slight hill to be crossed in getting to it, at the top of which is
a cut-throat narrow pass, formed out of the rock; you must pass through
it in single file, and the bottom being of rock is so slippery and rough
that it is with difficulty a horse can keep his footing on it. They were
returning home about half-past eight o'clock, when Wilmer, being rather
wrong in his stomach, got off his horse for a short time, and Inverarity
said he would walk to the top of the hill to look at the view by
moonlight; Wilmer followed in a few minutes on foot, his ghorewalla
following with his horse. On coming near the top of the hill before
mentioned, he was somewhat astonished at a large stone whizzing by his
head, and immediately afterwards about six or seven men jumped on him
out of the rocks. He had time to draw back, and received two different
cuts on his walking stick, which cut it through, and slightly wounded
him on the forehead. He managed to draw back from another, which was
made at him with such strength that the fellow fell with the force of
his own blow. Wilmer then thought it as time to cut and run, and bolted
as fast as he could with these chaps after him. They luckily, however,
stopped to rob his and Inverarity's bangies, containing their kit, which
they met his servant carrying, &c. Wilmer did not stop till he reached a
detachment of the Shah's force which is stationed there, he returned
with a party from them, and on reaching the other side of the hill found
poor Inverarity lying on the ground dreadfully mutilated; he was not
quite dead when they came up, and Wilmer says he can never forget the
convulsive shudder he gave on their arrival, taking them for the
murderers returning to finish him. He died, however, almost immediately,
merely saying, "For God's sake, look at my hands! I am afraid I am very
badly wounded." Thus fell another victim, as we all feel, to the
conciliation principle! Neither Inverarity's horse nor anything of then
kit has been since seen, though Wilmer has recovered his horse. This
will give you a pretty idea of the country we are living in. The next
day there was an order out from Sir J. Keane, in which, after giving an
account of the murder, he begged all officers never to go out into the
country on sporting expeditions unless in large parties and well armed.
The Shah and Sir John were also on the point of burning down the village
near which the murder occurred, but the political department would not