"why are you going as a cashmerian?" hassan asked. "i thought that you were going in the disguise that you now have on."

"i had intended to, hassan; but mohun lal suggested that as a trader i should have more chance of going among the escort than as an afghan, and i see that this would be so. and, moreover, as afghans can enter into fellowship with the men of the escort better than i can, and as you come from bamian, no doubt would arise as to the truth of your story, namely that, having been absent for more than two years from home, you were anxious to get home, and that as this trader had offered you money to serve as his escort it was a good opportunity for you to return."

hassan nodded. "that makes a good story of it, certainly."

the change of disguise was made, two ponies were purchased to carry the bales of goods and provisions for the journey, and they then started. in buying his goods angus had only purchased two costly shawls, which he intended as a present for saleh, or, if he failed with him, for one of the officers under him. with this exception, the bales were filled with trifles such as might tempt the soldiers, and with stuffs which would, he was sure, be very welcome to the ladies, who must, naturally, be in a sore plight for garments, as what baggage they had started with must have been lost in the passes, and they could have had little opportunity of replenishing their wardrobe during their captivity.

they travelled rapidly, halting only for a few hours when[pg 322] it was necessary to give their horses a rest. as the ladies were carried in litters, and there was no reason why they should be hurried on their journey, angus knew that he must be gaining fast upon the captives and their escort, and indeed he reached bamian only a few hours after them.

he put up at a little khan, while hassan and his men went off to their village to see the families from whom they had been so long separated. hassan found his wife in undisturbed possession of the little fort, and there was great joy in the village when it was found that he and his men had returned with funds that would enable them to pass the coming winter in comfort, and largely to increase their stock of animals. that evening two or three sheep were killed, and a general feast was held in honour of the return of the chief and his followers. as nothing was talked of in the little town but the arrival of the british captives, angus had no difficulty in learning that these had been lodged in a little fort close to the place. he did not attempt to open his bales of goods, although several of the people came to him to ask him to do so, for so few traders had visited the place since the troubles began, that the stores had long been empty. there had, too, been a good deal of plundering since the british force there had retired. angus was obliged to explain that he had only brought a few trifles with him, as his purpose was to buy turkoman carpets and other goods at khooloom, and that he had sold off almost all the stock he had brought from cashmere at cabul.

leaving azim at the khan to see that his goods were not stolen, he strolled out. the place was full of the men of the escort, who showed much discontent on finding that neither fruit nor any other of the little luxuries to which they were accustomed could be bought at bamian. angus had no difficulty in entering into conversation with some of[pg 323] them. he had brought with him a considerable quantity of good tobacco, and when he produced a pouch and invited them to fill their pipes he at once won their good-will.

"how quickly have you come from cabul? was there any news when you left there?"

"we have travelled fast," he said. "you have had three days' start of us, and i arrived here this afternoon. no, there was no news. they say that the infidels are halting at gundamuck. the chiefs are gathering in the passes with all their forces, but have not yet moved."

"i should have thought that they would have had enough of our passes; they will meet with the same fate as those who tried to go down them."

"it should be so," angus replied. "who can withstand your people when they are fighting among your own hills? you must have travelled slowly, since we gained three days upon you."

"we made very short journeys," the man said. "you see, we were encumbered with these women and children, for whom it must have been rough work, for the nights are already cold. i shall be glad when we get to khooloom and hand them over to the governor there. but i will say for them that they have borne up bravely. i can tell you that we are all disgusted at having to be making this journey with them instead of taking our share of the spoil that will be gathered in the passes."

"yes, it must be annoying to brave men to be thus wasting their time when great things are being done, to say nothing of losing their share of the booty to be gathered. have you a good commander?"

