the signal shots had cast upon the regiment, upon which
Captain Channer,[7] who was just then in command, stepped forward, and
said he would answer for the Sikhs; but amongst the Pathans there
was an ominous silence, and Channer agreed with me that they did not
intend to fight. I therefore ordered Channer and his subaltern, Picot,
to advance cautiously down the slope with the Sikhs of the regiment,
following myself near enough to keep the party in sight. I had not
gone far, however, before I found that the enemy were much too
strongly placed to be attacked successfully by so few men; accordingly
I recalled Channer, and we returned to the position at the top of the
hill.

[Illustration: MY GURKHA ORDERLIES.
_From a water colour sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E._]

My orderlies[8] during this little episode displayed such touching
devotion that it is with feelings of the most profound admiration and
gratitude I call to mind their self-sacrificing courage. On this (as
on many other occasions) they kept close round me, determined that no
shot should reach me if they could prevent it; and on my being hit in
the hand by a spent bullet, and turning to look round in the direction
it came from, I beheld one of the Sikhs standing with his arms
stretched out trying to screen me from the enemy, which he could
easily do, for he was a grand specimen of a man, a head and shoulders
taller than myself.

To my great relief, on my return to the edge of the hollow, Adams met
me with the good tidings that he had found not only the lost troops,
but the Native Infantry of the rear portion of the column, and had
ascertained that the elephants with the guns were close at hand.

Their arrival was most opportune, for the enemy had been reinforced,
and, having discovered our numerical weakness, were becoming bolder;
they charged down the hill, and were now trying to force their way
up to our position, but our Mountain guns were quickly brought into
action, and under their cover another attempt was made to drive the
Afghans from their position. The 23rd Pioneers, under the command of
Colonel Currie, the two front companies led by Captain Anderson, moved
down the slope, and were soon lost to view in the thick wood at
the bottom of the dell; when they reappeared it was, to my great
disappointment, on the wrong side of the hollow: they had failed in
the attack, and Anderson and some men had been killed. The enemy's
position, it was found,