276 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Khugianees and Ghilzais had feared that, so soon as 

 we had collected in sufficient strength at Gandamuk, 

 we would burn, harry, and destroy, in revenge for 

 the disasters of the former war. But when they 

 found themselves treated with every consideration, 

 even when the whole of the 1st division of our army 

 was encamped within rifle-range of their forts, they 

 settled down. From the camp at Gandamuk, or 

 Safed Sang, we could see the low hillock on which 

 a small remnant of British troops made their last 

 stand in the winter of 1841-42. Among the chiefs 

 who made themselves useful to us was Hyder Khan 

 of Gandamuk, who had been in that last struggle. 

 He thus described it : " News arrived here that the 

 Feringhees were retiring through the hills, sur- 

 rounded by hosts of enemies, chiefly Ghilzais ; and 

 orders came from Sirdar Akbar Khan for all true 

 Khugianees to join in the destruction of the Kafirs. 

 We soon mustered about 6000 men, and marched up 

 the road towards Jugdulluk, where heavy firing was 

 going on. As we neared the Surkhi-Koh (or red 

 hill) we saw a mere handful of gora-logs (white folks 

 soldiers) about 80 to 100 turning that corner, 

 with swarms of Ghikais firing into them. As they 

 saw our masses advancing to meet them, they turned 

 aside and went to the top of the hillock. Here they 

 formed square Avith fixed bayonets, and shot us doAvn 

 as we closed on them. We could not get near them 

 till they ceased firing. Concluding that they had no 