"yes, we have no cause to grumble on that account. saleh mahomed is a bold soldier and a cheerful fellow, is not unduly harsh, and as long as we keep our arms in good order, and obey his orders, he asks no questions when one[pg 324] of us comes in with a sheep fastened to his saddle. but there has been no chance of getting anything to help out our rations, for the two or three little villages we have passed since we left the valley are for the most part deserted. there are women there, but the men have not yet come down from the hills with the flocks, and none of us have tasted meat since we started. saleh mahomed is a man who has travelled much and seen many things. he was an officer in the english army, but he would not fight against us, and two years ago, when dost mahomed with his army came here, he went over to him with his company of sepoys. he was not a chief, but was a tribesman near the frontier. there are many of them, they say, in the service of the infidels; and he had done well for himself."

"i suppose the captive women must be in want of warm clothes. i have not a large stock of goods, but among them are several warm robes, which i would sell cheaply to them, for i wish to clear away my remaining stock, as i intend to buy turkoman carpets at khooloom and balkh; and besides these i have some stuff which doubtless the women here would buy to make garments for the children. think you that saleh would let me traffic with them?"

"that i could not say; but if you have anything in your pack that would please him he might perhaps let you do so. you seem a good fellow, if you like i will take you to him to-morrow morning."

"thank you for your offer. when i meet you i will have a pound of good tobacco, which i shall beg you to accept."

"i will be here. i shall be one of the guards to-night round the fort, but shall be free in the morning."

"does saleh mahomed sleep there?"

"no, it is a miserable and dirty place. he lodges at the house of the headman there."

early in the morning hassan came down to the khan.[pg 325] "now, sahib, you have only to tell us what you want us to do, and you can rely upon us."

"for the present there is nothing. i am going to see saleh mahomed this morning, and try to get permission to sell some of my goods to the captives. i may then be able to learn something of his disposition towards them, and how he behaved to them during the journey. it is important that i should know this before giving him the message from the moonshee."

"it would be well to do so, master; but from what i hear the moonshee has been negotiating with many of the chiefs, who are willing enough to take his money, but who do not carry out their part of the bargain. however, i have not heard that any of them have denounced him. he is always considered to be the chief agent of the english, but as he spends english gold freely, and as it is well to have some one in cabul through whom negotiations could be entered into with them, no one interferes with him."

"the only thing that you can do for the present is to go round among your friends, talk to them about the captives, and say that it is a disgrace that they should be sent as captives among the usbegs after having received promises of protection, and having willingly submitted themselves as hostages. of course you will do it carefully; but if you can create a feeling in their favour, and make them afterwards win over a portion of the escort, something might be done. of course you can say, and truly, that sadut khan, dost mahomed's nephew by marriage, is most indignant at this breach of faith, and that you believe that many other chiefs share his feeling."

"i will set about it at once. the tribesmen here have not the same animosity against the english as those at cabul. the english troops when they were here behaved well; they took no man's goods without payment, and the[pg 326] tribesmen got better prices for their sheep and cattle than they had ever got before. they care little who rules at cabul, and it is nothing to them whether it is the barukzyes or a dooranee."

the next morning angus met the afghan soldier. "here is the tobacco i promised you; it is good stuff."

"if it is like that you gave me yesterday, i shall be very content. now, come with me to saleh; he is a good fellow if you find him in the humour." the officer was alone when they entered. "saleh mahomed," the soldier said, "this is a trader from cashmere, syud moorteza; he will tell you his business. he seems to be a good fellow, and has some excellent tobacco."

having thus introduced angus he left the room.

"what is it that you want with me?" saleh asked in persian. angus replied in the same language, "i am a trader, my lord, and wish to get rid of some of the wares i am carrying. they are but few, as i am going north to purchase and not to sell. i would willingly rid myself of a part of them. among them are warm dresses and stuffs. i am told that the persons in your charge are but thinly clad, and i doubt not that they would willingly buy these goods of me."

the afghan laughed. "they would willingly have them, no doubt; but as to buying, they are altogether without money. those who were in charge of them saw to that before they were handed over to me."

