m carry out the
terms agreed upon. They had promised to surrender fifty rifles. This
they now showed no intention of doing. They had realised, that the
brigades were only marching through the country, and that they had no
time to stop, and they were determined to keep their arms as long as
possible.

As the cavalry approached the first village, about 300 men gathered
and, displaying standards, called on the Lancers to stop. An altercation
ensued. They were given half an hour to remove their women and children.
Then the squadrons advanced. The tribesmen, still menacing, retired
slowly towards the hills. Then a small party came up and informed Major
Beatson, that in the next village was a troop-horse, which had been
captured in the fighting in the Swat Valley. This admission, that
the Mamunds had been implicated in the attack on the Malakand, was
sufficiently naive. The cavalry rode on to the village. The horse was
not to be found, but the officious informers from the first village
eagerly pointed out where it had been stabled. In consequence of this
information, and to stimulate the tribesmen to carry out the original
terms, Mr. Davis decided to make an example and authorised Major Beatson
to destroy the house of the owner of the stolen property. This was
accordingly done. As soon as the smoke began to rise, the tribesmen, who
had waited, half a mile away, opened a dropping fire from Martini-Henry
rifles on the cavalry. These, not wishing to engage, retired at a trot.
They were followed up, but though the fire was well directed, the range
was too great for accurate shooting and the bullets whizzed harmlessly
overhead.

As the Lancers left the valley, an incident occurred which illustrates
what has been said in an earlier chapter, and is characteristic of the
daily life of the natives. The people of the first village had directed
the attention of the cavalry to the second. Part of the second had been
in consequence burnt. The inhabitants of both turned out to discuss the
matter with rifles and, when last seen that night, were engaged in
a lively skirmish. Apparently, however, they soon forgot their
differences.

The rumour that the cavalry had been fired on preceded them to camp,
and the prospects of some opposition were everywhere hailed with
satisfaction. Many had begun to think that the Mohmand expedition was
going to be a mere parade, and that the tribesmen were overawed by the
powerful forces employed. They were