308 
A SMALL LIGHT ON THE INDIAN FEONTIEB. 
towers at 900 to 950 yards for an hour—unsatisfactory work as the 
effect could not be judged owing to the screen of trees. Then the 
cavalry swept through the village, and the Infantry attacked with the 
bayonet, taking a few prisoners, but being brought to a standstill at 
the towers, were withdrawn with a loss of some six killed and wound¬ 
ed. Lieutenant Thorp was ordered to bring up one gun to make an 
effective breach at close quarters, and came into action at 100 yards, 
whence he riddled the towers pretty thoroughly. It is fairly certain 
that they were untenanted and untenable at the time, for he happily 
had no casualties, though fighting in the open. There was probably 
an underground passage or chamber. 
At 12.15 p.m. the “ Retire ” sounded—the men had been under 
arms 14J hours, they had no food with them, and four miles of a 
defile had to be passed in the short winter afternoon. The guns and 
cavalry ahead suffered little, but the Infantry had a hot time till 
Gumatti post and open country were reached. Owing to the 
precipitous nature of the sides of the defile, proper flanking and 
retiring movements could not be carried out, and the men were 
getting weary. Many a country budmash and young blood had 
come at the sound of fighting, and joyfully sniped from every point of 
vantage. The rear-guard of 1st Punjab Infantry had plenty of work re¬ 
plying by slow independent fire, and the dead and wounded were with 
difficulty brought along; by 3 p.m. they gained the open country, and a 
few minutes later only a man or two on a distant ridge was visible of their 
enemies. Nine outlaws and seventeen villagers were prisoners; but 
the tale on our side was serious : two British officers wounded, one 
Native officer of the 1st Punjab Infantry killed, and eighteen rank and 
file killed and wounded. The gunners had no man or animal hit. 
The chief outlaws too had escaped. 
It was clear that a second visit and a good supply of gun-powder 
were necessary, and on the 9th February a force 1,000 strong 
marched out. The pass was picqueted, and passed through by day 
without opposition. The village was found empty, and was set on fire, 
and the offending towers blown up. The Gunners here again had 
peculiar work, for the Miner's fuze failing to act on the charge 
in one tower, Lieutenant Thorp endeavoured to explode it by firing 
ring shell at it and was successful after one or two trial shots had been 
fired. 
The first affiair at Gumatti was a severe lesson in frontier fighting, 
and much can be learnt from it. If an unknown and difficult pass 
has to be travelled through, strong advanced and flanking parties must 
be sent ahead two hours before the main column to clear the heights 
and hold them. Gun-powder or dynamite must be carried; as every 
village contains these towers, where a few desperate men can defy 
good troops. Ring shell will riddle a tower, but certainly cannot bring 
it down. Percussion Shrapnel, the chief part of the ammunition of a 
2*5" R.M.L. gun, are of little use against mud and stone well built. 
The less time spent in parleys with men who know they will be hanged 
if caught, the better. 
