deserters invariably carried away with
them their rifles and ammunition.

The effect of these sentences was most salutary; there was not a
single desertion subsequent to the Court-Martial for more than a year,
although during that time the Mahomedan portion of my force were
severely tried by appeals from their co-religionists.

On Christmas Eve authentic intelligence was brought to me that, on
hearing of the defeat of the Afghan army, Sher Ali, with the members
of the Russian Mission then at Kabul, had fled to Turkestan, and that
his son, Yakub Khan, had been released from prison, and had assumed
the reins of Government.

About this time, also, Sir Samuel Browne, who was at Jalalabad,
received a letter[3] from the Amir, in which he announced his
intention of proceeding to St. Petersburg to lay his case before the
Czar and obtain the aid of Russia.

Sher Ali's disappearance and Yakub Khan's assumption of authority
suggested new possibilities to the Viceroy, who at once instructed
Major Cavagnari, the political officer with the Khyber column, to
communicate, if possible, with Yakub Khan, and explain to him that our
quarrel was with Sher Ali alone, that he might rest assured of the
friendly disposition of the British Government towards him personally,
and that, unless he took the initiative, hostilities would not be
resumed.

Before proceeding to Kuram, I invited all the Turis and Jajis who
had afforded us assistance to meet me in durbar that they might be
suitably rewarded. A goodly number responded to the invitation, and
were told, in accordance with the instructions I had received from
the Government of India, that they would henceforth be under British
protection; that no Amir of Afghanistan should ever again be permitted
to tyrannize over them; that while they would be expected to live
peaceably, neither their religion nor their customs would be
interfered with; that roads would be made and markets established, and
that whatever supplies they could provide for the use of the troops
would be liberally paid for.

After this I started for Khost, accompanied by Colonel Waterfield, the
political officer.

The column I took with me consisted of the squadron of the 10th
Hussars, 200 of the 72nd Highlanders, a wing of the 5th Punjab
Cavalry, the 21st and 28th Punjab Infantry, and Nos. 1 and 2 Mountain
Batteries. The corps were so weak that their total strength only
amounted to 2,000 men.

We reached Matun, the nam