"i should not mind that, my lord. i have had dealings with englishmen who have come up to cashmere, and they generally take a store of shawls and other things back with them to india. we always find that they are true to their word, and we take their orders as willingly as gold—more so, indeed, because the shroffs in india take them anywhere, and it saves our having to send money there for the pur[pg 327]chase of goods in india. thus, then, if they gave me orders on their people at calcutta or bombay, i would more willingly accept them than gold, which is a dangerous commodity to carry."

"but you say that you are going to purchase goods."

"that is so, my lord, but i do not carry money to do so. i pay for them with orders upon a merchant at herat to whom i am well-known, and who acts as my agent, and buys for me such goods as i require from persia. i have not come empty-handed to you, my lord. it is right that if you do me the favour of allowing me to trade with your prisoners, you should share in the benefit. i have with me here a cashmere shawl. i do not say that it is worthy of your acceptance, but it is handsome and of the best wool, and will make a warm girdle."

saleh was fond of finery. "let me look at it," he said.

angus undid the parcel and held the shawl up, and closely watched the afghan as he examined it. he saw that he was pleased with it. however, the chief said, "i say not that it is not a good shawl, but it is not of the best quality. i have been at srinagar."

"'tis not of the best, my lord—i would not try to deceive one like yourself—but it is the best i have, and i can hardly hope to make more than its value from these people."

"it is worth about two hundred rupees," saleh said.

"your lordship is not to be deceived, that is the very sum i gave for it; but it is worth much more here."

"you seem to be an honest man," saleh said, throwing the shawl down on the divan from which he had risen. "and in truth i should be well content that the prisoners were better supplied with garments in the cold weather that is setting in. i am ordered to conduct them safely to khooloom, but nought was said against my providing them with such comforts on the way as they could obtain. to-day i[pg 328] am busy; i have to see that the men are well quartered and fed. to-morrow if you come here with your goods i will myself take you to the place where they are confined; but mind that no word is said to them save concerning your merchandise."

"what words should i say, my lord? but doubtless one of your men will be present and see that i confine myself to my business."

"then come at this hour to-morrow."

angus bowed deeply and then left, delighted that he had obtained permission to see the captives.

that day the prisoners were taken to another fort, saleh being moved by their complaints of the dirt and want of accommodation in the little fort in which they were crowded. the place was but a little better than the one they had left, but there was somewhat more room.

hassan came to angus in the evening. "i have seen many of my friends," he said, "and have spoken as you told me. they are indignant. i told them that dost mahomed and his family, and that of akbar, are honourably treated in india, and are allowed a large income by the government there, and live with every comfort and luxury, and it is a disgrace to our nation that such treatment should be meted out to the officers who are hostages, and the ladies and their families. i do not say that they will be disposed to hazard their own safety by taking any active measures, but if the soldiers were to show any disposition favourable to the captives, they would assuredly take no hostile steps against them."

"i have strong hopes that i may succeed with saleh. he has taken a bribe from me to permit me to sell goods to the prisoners, and he may be willing to take a vastly greater one to release them."

"my men have been going about among the soldiers, sahib.[pg 329] they are discontented at this journey they have taken, and at the prospect of a still farther one, and if their commander gave them the order to return, they would not, i think, hesitate to obey."

"let your men continue at that work, but let them be careful not to appear to be too warmly interested. let them avoid at present all mention of captives, and simply inflame the men's minds by talking of the hardships of their being sent on such a journey when so much booty is likely to be picked up in the passes. it is not likely that if saleh orders them to proceed on their journey they will refuse to do so, but if he learns from his officers that the men would gladly obey him if he ordered them to return, it may help him to decide to accept the offer i have to make him. i shall put off doing so till the last moment, because at any time news may come that pollock and nott are both beating back all opposition and advancing on cabul, and in that case he may see that his interest lies in siding with them rather than with akbar."

in the morning angus rode with saleh to the fort, azim following with the pony carrying the bales of goods. two men stood as sentries on the platform on the top of the plain, half a dozen others were posted round it. the officer in charge came out.

