ce was crossed, they left their
sangars and streamed down the reverse slope of the hill. They could
not face the men who had passed that terrible passage. Forming at
the bend of the perpendicular rock, they waited till they had
recovered their breath, and then proceeded up the zigzag path
leading to the summit of the hill.

The fighting was over, but the loss had been great. Four officers
had been killed and ten wounded, one of them mortally. The total
casualties were a hundred and ninety-four killed and wounded. Of
these thirty were Gordons, and the majority of the remainder were
Dorsets and Ghoorkhas. Few of those who fell wounded escaped with
their lives. Their comrades made desperate efforts to carry them
off; but the storm of bullets, fired at so short a range, rendered
it impossible; while the wounded who attempted to rise and return
were riddled with bullets, as soon as they moved. When the fight
was over, the whole force encamped on the Chagru Kotal.

The assailants were unable to make out why the enemy did not defend
the zigzag path. Only two men could climb it abreast, and the
advancing files could have been destroyed by a dozen marksmen with
breech loaders. The only reasonable supposition was that, having
been engaged for five hours, their ammunition was practically
exhausted.

Several acts of heroism were performed in the battle. One of the
pipers, Lance Corporal Milne, was shot through both legs; but still
continued to play his pipes, in a sitting position. Four other
pipers played right across the fatal passage, three of them being
wounded. Lieutenant Tillard was the first man across. He was a fast
runner, but he stopped to encourage his men, midway.

By the 25th, the whole of the two divisions were encamped on the
two low hills at the mouth of the Kapagh Pass; while the stream of
transport came gradually up. By that day six thousand four hundred
British troops, eleven thousand two hundred and eighty native
troops, seventeen thousand followers, and two thousand four hundred
camels were gathered there.

In the morning a foraging party went out and, when they were
returning to camp with supplies, and also with a hundred head of
cattle, the enemy lined the neighbouring heights. The mountain
battery came into action, and the rearmost regiment covered the
retreat by volleys; but the tribesmen had all the advantage of
position and, with the utmost determination, they followed. They
even opened fire on th