position behind us."

Captain Ross ordered Lieutenant Jones to fall back with ten men,
seize the lower end of the defile, and cover the retreat. No fewer
than eight of his men were wounded, as he fell back. Captain Ross,
on hearing this, ordered him to return, and the whole party took
refuge in two caves, it being the intention of their commander to
wait there until the moon rose, and then try to force his way out.

But when they started, they were assailed from above with such a
torrent of rocks that they again retired to the caves. They then
made an attempt to get to the top of the mountain, but their way
was barred by a precipice; and they once more went back to the
cave, where they remained all the next day.

It was then decided to make an attempt to cut their way out. They
started at two in the morning. The enemy at once opened fire, and
many were killed, among them Captain Ross himself. Lieutenant Jones
with seventeen men reached the little maidan, and there remained
for some minutes, keeping up a heavy fire on the enemy on both
banks of the river, in order to help more men to get through.

Twice the enemy attempted to charge, but each time retired with
heavy loss. Lieutenant Jones then again fell back, two of his party
having been killed and one mortally wounded, and the lieutenant and
nine sepoys wounded. When they reached Buni they prepared a house
for defence, and remained there for seven days until reinforcements
came up.

In the meantime the 20th Bengal Sappers and Miners, and the 42nd
Kashmir Infantry had gone on, beyond the point where Captain Ross's
detachment had been all but annihilated, and reached Reshun; and
Lieutenants Edwards and Fowler, with the Bengal Sappers and ten
Kashmir Infantry, went on to repair a break in the road, a few
miles beyond that place. They took every precaution to guard
against surprise. Lieutenant Fowler was sent to scale the heights
on the left bank, so as to be able to look down into some sangars
on the opposite side. With some difficulty, he found a way up the
hillside. When he was examining the opposite cliff a shot was
fired, and about two hundred men rushed out from the village and
entered the sangars.

As Fowler was well above them, he kept up a heavy fire, and did
great execution. The enemy, however, began to ascend the hills, and
some appeared above him and began rolling down stones and firing
into his party. Fowler himself was wounded in the back, a corporal