THE MARCH RESUMED THROUGH KILLA DRASAN

We were up by daylight the next morning, had breakfast, and were ready to march by 7 A.M.  The wounded were sent back under Luard and the escort who had brought out the baggage, and we moved off in the opposite direction.  Our order of march was always the same, each company taking it in turn to act as advance or rear guard, and every British officer, with the exception of Colonel Kelly and Borradaile, taking his turn on duty.

When my company of Kashmir troops was on rear or advance guard, I went with it; at other times I went with the Levies or Colonel Kelly, whichever seemed most useful.

Our march for this day led for some miles along a flat, grassy plain, a continuation of the Nisa Gol Maidan, then up and over a fairly high spur, and gradually down to the river bed opposite the village of Awi or Avi.  Here we had a halt for the men to drink, as it was pretty thirsty work marching in these hot valleys.  We passed a village or two on the opposite bank, but our side of the river was a desert of rocks and stones.  There was a small bridge at Awi, so Cobbe, with fifty men and Shah Mirza as interpreter, was sent across to collect supplies from Buni, the village in which Jones had remained for a week after the Koragh affair.  The main body continued along the right bank parallel with Cobbe’s party.

During our halt two men had come in, bringing two ponies, which were much appreciated by Colonel Kelly and Borradaile.

When we got opposite Buni, there was a halt at the head of the column, and Colonel Kelly sent me on to find out the reason.

I forgot to mention that when we were encamped at Sanoghar, a man—­Chitrali—­had come in, having escaped from the enemy.  His brothers were followers of Suji-ul-mulk, the little boy whom Surgeon-Major Robertson, as he then was, had made Mehter, and who was besieged in Chitral with our troops.  The opposition party, represented by Mahomed Issar, Sher Afzul’s foster-brother, had therefore, on capturing this man, put him in quod at Killa Drasan.  He had managed to escape the day of the fight, and joined us that evening, and we promptly made use of him as a guide.

This guide now informed us that the road ahead was destroyed, and would take two days to repair, but, by turning up a spur on the right, we could get past the broken part of the road.

In consequence of this there was a halt while the Levies ascended the spur and reconnoitred the top, and very soon we saw them signalling back that all was clear.  Sending back the news to Colonel Kelly, I remained with the Levies, who now turned sharp to the right and began the ascent.  Humayun offered me a pony, which I thankfully accepted, and noticed that there were now two or three ponies where before there had been none.  I didn’t say anything at the time, but shortly after there appeared an order to say all captured ponies were to be given up to the