MY PATHAN ORDERLIES.
_From a water-colour sketch by Colonel Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E._]

On Goad being knocked over, Sergeant Greer, of the 72nd Highlanders,
assisted by three privates, picked him up, and having placed him under
cover of a rock, they turned their attention to the enemy. They were
only four against large numbers, but by their cool and steady use of
the Martini-Henry rifle, which had shortly before been issued to the
British soldiers in India, they were enabled to hold their ground
until help arrived, when they succeeded in carrying the wounded
officer away.

I had observed in the advance on the Peiwar Kotal the skill and
gallantry displayed by Sergeant Greer, and noted him as a man fitted
for promotion. His distinguished conduct in rescuing and defending
Goad confirmed me in my opinion, and I accordingly recommended him
for a commission, which, to my great gratification, Her Majesty was
graciously pleased to bestow upon him.

That night we halted at the village of Keria; thence the route was
easy enough, so, leaving the troops to rest and recover from the last
hard march, I rode on to Kuram, where there was much to be done.

The ejectment of the Afghan ruler of Khost and the exploration of that
valley formed, it will be remembered, part of the programme given
to me to carry through, and it was very desirable that this service
should be completed before the winter rains set in. Peace and order
now reigned in Upper Kuram and in the neighbourhood of the Peiwar; but
there was a good deal of excitement in the lower part of the valley
and in Khost, our line of communication was constantly harassed by
raiders, convoys were continually threatened, outposts fired into, and
telegraph-wires cut. The smallness of my force made it difficult for
me to deal with these troubles, so I applied to the Commander-in-Chief
for the wing of the 72nd Highlanders left at Kohat, and the 5th Punjab
Cavalry at Thal to be ordered to join me at Kuram. At the same time I
moved up No. 2 Mountain Battery and the 28th Punjab Infantry, sending
the 29th Punjab Infantry to take the place of the 28th at Thal.

I was greatly hampered by want of transport. Arrangements had to be
made for sending the sick and wounded, as well as the captured guns,
to Kohat (the sight of the latter, I fancied, would have a good effect
on the tribes in our rear); but hard work, scarcity of forage, and
absence of supervision, had told, as was to be expected, on