had the affair
come on that many of the men had not even fixed bayonets. Desperate was
the hand-to-hand fighting; and valour more conspicuous than that of the
Ghazees was never shown. But the three regiments, British, Sikh, and
Ghurka, to whom they were exposed, held their own, and poured rolling
volleys into the ranks of the enemy. So fiercely did these charge that
they came up to within thirty yards of the muzzles of Major Waters'
guns, which were firing case and reversed shrapnel, and mowed them down
in hundreds. The 2nd Punjaub Cavalry charged again and again in the
most gallant manner, and protected the guns from the Ghazees' attacks.
The General, surrounded by his escort, was in the midst of the fight,
the enemy having burst in between the guns and the 59th Foot, and
officers and troopers had alike to fight for their lives, several of the
escort being killed. At last, however, the Ghazees fell back before the
terrific fire, and the 1st Punjaub Cavalry, coming up from the rear,
took up the pursuit.

The fighting had lasted but an hour; but of the enemy 1000 dead lay upon
the field, besides those bodies which had been carried off, and their
wounded must have been even more numerous. Among our troops 17 were
killed and 126 wounded. Our native allies, the Hazaras, seeing the
Afghans defeated, took up the pursuit, and the rout of the enemy was
complete.

Ghuznee fell without opposition, the fighting men having been engaged in
the battle of Ahmed Khel, and having had enough of hostilities. A force
was sent out from Ghuznee on the 23rd of April, under Brigadier-General
Palliser; and this had a severe engagement with the natives near the
village of Shalez, where they fought with a desperation equal to that
shown by the fanatics in the previous battle. Our men, however, were
this time prepared, and were able to inflict very heavy losses upon the
enemy, without allowing them to get to such close quarters as before.
This was the end of the Afghan resistance, and General Stewart moved on
to Cabul, and effected a junction with General Roberts. This brought
the second period of the Afghan war to a close.

For some months the forces remained quiet at Cabul. Negotiations were
now going on. Abdul Rahman was advancing upon Cabul. This chief had
long been a resident among the Russians, and had assumed the Ameership,
and had been received cordially in the north of Afghanistan. As no
other competitor appeared to have