The National tribune., 1882-03-04
A PeriIous Ride.

Archibald Forbes in Youths Companion.
The Khyber Pass is that gorge through the
hill country of the Afreedis which affords the
only thoroughfare between Cabul and Peshawur,
between Afghanistan and the Puniaub, or, to
speak yet more broadly, between Central India
and Hindostan.
Down its gloomy defle Alexander the Great
swooped into the broad plain to fight for the
passage of the Indus.
Nadir Shah descended it on that incursion, the
crowning spoil of which was the Peacock Throne
from the fair palace Of the Great Mogul, whose
marble front is reflected in the clear waters of
the Jumna.
In the year 1912 British force numbering
sixteen thousand souls was exterminated in its
sullen glen; and have stood on the Cabul gate
at Jellalabad, wherein the startled garrison
watched the halting approach of the sole fugitive
from that luckless host.
When in the early winter of 1878 war broke
out between the British power in India and
Shere Ali, the Ameer of Afghanistan, it was by
the Khyber Pass that the division under General
Sir Sam Browne marched on that invasion of the
mountan-kingdom on which Britain has squan-
dered so many lives and so much gold.
1t was Christmas tide Sir Sans force had
reached Jellalabad, about halfway between
Peshawur and Cabul and was lying there, on
the garden-studded plain through which the
Kabul River meanders, till the spring sun should
melt the SHOWS in the passes and on the mountains
that intervene between Jellalabad and Cabul.
There were to be some three months Of enforced
inactivity, and that period | had other schemes
for disposing of than in idling away the days in
region where, at that season, the temperature
at night was below zero, that of MONDAY over
one hundred in the shade. Three of us, Lord
William Beresford, Captain Onslow, and myself,
had made our plans for returning to India, and
were waiting only for the celebration of the
Christmas Festival in camp.
1t was merry feast we had in that great head
quarter tent up in this remote region, whittier
everything had to be carried on camel-back. By
what scheming our indefatigable caterer-a cap
tain in Goorkha regiment-had got together all
the dainties, we did not venture to inquire; we
simply wondered, consumed them, and drank his
health with the British equivalent for tiger"
After dinner in the headquarter tent, we all adj
journed to the open air campfire of Hussar
regiment, where around the mighty blaze songs
and chorusses resounded from the fur-clad circle
of merry-makers.
1t was not all merriment; occasionally the
strain was plaintive, and the stalwart troopers,
standing in a ring, shaded their bronzed faces
with their hands, or gazed into the glowing
embers with wistful eyes, as the simple, pathetic
words carried their thoughts half across the
globe to the firesides around which sat the loved
ones at home.
Next morning by aybreak we were on the
road for Peshawur. 1t was not quite holiday
trip, for Peshawur is some eighty miles from
Jellalabad, and the whole distance was studded
with danger.
The lions in our path were not Afghans proper
as Sir Sans force had marched up, they had all
fallen back in the direction of Cabul. But all
the rugged region between us and the plains was
infested by semi-independent tribes of hilI-men
who live mainly by plumber, and who, relentlessly
hostile to the British invasion, beset our line of
communications, and made short work of stray
glers and of detachments feeble enough for them
to venture on attacking.
Only the day before we started the down
going mail escort had been surprised, two troop
ers killed, and the mails, containing poor Sir
Louis Cavagnari's dispatches to the Viceroy,
carried off.
The same day, the servants of chaplain
journeying up toward the force, had been mas
sacred, and the clerical appurtenances, including
full set of canonicals, had fallen prey to the
upper Summaries, who must have wondered
exceedingly what they meant.
We had been offered an escort if we would
wait a few days; but we were in hurry, and
we held, if we three, with three trusty servants,
the whole of us well-mounted could not take
care of ourselves, an escort of halfadozen troop
ers would not very materially contribute to that
end.
We three had our reviewers and swords. The
servants, who were natives of India, had their
tulwars light sharp sword, with which the
native cavalry soldiers are almost exclusively
armed.
There were three posts held by our fellows
along the road, one at Dakha one at Lundi
Khana, and one at Ali Musjid; and the work
cut out for was to run the gauntlet between
these.