how wisely he had judged in not extending his men. While
retiring, a chance shot killed a man who happened to be a great
favourite; his nearest comrades immediately halted and faced about,
and notwithstanding the commands and entreaties of the serjeant; they
determined to avenge his death. Grouping themselves round the body of
their dead companion, they awaited the enemy, and when sure that every
shot would tell, each man delivered his fire, and then drawing his
knife with a yell of defiance, rushed upon hundreds of their foes;
to have supported them would have been to lead the whole party to
inevitable slaughter, and the authority of the quarter-master-serjeant
was scarce sufficient to restrain his men from breaking from their
cover to join the unequal fight: as it was, the gallant little band
were soon outnumbered, and after a reckless and desperate resistance
were literally hacked to pieces. The enemy encouraged by this success
now pressed hard upon the Goorkhas, and had they been fortunate enough
in getting round to the front not a man would have escaped; as it was,
the men were falling very fast, when a happy occurrence changed
the aspect of affairs. It seems that a chief, conspicuous from his
glittering armour and steel head-piece, mounted on a powerful horse
with an armed footman behind him, attracted the notice of the Goorkhas
by the cool manner in which he rode up to within a distance of about
eighty yards, delivered his fire, then galloped away out of gunshot
to allow the gentleman "en croupe" to reload. A few of the men having
observed this manoeuvre repeated three or four times, concealed
themselves behind a rock, while the main body retired. On came the
chief to within his prescribed distance; a volley from behind the rock
scarce ten paces off rolled horse and man over and over. The effect on
the enemy was such that they kept at a more respectful distance,
and after a few random shots discontinued the pursuit. Such was the
account the serjeant himself gave me of the fight, and I have no
reason to suspect him of exaggeration. He accomplished his arduous
retreat with a loss of nineteen men killed, but more than half this
number voluntarily sacrificed themselves to avenge the death of their
comrade. It is difficult, when relating the numerous acts of heroism
of the Goorkha troops, to refrain from drawing invidious comparisons
between their conduct and that of the Hindoo soldier during the
retreat from Cabul; bu