Evening journal., 1891-03-12
A HARD STRUGGLE.

We Of the Twenty-third British Pioneers
| supported by half of the Fifth regiment Of
| Goorkas, had the advance as we moved ont
| OF Peshawur for Cabul Skirmishine he
| gan as soon ms we were out Of the fortiGca-
| lions, and for four hours we were pestered
and annoyed and put TO considerable loss
| of life. Then we reached the mountain
| pass known as.the Kashwa, and here a road
came in from the north called the Dark
| Way While the column rested POO of us
| Pioneers pushed up this way for mile on
| a reconnaissance, and found small but
strong stone fort which had just been de-
serted by the natives. Word was sent
back, and the result was that B company.
which numbered forty-seven men, was de-
taiied TO occupy the fort, which we at once
christened Fort Baker.
The officer in command was Tiant
Frayne seconded by the orderly sergeant
and first corporal We had been badlv
broken up in the campaign and our com
missioned and non-commissioned officers
were badly scattered some dead. some In
the hospital, Others on detached service
WAS the corporal alluded to above. The
fort was built at a spot where the way or
road left the hills and crossed a valley
about half a mile wide. We were al the
southern edge Of this valley on a detached
hill, which was higher than any other
ground within gunshot. There was fine
spring on this hill and the natives had in
closed il in square fort covering one hun
dred square feet Of ground
The garrison Of this fort had been called
out to assist in holding the main pass
against our army, and 1t had departed III
such hurry that we found four hundred
pounds Of powder, six hundred pounds Of
lead, forty muskets, sixty blankets and a
large stock of provisions left behind
There was also both shell and grapeshot
for the fieldpiece Not doubling that we
should be besieged as soon as the army
was out Of sight, we set to work to make
everything snug. The gateway was blocked,
the extra muskets loaded, and the men
assigned Co positions in squads We took
possession about noon, and up to O'Clock
the sound Of fighting in the main pass
came plainly to our ears They had scarce
ly died away when we caught sight Of six
ty Afghans approaching us by a narrow
pathway from the west They had been
down in the Kashwa fighting our column,
but had been driven Off They were Dor
ton only OF the garrison; the balance had
been killed by British bullets. These fell
suspicion, and their first warning was
volley which knocked over full dozen.
On shat famous march to Cabul the
watehword was, "Pass on" In more than
a score Of instances the British army left
native garrisons to the right, left OF rear of
them. There was about as much danger
in the rear as in the front. It was constant
warfare on a line a hundred miles long
We knew pretty well what TO look for, and
were in no wise disappointed when the sun
went down find ourselves besieged bv a
force Of at least 800 natives. Our coup had
dumfounded them, however, and not gun
was fired during the afternoon or night
They must plan how best to overcome us
And the problem no doubt worried them
We had four stout walls ten feet high
oceans of the purest water and provisions
for sixty days. It was hard to figure
against that, and we turned in that night
with feeling that we would be left undis-
turbed. Nothing whatever occurred to
alarm us, and during all next forenoon we
did not catch sight Of native Exactly at
noon a native bearing a flag Of truce came
across the valley. AS we did not want him
to know our strength, was sent out to
meet him ten PAGES from the gate
II demand the surrender Of the fort, p he
said in broken English.
"And If we suSrenderfn / asked
"You win all be put to death"
''But If we refusen
tit viii be death just the same.p
"Then we refusen
The native stalked off without another
word or look, and soon disappeared across
the valley. Ten minutes later three field,
pieces opened fire on us with solid shot from
the cover Of mass of rocks and bushes
about six hundred yards away. Every ball
struck the north wall, hut they might as
well have been bullets, for all the harm
they did. We let them fire away for half
an hour, and then four of the men who
carried elephant rifles, which had been
picked up at Peshawur, went to the loop
holes and dropped two gunners apiece in
side Of two minutes This caused the bat
terry to withdraw in hurry, and we were
bothered no more that afternoon. Piled
against the eastern wall of the fort on the
inside was large quantity of heavy poles
and rude planks. We had at first supposed
this material to have been brought in for
iirewood, and had used some Of it for our
fires. It now occurred to the lieutenant
that there were not enough loopholes in
the wall TO accommodate even our small
force, and that the natives had brought in
tAHN oNuu " NIeSN pldNloHiHS ne at once
set the whole force at work, and we did not
knock off until midnight Then we had
solid platform against the north and east
walls, being about seven feet high. This
would enable us TO use the top of the walls
as breastwork. The other two sides of
the fort could not be scaled because of
the nature of the ground.
The night passed quietly, and some Of
our men began to think the natives had
withdrawn from our locality TO 90 TO the
front Those Of us who had fought them
before knew better At o'clock I GOT
upon the Platform with a spyglass, aud
looking into the thickets on the other side
Of the valley, / was sure / could see az
least five hundred natives That was
neatly only half the number. From the
movement Of those l could see felt Ger