268 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



dashed at our nearest skirmishers, led by a party of 

 fanatic moollahs. In a moment after, when their 

 assailants were within fifty yards, the Martinis rattled 

 out, and in less than a minute over 100 of the enemy 

 were prostrate. Again and again they tried to rush 

 in with their knives, but without success ; and before 

 long we were all safe across the nullahs (water-courses), 

 and were quietly forming up again to receive them. 

 They came down in mass, but stopped short on the 

 farther bank, well out of rifle-range, and our retirement 

 continued. Frightened out of their wits, the inhab- 

 itants of Pesh Bolak begged the protection of the 

 General from the infuriated Shinwarrees, and it was 

 accorded. A party of Goorkhas held the village all 

 night ; and before morning, when the enemy had 

 realised their loss of 400 to 500 of their bravest, they 

 had dispersed and gone back with their dead and 

 wounded to their homes. Shortly after, their chiefs 

 came in and tendered their submission, and never 

 again molested us. Their country had meanwhile 

 been mapped. On asking why they had so fiercely 

 attacked us, they said that twice before the Ameer 

 had sent troops to punish them. On each occasion 

 these troops had driven them from their villages in 

 the morning, but had been hemmed in and cut to 

 pieces as they retired in the evening, and they had 

 hoped that our fate would have been similar. 



It should not be concluded from this statement 

 that the Shinwarrees do not recognise the Ameer's 