"have you anything to report, suleiman?"

"no, captain, except that the prisoners complain that this place is little better than the last they were confined in."

"they are particular, these ladies and gentlemen," saleh said with a laugh. "the place might be better, no doubt, but they will be lucky if they do not find themselves very much worse lodged when they get among the usbegs."

"major pottinger was asking, captain, that a few blankets should be given them for the use of the women and children."

[pg 330]

"we will see about it. however, this trader here has some warm robes to sell, and they may just as well pay for the things themselves as that i should put my hand into my pocket, for my instructions said nothing about buying things of this sort for them; and from the manner in which prince akbar gave me my orders, i should say that the more they suffered the better he would be pleased. however, i am sorry for them, and have given permission to this cashmerian to see them and try to sell his goods to them."

the officer looked doubtful. "i do not think there is a rupee among them."

"no, but the trader has faith that if they give him notes for his goods, their people will assuredly cash them."

"he must be a very confiding fellow," the officer said.

"no; by what he says the shroffs of all the large cities in india are always ready to take the notes of english officers, and that he himself has done so in cashmere.

"at any rate you can take him up to their apartments, but remain in the room while he bargains with them. i do not mind his carrying on his trade, but see that he in no way communicates with them save in the matter of his business."

saleh went up with angus, followed by the officer and azim, who was assisted by the soldiers to carry up the goods. a sentry was sitting before the door at the top of the stairs with his musket across his knee. as saleh came up, he rose and took a key hanging on a nail on the wall beside him and opened the door.

"i hear that you are still not content with your lodging, captain johnson," saleh said as he entered. "well, what would you have? these towers are all alike, and do not come up to our ideas of comfort in cabul; and as glass is scarcely known in bamian, no doubt you feel it cold at night."

goods

angus shows his goods to the prisoners.

[pg 331]

"if we had a few blankets to hang across the windows the ladies would not feel it so much, saleh."

"that is so; and as i am anxious that they should not, while under my charge, feel greater discomfort than necessary, i have permitted this trader, syud moorteza, to enter. he has, he tells me, some warm robes and other things which he is ready to sell, and as i told him that before you came into my charge all your money had been taken away, he is ready to take your notes upon a banker at calcutta or bombay in payment."

captain johnson knew the cashmerian, as he had rendered invaluable assistance in obtaining grain. angus, who was acquainted with him, had the more willingly adopted his name because the man was about his own height and build, and there was even some resemblance in feature. captain johnson therefore looked with interest at the trader, who was standing a little behind saleh. for a moment he seemed puzzled but angus had his hand on his chin and suddenly moved two fingers across his lips and very slightly shook his head. johnson understood the gesture, and replied to saleh: "the man is right; he may be sure that whatever happens to us our friends will see that he is paid for any goods we may buy of him. we will write a letter in persian, which you can read to our friends, saying that this man has trusted us and that our orders are to be honoured."

the ladies, who were in the next room, were called in. the afghan commander, who had nothing to do, remained with his officer, being interested in the contents of the trader's bales. azim opened them, and spread the articles out on the floor for inspection. angus was greatly concerned at the appearance of the ladies, to all of whom he was known. his disguise, however, had so completely changed his appearance that none of them recognized him.[pg 332] his face was darkened, his eyebrows and hair had been stained black, and by the assistance of some false hair the latter was arranged in the fashion worn by the man he represented. syud moorteza was of the hindoo religion, and angus had imitated his caste marks on the forehead, which alone greatly altered his appearance. but the ladies scarcely looked at him. their delight at seeing the warm robes and woollen cloths was great indeed. here was a prospect that their sufferings from cold would be alleviated, and that their children could now be warmly clad.

among the smaller articles in his bale angus included a good supply of needles and thread, buttons, and other small necessaries. the ladies saw at once that from the soft woolen cloths they would be able to make an abundance of warm clothing for the children. angus expatiated after the manner of a trader on the quality of his goods. holding up a warm robe to captain johnson, he said: "this would suit you, my lord; it will keep you warm in the coldest night."

