ushed to the bottom of the wall, tore out stones, and
flung them up at our sepoys; they leapt up to seize the muzzles of our
rifles, and scrambled to gain a foothold and lift themselves on to the
parapet; they fell bullet-pierced, and some turned savagely on the wall
again. It was only a question of time, of minutes, and the cool
mechanical fire of the 23rd Pioneers would have dropped every man. One
hundred and six bodies were left under the wall, and sixty more were
killed in the pursuit. Never was there such a hopeless, helpless
struggle, such desperate and ineffectual gallantry.

Almost before it was light the yak corps with their small escort of
thirty rifles of the 2nd Gurkhas were starting on the road to Kalatso.
They had passed the hiding-place of the Tibetans without noticing the
500 men in rusty-coloured cloaks breathing quietly among the brown
stones. Then the Tibetans made their charge, just as the transport had
passed, and a party of them made for the yaks. Two Tibetan drivers in
our service stood directly in their path. 'Who are you?' cried one of
the enemy. 'Only yak-drivers,' was the frightened answer. 'Then, take
that,' the Tibetan said, slashing at his arm with no intent to kill. The
Gurkha escort took up a position behind a sangar and opened fire--all
save one man, who stood by his yak and refused to come under cover,
despite the shouts and warnings of his comrades. He killed several, but
fell himself, hacked to pieces with swords. The Tibetans were driven
off, and joined the rout from the fort. The whole affair lasted less
than ten minutes.

Our casualties were: the isolated Gurkha killed, two men in the fort
wounded by stones, and three of the 2nd Gurkhas severely wounded--two by
sword-cuts, one by a bullet in the neck.

But what was the flame that smouldered in these men and lighted them to
action? They might have been Paladins or Crusaders. But the Buddhists
are not fanatics. They do not stake eternity on a single existence. They
have no Mahdis or Juggernaut cars. The Tibetans, we are told, are not
patriots. Politicians say that they want us in their country, that they
are priest-ridden, and hate and fear their Lamas. What, then, drove them
on? It was certainly not fear. No people on earth have shown a greater
contempt for death. Their Lamas were with them until the final assault.
Twenty shaven polls were found hiding in the nullah down which the
Tibetans had crept in the dark, and were immediate