The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-18
FKOM lf1E kUUf IOP Afghan Story BV W.


ought to tell our chaps below
about It,
The thought troubled him, irritated
them as an insistent fly might irri.
tate sleeping fly. Someone
should warn our chaps down below:
prevent 'em from retiring through
the gorge. Some one should do It..
1t was none of his business, besides,
he couldn't interfere, 1t would mean
unpleasantless for him. Yet some
one should
The thought tormented him. He
tried languidly to brush it away as
he would try to brush away a fly.
He moved his mind from 1t and
looked again at the battling OF the
little British force.
He was very much annoyed to see
that chat force was even now retir-
ing. Two of the guns and their sup.
ports were falling back. Like lyric
moment of music, govt of horse.
men abruptly separated itself from
the British troops and flung at the
nushed and advancing Afghans. The
horsemen swept forward in a curve
like a sickle. There was flashing
and tumultuous impetuosity In their
charge. The sun famed on them
and over them as they went, and
their lance heads blazed. Up to him
came the staccato drumming of tho
pounding hoof-beasts and the roaring
OF men. The lancers flashed straight
at the Afghan host. They went into
them with shock. He heard the
crash even up there. There was a
whirl of dust, of horses, of men. of
arms. There was a worrying of
lighters engaged in life and death
struggle, the flare and banging of
Jingals, the flame light Of great
knives catching the sun. Then like
a perfect machine the cavalry
wheeled and came out again swing.
ingly.
excitement had burst up in the
sodden man. He had beat with his
fists on his silken cushions.
Fine" he had breathed. Zine.
hne' oh. fine;" Weak. sentimental
tears ran out Of his eyes down his
sort cheek. well done! Britain.
Well done! LancerE." he sniyelled
1t touched him poignantly. II he had
stayed on down there In India. it
they hadn't kicked him out because
OF certain things that had happened
to him In the Indian quarter. he
would have taken part in movements
like that. He would have led
charges. A wave of maudelin senti.
mentalism engulfed him. He sniyelled
drunkard's tears.
Presently he muttered.
mo good. though. No good at
all. Plucky, specially to go slap at
EN- like that over that nulla'd
ground. But no good at ALL" He
nodded his head with sorrowful wis.
dom. They've got to retire before
force like that. / thought they'd
have to retire-and they'll be cut To
pieces"
He frowned again as he thought of
that ambush in the gorge. He tried
to put the idea away. He could not
put 1t away now. That charge had
started something working inside
him. 1t was no good telling himself
that 1t didn't matter, that he had
finished all that sort OF thing-was
out OF 1t. He was remembering that
he was-had been-and Englishman.
and there were Englishmen below
him. He was remembering he had
been cavalryman and there we're
cayarymen below him.
And these Englishmen, these
cnvalrymen. were going to be ami
hilated, II they retired through the
gorge, and some one ought to tell
them.
Below him they were actually re-
firing. The cavalry had fallen back,
the guns had fallen back, although
one gun remained grotesquely, a
thing OF wild angels. stuck helplessly
In a water-cut. The whole force was
retiring. The man on the roof grew
irritated as a god might grow irri-
tated at the thoughtless and stupid
actions Of helpless men.
mo, no." he muttered. mo, not
retire. Best fall back on Bhagwana
village, and hold on there. Hold on
until supports come from. Kabul.
Best do that. Silly. silly fools, why
don't you do that?" He was very
angry. as only half sober man can
DO very angry.
HIS reason asserted itself.
Still, Of course" he muttered,
they don't know. They don't know.
Bhagwana's empty. Someone ought
to tel! EN-"
He grew mora irritotod on1ry