but greater still was the moral effect. From that day forth a mounted
man was a power in the land.

The Relief Force now pushed across the Swat River, and over the Saram
range of mountains, and came in due course to the formidable Panjkora
River, formidable not so much from its size, or breadth, but from its
great rapidity and uncertainty. In a single night, fed by melting snow
from the higher levels, it would rise from twelve to fourteen feet. And
this is exactly what happened at a critical moment, when it fell to the
honour of the Guides to avert a serious disaster.

Before the Relief Force could cross it was necessary to bridge the
river, and this was done at a narrow part. Directly it was completed the
Guides were ordered across to hold the bridge-head, and thus cover the
passage of the main body next morning. That the defence might not be a
passive one only, Lieutenant-Colonel Fred Battye, who was commanding,
was ordered at dawn to push out, destroy all the neighbouring villages,
and turn the enemy out of all positions from which they had been
operating during the construction of the bridge, and from which they
could harass the passage of the force. During the night a freshet came
down, the river rose fourteen feet, and the newly finished bridge was
swept away. The Guides were thus isolated on the far bank, but getting
no orders to the contrary, and very possibly thinking that to remain
inactive was to invite unwelcome attention to their condition, Colonel
Battye decided to adhere to the original programme. Therefore leaving
two companies at the site of the broken bridge, he at six in the morning
moved out to drive back the enemy's outposts, and destroy such villages
as were troublesome.

Up to nine o'clock there was no opposition to speak of. Colonel Battye
then formed the five companies of the Guides, which constituted his
force, into three small columns, and was proceeding to carry out more
extended operations, when, from the high ground now occupied, dense
masses of the enemy, afterwards officially estimated at from seven to
ten thousand, were seen rapidly approaching his right flank. It had
evidently become known to the enemy that the bridge was broken, and that
the Guides were cut off by an impassable river from all support. The
matter was immediately reported by heliograph to Sir Robert Low, and
orders as promptly sent for the Guides to retire on the bridge-head.

It is on an occasion like this that the