"you have not more than enough for the ladies," captain johnson said. "if there is anything over after they have made their purchases, we shall be glad to take the rest of your cloth. we can wind it round us."

"but feel the quality of this robe, my lord," angus urged, with a wink that was understood by the officer, who at once took hold of it. as he did so angus slipped a note, which he had folded to the smallest possible dimensions, into his hands.

"yes, it is good material," he said quietly; "but, as i have just said, these must be for the ladies." and he turned away as if unwilling to be tempted, and presently sauntered into the next room. in order to keep up his character angus asked fully five times the proper value for his goods. but the captives had no thought of bargain[pg 333]ing; for these goods would be of the greatest comfort to themselves and their children, as coverings for the night, and as wraps during the passage of the passes, for in addition to the clothes and cloth, there were silk mufflers for the neck, and warm jackets lined with astrakhan fur. nor were the needles and thread less prized. their clothes and those of the children were in rags, and they would be most useful for mending, as well as the making of new clothes. some of them almost cried with joy at the thought of the comfort that this would be to their little ones.

in a few minutes the greater portion of the contents of the bales was disposed of. "the best way," pottinger said, "will be for lawrence, mackenzie, and myself, as the three political officers, to give this man an order signed by the three of us on our agent at calcutta, and i will write an open letter to accompany it, authorizing any british officer or banker to cash the note when it is presented, and to send it on to my agent. the man has done us an inestimable service, and it will facilitate his getting the money. where are you thinking of cashing this?" he asked.

"at herat."

"then i will also give you a note to a trader there. he has a shop in the great bazaar, and is a friend of mine. he has relations with business men in india, and will, i am sure, cash it for you at once should you desire cash, or will furnish you in exchange with bills on some merchant in candahar." he then mentioned the trader's name.

"that will suit me well," angus said. "i know the man by name, having been myself at herat. he is of good repute, and i am sure that he or any other merchant having dealings in india would gladly cash the order, as it would be far safer to send than money."

it was not until the purchases had all been made that captain johnson re-entered the room, came and stood by[pg 334] angus, asking a few questions as to the goods; when the two afghans were looking another way he passed a note into the pretended merchant's hand. presently he said: "but we have no pen and ink to write this order?"

"i have them, sahib," angus said, taking an ink-bottle and pen, such as were always carried by traders, from his pocket, together with several sheets of paper. the price of all the goods was added up; then pottinger wrote an order for the amount, which was signed by himself, lawrence, and mackenzie. then johnson took pottinger aside as if to discuss the terms of the letters.

"that man is not syud moorteza at all," he said. "don't turn round and look at him. he has given me a note, and i am answering it. who do you think it is?"

"i have been a little puzzled, not by his face, but by his voice. i have it now—it is angus campbell."

"you have guessed right. he has come up by himself through the passes to try and overtake us. he bears a message from mohun lal to saleh, saying that he shall be given a pension of a thousand rupees a month and a present of thirty thousand if he will hand over the captives to the british general when he reaches cabul. he has asked my opinion as to whether it would be safe to make the proposition to the man, or whether he had better wait until news comes that pollock has defeated akbar in the passes. i have told him that i have already sounded saleh, and that though he passed the matter off, i believe he is open to take a bribe if he hears that nott and pollock are making their way up. he says that if bad news comes—and i think it would then be useless to approach saleh—he will make an attempt with some men he has with him to effect your escape, and also mine, and that of mackenzie and lawrence. boyd, of course, would not leave his wife and[pg 335] family, and it would be impossible to take the women and children with us."

