ecome of the Kashmir
Company, and then first heard the following curious incident.

It appears that after the first few of us had gone down the cliff, and
the rest were preparing to follow, a bullet struck some cakes of
gun-cotton lying on the ground by the head of the path, where they had
been placed while the Sappers were at work. The bullet, striking these
cakes, ignited them, and they blazed up, and Borradaile, fearing an
explosion, ordered a retirement of those troops nearest it to cover some
thirty yards in rear, where they were protected by a wave of the ground.
The enemy, seeing our men bolting, as they thought, rushed out of their
sangars, but were promptly fired into by the Pioneers. Just then the
Levies on the ridge and our small party showed across the nullah,
threatening their line of retreat; this was apparently more than they
had bargained for, so they began to bolt, as I have said. Then the
Pioneers moved down the nullah and crossed by the goat track.

Peterson's company had found a box full of Snider ammunition in one of
the sangars, so the Kashmir Company was sent back to look for any more,
and also to demolish the sangars. I took the opportunity to have a look
at them too. I was surprised at the magnificent way in which they were
built, partly sunk into the ground, and made of huge boulders that
required many men to move, and with head cover constructed of logs in
the most approved fashion, evidently made by men who had been properly
instructed. As I neared the largest sangar, I saw a native clothed in a
red dressing-gown, sitting on the ground with a long native jezail.
Rather surprised at seeing one of the enemy thus armed, I went up to
him, and as I did so, he picked up his gun. I had my revolver on him in
a second, and told him to drop the gun, which he did. I then asked him
who he was, and found he was our long-lost child--I mean levy--who had
been captured at Laspur. The enemy had not treated him badly, but had
taken his carbine and his choga, hence the dressing-gown; in return he
had sneaked a gun when the enemy were flying. I set the Kashmir troops
to work, and then went back, meeting Humayun and his captives on the
way.

"Humayun," I said, "your levy is over there."

"Is he alive?" said Humayun, looking in a most bloodthirsty way at his
prisoners.

I assured him he was. Thereupon Humayun gave a jump, caught hold of both
my hands, and kissed them violently. I was afraid he was going to ki