The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1915-10-30
A TRAGIC RETREAT
When the Aiuhans Lured the Brit
ish Into the laws Of Death.
THE EVACUATION or KAsuL.

OF 10000 Persons Who LEFT the City
Under Pledge ef Safety Only One
Man, Exespt . Pew Prisoners Taken.
Escaped Massacre.
In thla wondroua day VI wire aud
wlreless W. learn. half ncross the
world. the events vf the dny almost IA
stantansously, ana the very elements
carry ubrvad iiin news u X more
than romance; Il n miracle. hut II mir
acle that may b4niish forever from the
pages VI the future historian an, 70
nancer one of the most drumntic fig
ureA OF the pnst--thc messenger bring.
ing .irst news from the battlefield.
Lbng even before Phcidippidos Of
Merhthon ran TO Athens from the I'm
mortal battlefield cried "vlctoryr
aud fell dead the messenger held q
plave Ia myth aud chronicle that he
has muiutaIued for centuries. Some.
times he ~ merely the Hwiflest rider
or runner. sometimes a hero OF the
light. chosen nn nn honor 20 bear glad
tidhgn, sometimes hard pressed ref.
uTee, sometimes even lone survivor.
Lady Elizabeth Thompson Butter.
the distinguished woman painter OF
wartime scenes. of which 'rhe itoll
Cal" Is most famous. once illustrated
Ia u less known painting one Of the
most tragic episodes IN the history Of
modern England~-the arrival OF Dr.
william Brydon ut Jaialabnd. Jan, IL.
fSs2. Her terrible little picture shows
the young scotch surgeon, dazed. des-
pcrate. exhausted. clinging half con.
scious 20 his wesried horse ns the walls
OF the city loom IN sight.
He had come from kabul through
the mountains. in mldwinter. one Of a
retreating army Of British and native
troops, accompanied by swarms OF at
tendants and camp followers. With
them nc arst were also nine English
women. wives OF officers. including
Florentia. Lady Sale. wife of Sir Rob.
ert Sale. the commander at Jalaiahad.
aud his daughter. There were also
fourteen children. A long, intricate
and hideous series OF blunderA. trench.
cries and murders had brought tho
tremendously outpumbered British In
ksbul 10 the point whore evacuation
Of the city and acceptance OF u prom.
ised safe conduct 10 Jnlalnbnd seem.
I'd % their Ieaderu the best thai could
be hoped for, and tho retreat began.
hut the Afghans did not keep their
word. and soon there were no leaders.
Before the march was half over many
were slain and conditions were NO
hopeless that the others yielded 20
proposal 10 surrender tho commanding
general himself. General Elphinstone.
together with ths women and chill
dren. iato the care OF tho Afghan chief,
Akbar Khan. as hostages. but not un
~ the Kurd kabul was passed.
The gorge OF tho kurd kabul n
ave mile ravine between high noun.
tsins. 30 narrow. lofty and grim that
In winter the sun scarcely reaches its
depths. That January II was deep In
snow. the rocks were glazed with ice.
and upon every mountain slope. In ev-
cry crevasse. behind every bowider.
iurked tho fanatic Afghan tribesmen.
with their long guns and long knives
Weary. crowded. half crippled by frost,
the confused and formless maBsea
struggling through the gloomy canyon
soon Lost all semblance OF an army.
as the slaughter soon lost all sem.
blance Of battle. II became simply the
massacre OF rabbie. and the snow
grew red
Three Thousand men," says the his.
torian Sir ]. W. Kaye. "feli under the
nre Of the enemy or dropped down
parslyzed and exhausted 10 be slaugh.
tered by Afghan knives. Aud amid
through shower OF matchbox balls.
rode English ladies' ON horseback or IN
camel panniers. sometimes vainly en-.
eeayoFing 20 keep their children be-
pesth their eyes and then losing them
IN the ,copfusion and bewIldcrmcnt OF
the deaolating march"
After the general became captive
increased IN horror. Tho Jugdulluk
paas succeeded the Kurd Kabul; a
dark. steep. winding track ascending
high among frowning crags, and bar.
rtcaded at It's narrowest point II was
trap. Tho fpgitiyes were caught
beyond escape. A nero handful emerg-
ID alive.
Within sixteen miles OF Jaiainbad
only six OF these remained. Before
those sixteen miles were covered ave
Of the six had been killed by strng.
Cling marauders.
DR.. Brydon alone. one man out Of
$4,000. reached tho goal and bore the
awful news.
Later. when England awoke and
avenged. the women and children aud
a few prisoners were rescued. Dr
prydon himself lived TO share and sur
yiye the famous Siege Of Lucknow. an
other terrible episode IN his country's
history. but onp ~ honorable and Ia
spiring NJ the retreat from Kahnl was
humiliatIng and disasirous.---Y Youths
Companion.