"campbell is a splendid fellow!" pottinger said. "he behaved wonderfully well at herat, and i was sure that in time he would make a very fine officer. it is a noble thing, his undertaking such a tremendous risk."

the letters were now written and handed to angus. saleh, however, took them from his hands and read them, and then handed them back, after assuring himself that there was nothing written but what had been agreed upon. then he and the officer went downstairs with angus and azim, the latter carrying easily enough the one small bale that sufficed for the goods unsold.

"you have made a nice sum out of this," saleh said.

"i have had a long journey with my goods," angus replied humbly; "but they were well contented, and paid without bargaining the prices i asked. i feel, my lord, that i am greatly indebted to you for the opportunity. i have not money with me—we traders never carry cash, and i shall have to wait many months before i receive the price of the goods—nevertheless, my lord, i will willingly give you in token of my gratitude another shawl equal to the last; i have brought with me only two. and you can select any goods you like from those remaining. there are many silk things among them, for they only bought such as were needed for wear."

saleh was well satisfied, and telling angus that he might call round in the evening with some of the silk embroidered scarfs, he allowed him to return to the camp. two days passed, and then a horseman rode in with the news that akbar had been defeated at tezeen, but would fight another battle, and, as he was being joined by many chiefs, would doubtless overthrow the infidels. the news spread[pg 336] rapidly and caused much excitement in the camp, which was heightened by the fact that the man said that there was a report that ghuznee had been captured by the british force that was marching from candahar.

angus went in the evening and requested a private interview with saleh. as johnson had told him in his note, the afghan had already been revolving in his mind whether he could not do better for himself by halting at bamian until he knew how affairs would turn out at cabul. johnson, who had become very intimate with him on the journey, had said casually that the british government would assuredly pay a large sum for the return of the captives. he had taken no notice of the remark at the time, but had thought a good deal of it. he knew that money had been lavishly spent among the chiefs, and it seemed to him that he too might have a share in the golden flood.

he was a shrewd man as well as an unscrupulous one. he had three times before deserted his employers when better offers had been made to him, and it seemed to him that he had it now in his power to procure a sum that would make him rich for life. he had been told by his sub-officers that there was a growing disaffection among the men, that many of them openly grumbled at the prospect of the journey to khooloom, and that some of the bamian petty chiefs had been going among them, and, they believed, stirring up a feeling against the journey. he had from the first entertained some suspicion of this cashmerian trader. why should he not have bought a larger store of indian goods to exchange with the turkomans?

his doubt as to the best course to pursue had been heightened at the news that he had received that afternoon. what would happen if the british again settled down at cabul? they would doubtless send a force to endeavour to rescue the captives. and although he might be at khoo[pg 337]loom before they did so, his situation would then be a most unpleasant one. akbar, as a fugitive, could no longer pay him and his troops; they would, of course, leave him, and he would not dare to return to cabul. he was thinking over these matters when angus was ushered in. the latter had already decided that he would for the present maintain the character that he had assumed. if saleh knew that he was a british officer he would assuredly, if he remained faithful to his charge, arrest him also; but as merely the agent of mohun lal, one of the most influential men in cabul, the afghan would probably allow him to depart unharmed, even if he refused the offered bribe.

"i have not come to you this evening to talk of merchandise, saleh mahomed," angus began. "i have come upon a more important matter. as you know, the troops from jellalabad have defeated akbar, and are making their way up through the passes. they will defeat him again if he fights them. the troops from candahar have reached ghuznee, and assuredly there is no force that can arrest their progress to cabul. i have only waited for this to speak openly to you. i am sent here by mohun lal. he authorizes me to promise you, in his name and that of general pollock, a pension of a thousand rupees a month, and a gift of thirty thousand rupees, if you will hold the prisoners here until a british force arrives to carry them back to cabul."

the afghan showed no surprise. "i suspected," he said, "all along that you had come here for some other motive than trade. what guarantee does mohun lal offer that these terms shall be fulfilled?"

"it would not have been safe for him to have entrusted such a message to paper," angus said, "but he gives you his word."

"words are no guarantee," saleh said, "especially the word of a chief."

