any that had hitherto been met with. They were spiked,
and left in the water; and the drivers and gunners moved off with
the cavalry, just as the enemy poured down upon them.

Seeing the danger of the situation, and the large force of the
enemy, General Roberts had, on his first arrival, sent off a
trooper at full gallop to General Gough--who commanded at
Sherpur--ordering him to send out two hundred men of the 72nd
Highlanders, at the double, to hold the gorge leading direct from
the scene of conflict to Cabul. There was but a very small garrison
of British troops in the city and, had the enemy made their way
there, the townspeople would have risen, and a serious disaster
taken place.

After leaving the guns behind them, the cavalry retired steadily
towards the village at the head of the gorge; keeping up a hot
fire, with their carbines, on the enemy who pressed upon them.

"Ride back, Sergeant Gale," the general said, "and meet the 72nd.
Hurry them up at full speed--every minute is precious."

William Gale rode back at full speed. Until a fortnight before, he
had never been on a horse; but the animal which he rode was well
trained and steady and, hitherto, he had had no difficulty in
keeping his seat, as he trotted along with the escort. It was a
different thing, now; for the ground was rough, and the horse going
at a full gallop, and he clung on to the pummel of the saddle, to
steady himself. As he passed through the village, he saw the
Highlanders coming along at a trot, half a mile further on; and was
soon beside Colonel Brownlow, who commanded them.

"The enemy are pressing the cavalry back, sir," he said as, with
difficulty, he pulled up his horse. "The general desires you to use
the greatest possible speed, as every moment is precious."

Panting and out of breath as the Highlanders were, they responded
to Colonel Brownlow's shout and, rushing forward almost at racing
speed, reached the village while the Afghans were still 100 yards
beyond it. They instantly opened such a fire upon the enemy that
the latter ceased their advance, and soon fell back; and Cabul was,
for the moment, safe.

Chapter 16: The Fight In The Pass.

The Afghan force, after half an hour's effort to carry the village
held by the Highlanders, moved off to their left and, working along
the hills, took post on the heights beyond Bala-Hissar. In the
meantime General Macpherson, having dispersed a strong body of the
enemy up the v