The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-05-05

ing of kukris-those vicious Gurkha
knives.
On the right there was no rush. The
highlanders, cannily commencing their
souls to God tfor it matters as much to
dead man whether he has been shot
in border scuff1e or at Waterloo),
opened out and fired according to their
custom-that is to say. without heat
and without ntervals-while the screw
guns. having disposed of the imperti-
nent mud fort aforementioned, dropped
shell after shell into the clusters round
the Pickering green standards on the
heights.
"Charrgin is an unfortunate neces-
sity, murmured the color sergeant Of
the right company of the highlanders.
cit makes the men sweer so, but
am thinkin that it will come to
Charge if these black devils stand much
longer. Stewart, man. you're 6rin
into the eye of the sun, and he'll not
take any harm for government ammu-
neetion. A foot lower and a great deal
lslowerl What are the English doin2
They re very quiet there in the center
Runnin again?'
The English were not running. They
were hacking and hewing and stab
bling, for, though one white man is sell
dom physically match for an Afghan
in sheepskin or wadded coat. yet
through the pressure of many white
men behind and certain thirst for re-
venge in his heart he becomes capable
of doing much with both ends of his
rifle. The Fore and Aft held their fire
till one bullet could drive through five
or six men, and the front of the Afghan
force gave on the volley. They then Sc
lected their men and slew them with
deep gasps and short hacking coughs
and groanings of leather belts against
strained bodies and realized for the first
time that an Afghan attacked is far
less formidable than an Afghan attack
ing, which fact old soldiers might have
told them.
But they had no old soldiers in their
ranks.
The Gurkhas' stall at the bazaar was
the noisiest, for the men were engaged
to nasty noise. as of beef being cut
on the block-with the kukri, which
they preferred to the bayonet, we'll
knowing how the Afghan hates the half
moon blade.
As the Afghans wavered the green
standards on the mountain moved down
to assist them in last rally, which
was unwise. The lancers, chatting in the
right gorge. had thrice dispatched their
only subaltern as galloper to report on
the progress of affairs. On the third oc-
casion he returned with bullet Craze
on his knee. swearing strange oaths in
Hindustanee and saying that all things
were ready So that squadron swung
round the right Of the highlanders with
a wicked whistling of wind in the pen
mons of its lances and fell upon the
remnant just when, according to all
the rules of war, it should have waited
for the foe to show more signs of wav-
ering.
But it was dainty charge, deftly
delivered. aad it ended by the cavalry
finding itself at the head of the pass by
which the Afghans intended to retreat,
and down the track that the lances
had made streamed two companies of
highlanders. which was never intended
by the brigadier. The new. development
was successful. 1t detached the enemy
from his base as sponge is torn from
a rock and left him ringed about with
fire in that pitiless plain. And as
sponge is chased round the bathtub by
the hand of the bather, SO were the AZ
ghans chased till they broke into little
detachments much more difficult to dis
pose of than large masses.
''Seel" quoth the brigadier. "Every-
thing has come as 1 arranged. We've
cut their base, and now We'll bucket
EN- to pieces.
A direct Hammering was all that the
brigadier had dared to hope for. consid-
ering the size of the force at his dis
posal. but men who stand or fall by the
errors Of their opponents may be for
given for turning chance into design
The bucketing went forward merrily.
The Afghan forces We're upon the run
the run of wearied wolves who snarl
and bite over their shoulders. The red
lances dipped by twos and threes. and.
with a shrek. up rose the lance butt,
like spar on a stormy sea, as the troop
or, cantering forward, cleared his point.
The lancers kept between their prey and
the eteep hills, for all who could were
trying to escape from the valley of
death. The highlanders gave the fugi-
tives 200 yards law, and then brought
them down. gasping and choking, ere
they could reach the protection of the
powders above The Gurkhas followed
suit. but the Fore and Aft were killing
on their own account, for they had pen
ned mass of men between their bay
onets and wall of rock. and the fash
Of the rifles was lighting the wadded
coats.
''We cannot hold them, Captain
Sahibp' painted ressaidar Of lancers.
"Let us try the carbine. The lance is
good, but it wastes time"
They tried the carbine, and still the
enemy melted away-fled up the hills
by hundreds when there were only 20
bullets to stop them. On the heights the