Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-05-04
H THE KHYBER PASS. p
Ex-MAYOR CARTER HARRISON AMONG
THE AFGHANS.

Caution of the Natives in Permitting the
Approach of Strangers-ComicaI Inter-
view with the Chief of Tribe-The
Historic Gorge.
started out in this letter to tell you of the
land of the moguls and their glorious monu-
ments, and intended doing so here; but the
"Dak Bungalow we are in is not comforta-
BILE for writing in at night I shall, there
fore, leave them now, and write up that
portion of my travels in Delhi on our way
back southwark. I shall end this by telling
you of a glorious ride I have had into At
ghanistan today. l have letter from Lord
Dufferin bespeaking for me the good offices
of all officials throughout his empire. Armed
with this, upon my arrival here called upon
the deputy commander, and asked permit
to go into the Khyber pass leading into the
land of the ameer as far as possible The re-
suit was that this morning, accompanied by
one of his native officials we drove eleven
miles to the fort at the foot of the hills. Here
we found our lveryman had sent relay of
horses to carry us part of the way up the
pass, where we expected to find saddle
horses, also sent from the city early in the
morning.
WITH AN ESCORT.
Accompanied by an escort of eight
mounted cavalrymen, splendidly mounted
and carrying lances, we dashed toward and
into the foothills. On every high point for
mile or two couple of soldiers would step
from little stone hut and present arms as
we passed by at full speed Sometimes these
sentries were 100 or 200 feet above us. As
we had come from the town we had see1l
several regiments practicing field exercises.
This, together with these frequent sentry
posts, made us realize that we were in g
neighborhood where dread war might at any
hour break into wild whoops. But our es-
cort were splendid looking fellows and were
fully armed, and had two-barreled little
Derringer We were able to cope with an
army in narrow gorge. We passed cara
van of camels, mules, and cows all packed
and accompanied by wild looking armed
men.
We had not gone two miles upward before
our carriage horses baked. We got out and
walked One of the soldiers dismounted and
offered me his horse beautiful stallion, full
of mettle and horse sense. mounted and
rode ahead with two soldiers the others COM
ing slowly up with the boys till they should
reach the next relay. The pass is through
wild, desolate, and grand gorge, bold, rocky,
and bleak mountains lifting far above the
road, which is a fine but steep military one
My two ''sikhs" were splendid looking fell
lows. They seemed to appreciate my horse
manship-you know my great modesty never
makes me deny that can ride-and talked
to each other and to me in good Pungahie. I
pretended to understand enough to keep them
IN good humor, while on we dashed In
about an hour one of them said something to
the "sahib" gentleman which 1 understood
to be that l must ride slowly. He dashed
forward at full speed-we were now ON a
Town grade. The two of us rode on slowly.
We met men in couplee, armed and wild
ooking. was given to understand they We're
riends, but could not help feeling sort of
exhilaration. A wilder gorge does not exist
anywhere. Several rocky points had small
Afghan round houses, with loop holes for
nuskets or rifles. Wilder looking fellows
han those we met would be hard to find any.
where.
IN CLOSE QUARTERS.
guessed rightly that my departing escort
lad gone forward to see if I would be per-
nitted to proceed, for felt pretty sure from
What the commissioner had told me that my
he corporal knew this, but the men with me
id not and did not intend to tell them. I
yas going as far into Afghanistan as they
would accompany me, for l knew England
vas at my back. Presently we saw our adj
qanced guard reckoning us from far off
ont. On we dashed. We reached a little
tone hut against steep precipice My men
ismounted, motioning me to do the same.
hey brought out of the hut chair, and
,lanting it against the cliff told me to take
ny seat. Hardly had done SO when I saw
oning down steep hill from sort Of
ortress high above a fine looking fellow with
dozen wild looking armed men behind It
vas the chief Of the tribe, the head of cali
dusjed." When he approached grasped
he situation He was an independent chief,
Il whose charge and keeping was this part of
he pass I thought 1 recognized him, too,
S one of the chiefs I had seen at Lady Duff
erin's garden party, he being one of eight
whom the viceroy told me had at their COM
nand over IS, 900 first class fighting men.
received him with dignity worthy of
he $4,000 Democratic voters of Chicago
Ie was very polite, but could not speak a
word of English, nor could any one of them
IL. Yet we talked. | showed him Lord
)ufferins passport, and also that with Mr.
5ayards name attached, with the seal of my
,wn glorious land. I picked up a large,
'ound stone, made mark upon it, and
aid "Peshawer"; another, and said ''Cal-
,utta." He understood. l then made an
'ther and said England, London" This,
90, he comprehended. I turned the stone
over and drew big country and said,
America" He looked at me in way that
,lainly told me he thought I was lying. l
hen drew pretty big chart and pointed to
t, and touching it told him that was where
We were, and that he was 'rajahn of it. He
srinned. I turned the stone around and
18th my pencil made mark the size of a
'ea and told him that was Chicago, and l
las it's ''rajah." He seemed pleased that his
erritory was bigger than mine, but mo-
Toned to me to be seated. 1 wanted him to
sit, trying to explain that his ''rajahship' on
Jhe stone was bigger than mine. But he was
ny host, and l must have the seat. ! ex-
claimed that had seen him eating ice cream
Il Calcutta. He smiled audibly He invited
ne to his stronghold on the hill to partake
If food. l showed him my watch, intimat-
,ng that Twas sorry not to have the time,
and that my companions would be awaiting
me- We shook hands, he touching his
aeart, face, and forehead This is the token
IF highest respect. suppose my escort had
convinced him l was a mighty man. Thus
parting with the lord of the territory of
''Ai Musjed," we rode forward, passing the
spot where Gen. Roberts won his victory
when marching to Cabul. This is deeply
into the great Khyber pass and well into
Afghanistan Fl. Harrison in Chi
cago Mail.
Advantages of Paper Doors.
The paper doors now coming into use are
claimed to possess the advantage over wood
of neither shrinking, swelling, cracking nor
varying. They are formed of two thick
paper boards, stamped and nodded into
panels, and glazed together with glue and
potash, and then rolled through heavy roll
ers. After being covered with waterproof
coating, and then one that is fireproof, they
are painted, vanished and hung in the
usual way.-Chicago Herald.
Miss Braddon's Noted Novel.
As girl Miss Braddon was attracted both
to the profession of literature and the stage.
She acted in several country theatres, and at
the same time wrote short stories and lite
rary sketches, her first little books seeing the
light through the press of provincial pub
III