[pg 338]

"i would suggest, saleh mahomed, that you have it in your power to obtain a guarantee that even you will acknowledge to be a binding one. you have in your hands three men whose names are known throughout afghanistan and through india as those of men of honour. you have major pottinger, captain lawrence, and mr. mackenzie, all men whose word would be accepted unhesitatingly to whatever promise they might make. they and the other officers would, i am sure, give you a written guarantee that the offer made by mohun lal shall be confirmed and carried out by the government of india."

"what should i do with money without employment?"

"if you desire employment, i have no doubt that you would be granted, in addition to the money payment, the command of a native regiment raised among the pathans of the lower hills."

"i will think the matter over," the afghan said, and with a wave of the hand dismissed angus. but the latter had seen, by the expression of saleh's face when he mentioned the terms, that these were far higher than he had himself ever thought of, and he had no doubt whatever that they would be accepted. the first thing in the morning he received a message from saleh mahomed requesting him to accompany him to the tower. the afghan, beyond the usual salute, was silent during the ride. on dismounting saleh told him to follow him. on entering the prisoners' apartments the officer said: "you are aware that prince akbar's orders are that i am to take you to khooloom. i had certainly intended to do so, but i have received news that leads me to doubt whether he may be in a position to support you if i carry out the orders. yesterday afternoon i heard that he had been defeated at tezeen. he will fight again with a stronger force than before, still the issue is doubtful. i may tell you that the messenger also[pg 339] brought to the fort news that the force from candahar had taken ghuznee."

an exclamation of joy broke from the prisoners.

"another thing has happened," the afghan went on. "this trader last night informed me that he really came here on a mission from mohun lal. he promises me, in general pollock's name, that if i release you and carry you to cabul i shall be granted a pension of a thousand rupees a month and thirty thousand as a present. i know nothing of general pollock, and have no great faith in mohun lal, but seeing that akbar may be even now a fugitive and your two armies in cabul, if you gentlemen will swear by your god to make good to me what syud moorteza states he is authorized to offer, i will hand you over to your own people."

the offer was joyfully accepted. angus was requested by saleh to draw out a bond to that effect in persian, and this was signed by pottinger, lawrence, johnson, and mackenzie. another agreement was then drawn up by johnson, by which all the officers bound themselves to pay as many months' pay and allowances, in accordance with their rank, as should be necessary to carry out the terms of the agreement, thus satisfying saleh that, should the english general refuse to ratify the first agreement, he would receive the money from them. to this all the prisoners and the ladies signed their names, brigadier shelton heading the list; while lady macnaghten and mrs. sturt, who were widows, bound themselves in a codicil to pay such sums as might be demanded from them by major pottinger and captains lawrence and johnson.

"you are no longer my prisoner, sahibs," saleh said when the two documents were handed to him, and he on his part had given a bond to perform his share of the conditions. "now, i should like your counsel as to how i had best pro[pg 340]ceed. i believe that my men will gladly obey me in this matter, because they are discontented at being sent so far away, and i feel sure that a very slight inducement on your part to them will settle the matter. if i could offer them in your name a gratuity of four months' pay when we arrive at cabul, it would settle matters."

to this the officers willingly agreed.

"i have been thinking over the affair all night," he went on. "which, think you, would be best—to travel straight for cabul when you hear that the british have arrived there, or to wait here? i hear that many of the petty chiefs in the neighbourhood are indignant that akbar khan should have broken all the promises he made, and have treated so badly those who placed themselves under his protection, while at the same time his father, together with his own family, are receiving most honourable treatment in india. doubtless you would rather go straight down to cabul, but we must remember that if defeated, akbar with a very large number of his followers may again fly by this route and make for khooloom, as he and dost mahomed did when the british first marched to cabul. should they meet us on our way down they would assuredly attack us, and their numbers might be so great that we should be overwhelmed. on the other hand, if we stay here we can occupy the largest of these little forts and set to work to strengthen it, and might then resist any force akbar could bring against us until the british troops arrive to our assistance."

the officers were silent for a minute, and then pottinger said: "what do you think, brigadier? this is a military matter."

