ril.

The news had spread quickly through camp, and the native officers came
round to hear about it. We sent back a post to Mastuj by some Nagar
Levies who had just brought in a post, and then had a good discussion as
to the causes that led to the raising of the siege.

I don't know if any of the other officers felt it, but I know, speaking
for myself, that with the departure of any uncertainty about our arrival
in Chitral in time to save the garrison, a good deal of interest also
departed.

I felt inclined to agree with Stewart, that the enemy had given us a
just cause for complaint by not playing the game. At any rate, they
might have given us a run for our money in front of Chitral, and this
seemed to be the general idea throughout the column, consequently our
opinion of the Chitrali pluck sank considerably.

We marched at 6 A.M. the next morning punctually, and by noon the
advance guard was in the Chitral valley. A halt was ordered to allow the
main body to form up, as the guns had had a bad time getting through the
Baitali Pari, and had to be unloaded and carried by hand for some
distance.

After about two miles we came in sight of the Chitral bridge, which had
not been destroyed, and, soon after, of the fort, with the Union Jack
still floating on one of the towers.

We crossed the bridge, closed up the column on the other side, the
buglers were sent to the front, and we marched on to the fort with as
much swagger as we could put on.

We found the garrison in front of the main gate, and were very glad to
shake hands again with all our old friends and congratulate them on
their splendid defence.

We had a short halt, and then moved on, and took up a position covering
the fort, with our front on a nullah and pickets facing south. Our
bivouac was in a nice shady garden, with plenty of good water and wood.

When the men had settled down in camp, the officers went back to the
fort, where the garrison gave us breakfast, or rather lunch. There was a
great deal to hear and tell, and for the first time we began to realise
what a touch-and-go time the garrison had been having. There was only
one pause in the conversation, and good old Stewart chipped in with
"D'ye think, now, there's any chance of another fight?"

After tiffin, we went round and saw all the sights of interest, and
generally interviewed the lions. We saw Harley's mine, the gun tower,
the enemy's sangars, the hospital, and we did not forget poor Ba