CHAPTER XVII

May to December 1880

CONCLUSION OF THE AFGHAN CAMPAIGN

' I pray for his life here and hereafter. God does not see fit the former, but He will the latter. His quarters are quite sheltered, but we hear the bullets whistling over.'

'Hear of my being promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of 51st. I care very little for it now; this is one of the saddest days of my life.'

'JUGDALAK,
'4th May, 1880,

'Here we are still, having come the day I last wrote from Pezwan. Rumours of attack on all the posts brought us here, so that we can give a hand to any. Now, however, that Stewart has come from Ghazni and given them such a beating there, I hardly think they will fight again, and there remains only Abdur Rahman to come in, and I expect by Christmas we shall be on our way to India; and perhaps you have seen there is a proposal to reduce the number of regiments in India, which, they say, would bring us home a year earlier, and in some other way another year would be gained, and we would go home in '82-'83 instead of '84-'85, as our full twelve years would be.'

'JUGDALAK,
10th May, 1880.

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It would appear as if Abdur Rahman were willing to accept our terms, as well he may, when I suppose we'll pay and protect him; the Afghans seem inclined to accept him, and we, of course, are dying to leave the country.'

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'Darunta,
'near Jellalabad,
'4th June, 1880.

'Only a few lines, as reveille goes at 3 a.m.

We are marching into Assuntullah Khan's country, Lughinan, with the view, they say, of collecting revenue and punishing the Ut Kheyls, who lifted some 1,000 cattle from J'bad. But they live across the river, and we have no means of crossing, except the native massack, of which there are but few. Fancy, an army without a pontoon train!

So we hear we are not to cross and not to hurt Assuntullah's towns or crops, though he has been sniping us and checking us all he can since December.

We left Jugdalak on 31st May. To Pezwan. There got out kits. One of 25th died of fever, and was buried. Los, another, died a day or two after, typhoid.

1st June to Safaid Sang, having some carts, and 51st being baggage guard. Did not all reach till 3-45 p.m., having had reveille at 2 and marched at 4 a.m. Hard work, and it is very hot.

It is so hard that they left us idle all the cold weather, and now knock us about. It is these Politicals, who are always fooled by the Afghans, and won't let the soldiers manage till things are up for negotiations, and we are the victims. During the cold weather we should have got all these people in order in succession, and got hostages and security from them. We, however, always allow them to take the initiative, and we take the time from them. A good plan for them!'

'Camp Darunta,
'near Jellalabad,
'12th June, 1880.

'To-day we have come out of Lughinan, and march towards Safaid Sang to-morrow. It is weary work this campaigning in June, and one craves rest; but there is no rest for the weary. "Bright chanticleer" goes at 2 or 3 a.m., then turn out, pack beds and kits, and load them and stores and ammunition on the weary mules and ponies. Fall in. Quick march at 3 or 4, and away till 8, 9, 10, 11 a.m., or sometimes 5 or 6 p.m. Sometimes no shelter from the sun all day but one's helmet and now and then a dooly, under which some thrust their heads; many times no shelter for half the day. Thermometer 110° F. in shade — in sun afraid to say ; anything of metal in the sun you could hardly hold. Probably never below 80° night or day. We hope to have rest after two or three more days at Safaid Sang. If we don't, I fear we'll begin to break up.'

'Safaid Sang,
'19 June, '80.

'Here we are again, and very glad to get rest. One poor man died on 16th of heat apoplexy contracted on our late expedition, another on 17th of typhoid, which he got here. It is a very great shame having us marching about in the burning plains in June, and no occasion for it!

'Mardardaud, near Pezwan,
9th July, 1880.

'Here we are again. We get but little rest, but the end seems drawing near, and that next month will see a great part of us in motion Indiawards. We are now again in our small tents, as the carriage required for the large E. P. and staff-sergeant's tents is too much. We have a nice open camp here, with low hills round, which prevent us being fired at from a distance. Last night we had one company on the hill, and three shots were fired at them, one bullet going through a tent.'

'Mardardaud,
'Afghanistan,
'5th Aug., '80.

'Nugent doesn't mean what he writes to you about exposing myself to danger. He knows, of course, that all we officers have to show ourselves rather indifferent than otherwise to bullets; and, then, in the little fights we have been in it is 100 to 1 against one being hit.

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'Bad news from Kandahar. We heard what it was only yesterday, 5th. I suppose you've known it for a week or more ? I thought it would keep us here longer and until the loss was avenged, but they still say they commence to leave Kabul on the 10th inst. I don't care about going so soon, though very tired of this wretched life, as it will be very hot for the men.

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'Here we have very little to do, and are so anxious to get back to India if there be no fighting. Thunderstorms in the hills and clouds over us give hopes of rain. Fellows play a little polo ; but the ground is too heavy, and we play rounders on horseback, but all are very hipped.

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'The enemy are very peaceful and don't molest us, but we know they'd be too delighted to cut our throats. At present we hold too threatening a position for the Hisarak people to trouble us, for they know their houses, crops, and trees would go any moment we wish.'

'Shergai,
21st Aug., 1880.

'Here we are. Passed Ali Musjid on our way back to India, and to-morrow we march out of the Khyber to Hurri Luigh Ka Binj, and the next day on towards Lawrencepore, near Hussan Abdul, where we are to form a camp, it is supposed, till Khushk-i-Nakhud is avenged.'

'Bareilly,
'24th Nov., '80.

'Here we are at last, and this moment — 3.25 p.m. - I have got into my bungalow, and proceed to write off in a hurry for the mail. I arrived here at midnight on Monday, 22nd; found dik bungalow full. To hotel, and at first told it was full; but found one room, as Bartlett slept in the passage.

'23rd. — Got your letter of 24th Oct. Began work again. Found all well, but very few officers. There are two companies detached at Moradahad — Denshire and another — and three companies left behind at Umballa for the present. This is a beautiful station, with fine trees and fine open spaces looking most park-like, and good grass.'

'Bareilly,
15th Dec., 1880.

'Before you get this the year will be done, with all its hopes and fears, things done and left undone, good and bad. And how are we the better? Well, we won't doubt that we have made progress, but neither can we doubt that we have not made as much as we should. Let us pray and strive daily that we may make more .progress in the coming year.

'Jeremy Taylor's three rules :

1. To lay aside as much time as we can for the services of God. " No man is a better merchant than he that lays out his time upon God and his money upon the poor."
2. To remember all we do should be to the glory of God, eating and drinking, etc.
3. In these and all our actions always stand before God. " It will concern us to behave ourselves carefully as in the presence of our Judge."

'Good rules to begin and go through the year with.'

'December 17th. — My 50th birthday anniversary! So well, so strong — everything so well and smooth. Thank God.'