AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 269 



authority. To avoid paying taxes, they, like all other 

 Pathan tribes, will oppose his troops, especially after 

 an enhancement of rates ; but they acknowledge his 

 suzerainty, supply a contingent for his army, and 

 would at all times be ready to side with him in case 

 of foreign invasion. 



Our loss in the engagement was two killed and 

 about fifteen wounded. The enemy fired wildly and 

 carelessly, their endeavours being almost solely di- 

 rected to closing in on the skirmishers with their 

 knives. From what we saw here and elsewhere, we 

 cannot help thinking that the loose skirmishing order 

 of fighting is not nearly so well adapted to fighting 

 these irregular combatants as the old line, especially 

 when retiring. So long as our troops advance the 

 enemy gives way, and the rapid fire of skirmishers, 

 followed by some companies in close order, hastens 

 their movements. But when as is so often the 

 case we are retiring, the bravest of the enemy rap- 

 idly follow, crouching from bush to bush and from 

 rock to rock, giving very little opportunity for care- 

 ful shooting to our skirmishers ; and when these are 

 scattered in rough ground, individuals linger here 

 and there for a last shot, and more than once have 

 been surprised and cut off from their comrades before 

 they were aware of the proximity of their lurking 

 enemy. Their bodies are then, perforce, left to be 

 mutilated, and their rifles fall into the enemy's hands ; 

 or if efforts are made to recover them or their arms, 



