned safe and sound without the loss of a man, despite the multi- tude of troops that hung upon them in their retreat. Mohammad Ali Jang-jang was wounded with an arrow, and though the wound was not mortal, it prevented him from taking his place in the day of battle.
