five thousand, and still Jenkins's
little force held on with dogged courage, and though it could not make
an inch of way, it refused to concede one. It was now past one o'clock,
and the strain lay heavy on our men after seven hours of this bull-dog
business; when the twinkle of the cheerful heliograph from Kabul gave
fresh heart to all, and almost immediately afterwards the advance
skirmishers of General Macpherson's column came into view, and the
situation was saved. Then, borne on the flood of the reinforcements,
Highlanders and Guides sprang to their feet and dashed at the now flying
enemy. The cavalry and artillery, too, at last relieved of their long
and dangerous vigil, dashed off in pursuit, and for four long miles they
fell with relentless fury on the scattered and demoralised foe.

This was the last fight which the Guides had in the Afghan War. When
Roberts and his gallant ten thousand marched to Kandahar, they were sent
back to their hard-earned rest, after two years of incessant warfare,
with a casualty roll of two hundred and forty-eight of all ranks and one
hundred and forty-two horses; and with five hundred recruits to redress
the balance.

CHAPTER X

WAR STORIES

Several months before the Afghan War began the Guides were placed on
guard at the mouth of the Khyber Pass, and there occurred an incident
which illustrates the extremely delicate problem accompanying the
employment of Indian troops in certain situations. In the ranks of the
Guides are men belonging to a great number of tribes and nationalities,
many of them enlisted from amongst peoples whose territories lie outside
the British borders. It may so happen therefore, and indeed does happen,
that in the kaleidoscope of events a man who has taken service and sworn
to fight the battles of the King finds himself called upon to attack his
own village, and possibly to raise his rifle against his own kith and
kin. Such a situation naturally requires very careful handling. It is of
course absolutely necessary to maintain the great principle, that a
soldier is bound hand and foot and in all honour to the service of his
Sovereign, and that no family or private ties must stand between him
and any duty that service may call on him to perform. On the other hand,
without relinquishing this principle, it is often possible, by a little
tactful and unostentatious redistribution of troops, to avoid placing a
soldier in so unenviable a position as taking