AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 243 



We had got about half-way up the opposite hill when 

 a loud challenge came from above. In an instant we 

 Avere all close behind rocks, rifles ready ; but the chal- 

 lenge was truthfully replied to. " It is Jung Khan." 

 Explanations followed, and we were soon under the 

 escort of eighty men, who had just arrived under 

 Jung's brother, after a slight demonstration against a 

 party of outlaws which had, about an hour before, 

 occupied a defile through which our road lay. We 

 now felt perfectly safe, and went gaily on, taking 

 notes and surveying till nightfall, when we were still 

 seven miles from our destination. There was no halt- 

 ing-place here, so we determined to push on, and to 

 return at some future time to finish the missing link. 



As we cleared the hills the chief's men dropped 

 off, and at length the chief himself with the rest of 

 his following asked permission to go to his home, 

 which was near, as all were tired and hungry, and 

 there was no danger ahead. So for the last two 

 miles we had only our two criminal companions, but 

 got in safely by ten at night. 



Mr Sinclair distributed loongees (cloths), &c., among 

 the Khans, and all apparently went off satisfied. But 

 ere the survey could be recommenced, the face of 

 affairs had much altered. The Khwaizai had fruit- 

 lessly demanded the 10,000 Es. annual subsidy, now 

 overdue, from Mahmood Shah Khan, and vowed mis- 

 chief. They resented the Tarakzai chiefs taking 

 Sahibs along a route, in which it seems they con- 



