AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 277 



more ammunition, we rushed in on them with loud 

 shouts from all sides. They stood still till we were 

 within a dozen yards of them, then fired their last 

 volley with deadly effect into us, and charged with 

 their bayonets. This broke them, and one by one 

 we hemmed them in and cut them down ; but six of 

 us fell for each one of them. Soban Allah ! I have 

 never seen such fighting, and I determined never to 

 fight Feringhees again." 



Yakoob Khan came into Gandamuk, the terms of 

 treaty were arranged, and we were about to start 

 back to India. Before us stood up the giant crest 

 of the Safed-Koh its highest peak, Sikarram, was 

 within thirty miles of us. It was hard to go back 

 without at least once gaining the mighty crest on 

 which no Englishman had yet stood. Permission to 

 make the attempt for geographical reasons was 

 asked and given ; and having been supplied with an 

 escort of Khugianees, we started. It was rather 

 early in the year for the journey, and the snow 

 covered miles of intervening hills, but time was run- 

 ning short. The escort was under the orders of a son 

 of the before-mentioned Hyder Khan. Under him 

 were two old Mulliks, who had both been in the last 

 struggle described above, and also in the late action 

 near Futtehabad. One of the escort still wore the 

 Ameer's uniform, and humorously pointed to a foot- 

 long cut in the tail of his coat, given by a Goorkha's 

 kookrie (knife) at the storming of the Peiwar Kotal. 



