e cause to rue the cession
of Candahar; for it was declared that with this city strongly
fortified, and surrounded by outlying works, 10,000 British troops
there could arrest the progress of an invading army, however large,
until England had had full time to put forth all her strength, and
to assemble an army amply sufficient to secure the safety of the
most valuable of our possessions--the empire of India.

It was said that, whatever allies Russia might have prepared for
herself, by intrigues among the princes of India, these would not
think of moving, so long as they knew that the fortress of Candahar
remained as a British bulwark against an invading force. It was
represented that, so long as this place held out, England would be
able to devote her whole force towards repelling the foreign
invader--instead of being obliged, simultaneously, to oppose him
and to put down a formidable rising in India, itself.

It was, however, not the universal opinion that the best policy of
England was to occupy this territory by an armed force; and
subsequent events, with the change of government in England, led to
a different determination.

Chapter 13: The Massacre At Cabul.

At each village through which William Gale and his escort passed,
the inhabitants turned out, and hooted and yelled at the prisoner;
and it was with the greatest difficulty that the chief protected
him from personal violence. William himself was scarce conscious of
what was passing. The swinging action of the camel added to his
great weakness, and he would not have been able to keep his seat on
its back, had not his captors fastened him with ropes to the
saddle. Although the snow had only just melted on the Shatur-Gardan
Pass, in the valleys below the heat of the sun was already great
and, often as it poured down upon him, he lapsed into a state of
semi-consciousness; and drowsily fancied that he was again in his
canoe, tossing on the tiny waves, in the shelter of the reef.

On the sixth day after the start, a shout from his guard aroused
him, as they emerged from a steep ascent amongst some hills. Before
him an undulating ground, dotted with villages, stretched for three
or four miles. At the foot of some steep hills, to the left of a
wide valley, was a large walled town which he knew to be Cabul. On
the hillside above it was a strong building: half fort, half
palace. This was the Bala-Hissar, the abode of the Ameer, and the
fortress of Cabul. In