nd
that he was bound to resist the entrance of the Mission into
Afghan territory with all the force at his disposal. He spoke with
considerable warmth, and told Cavagnari that but for their personal
friendship he would, in obedience to the Amir's orders, have shot down
him and his escort.

Faiz Mahomed's followers were not so respectful in their bearing as
their Chief, and their manner warned Cavagnari that it was unadvisable
to prolong the conversation; he, therefore, took leave of the Afghan
General, and returned to Jamrud. The Mission was dissolved,[5] our
Agent at Kabul was ordered to return to India, and Cavagnari was
instructed to remain at Peshawar and arrange for alienating the
Afridis in the Khyber from the Amir's interests.

In reporting these circumstances to the Secretary of State, the
Government of India expressed their regret that this final endeavour
on their part to arrive at some definite understanding with the Amir
of Kabul should have been thus met with repudiation and affront, and
concluded their despatch in the following words: 'The repulse of Sir
Neville Chamberlain by Sher Ali at his frontier while the Russian
emissaries are still at his capital has proved the inutility of
diplomatic expedients, and has deprived the Amir of all claim upon our
further forbearance.'

It had been arranged that, if it were unfortunately found to be
necessary to support political efforts by military measures, two
columns should be mobilized, one at Sukkur on the Indus, for an
advance in the direction of Kandahar, the other at Kohat for
operations in the Kuram valley, and that I was to have command of the
latter. As soon, therefore, as the tidings of Sir Neville's repulse
was received, I started from Simla to be on the spot in case the
proposal to employ force should be sanctioned by the authorities in
England.

Between the time of my leaving Simla and my arrival at Kohat on
the 9th October, it was decided to employ a third column to make
a demonstration in the direction of the Khyber for the purpose of
clearing the Amir's troops out of the pass.[6]

The formation of this column was no doubt a wise move, as the Afghans
were holding Ali Masjid, the spot on which the insult had been offered
to our Envoy, and the presence of a force on this line would tend to
relieve the pressure against my column; but looked at from my point of
view, this third column was not quite so desirable, as it involved the
withdrawal of th