British eyewitnesses captured the sad sight of the Sikh soldier ‘flinging down tulwar, matchlock and shield upon the growing heap of [surrendered] arms’ and the ‘more touching sight still’ of the ‘parting for the last time from the animal which he regarded as part of himself ’. The soldier ‘caressed and patted his faithful companion on every part of [its] body, and then turned resolutely away. But his resolution failed him. He turned back again and again to give one caress more [until] he tore himself away for the very last time, brush[ing] a teardrop from his eye.’