"i should say the last proposition is the safest," shelton replied. "we may be sure that the moment pollock reaches cabul he will send off a body of cavalry to rescue us. akbar[pg 341] would have at best only forty-eight hours' start, perhaps not half that, and he would scarcely venture to stop here to undertake a siege. he will certainly have no guns with him, and the three hundred men of our escort, with ten or twelve of us to lead them, could be trusted to withstand any hurried assault he might make upon us."

the others all agreed that this would be the safest plan.

"very well," saleh said. "i will go now and harangue my men, and in the meantime you can prepare to move. i will select the largest and most defensible of these forts. we will move quietly in there, and then i will summon the bamian chiefs, and proclaim that i have abandoned the cause of akbar, and now with my british allies summon them to invite their men to join me, so that when an english force arrives here they will be free from all molestation, and will receive presents in accordance with the number of men they furnish."

so saying he left the room, and the joy of the captives broke out in general congratulations among the men, and tears of joy from the women. pottinger, johnson, and boyd gathered round angus and poured forth their thanks to him. nothing had hitherto been said to the ladies as to the real character of the supposed trader, for it was felt that if this enterprise failed the disappointment would to them be terrible. as soon as they learned who he was and what he had done, they too crowded round, and angus was for a time quite confused with the expressions of gratitude showered upon him.

"i see," pottinger said, when the din of voices had quieted down, "that you have not informed saleh mahomed of your real character."

"i thought it better not to do so. i really came from mohun lal, and if he thought i had not done so, he might have doubted whether i had any authority to make such a[pg 342] proposal; therefore, i thought it would be well to keep up my present character to the end."

"perhaps it is best so," pottinger agreed. "these afghans are always suspicious, and a man who has several times betrayed his employers would be more suspicious than other people. i quite agree with you that it is best you should keep up your present character. i suppose mohun lal really did give you the assurance about the ransom?"

"yes, general pollock told me that he would give any sum mohun lal might think it desirable to offer, and that was the figure fixed upon as being high enough to tempt saleh, and yet not excessive for such a service. besides, he thought that he might ask more, in which case i should of course have bargained with him."

"it is a sum that would tempt any afghan chief," pottinger said, "and to a mere military adventurer like saleh would appear prodigious. well, we will hear of your adventures afterwards. he may return at any moment, and it might put him out of humour if he found that we were not ready. not, indeed, that there is much to do. even the ladies will be able to pack up their scanty belongings in a few minutes. there would, in fact, be nothing at all to pack had it not been for the things they bought of you. the next room is all in confusion, for every one of them is hard at work making clothes for the children."

it was half an hour before saleh mahomed returned.

"all is well," he said; "the men did not hesitate for a moment. they are delighted at the prospect of returning to cabul, and declare they will fight till the last if they are attacked. i set them to work at once to clear out the largest of the forts here. the chief, when i told him what it was required for, refused his consent, so i at once turned him out, and have appointed another favourable to us in his place. we will move there at once."

[pg 343]

the news infused fresh strength into the ladies, several of whom were suffering from sickness, and all from long-continued anxiety and the hardships of the journey; they were able to proceed on foot to the fort. hassan was the first to come in with ten followers to give in his adherence to the new order of things. many others followed the example; and as angus was able to supply money, strong parties were soon at work throwing up entrenchments round the tower. pottinger, convinced that audacity was the best policy, at once issued a proclamation calling upon the people of the town and the chiefs of all the surrounding villages to come in at once and pay their respects, and it was not long before they began to arrive.

the next day still larger numbers were set to work, and by evening the earthworks were so advanced that they were in a position to offer a very strong resistance. late that evening a friendly chief brought in the news that general pollock was within a day's march of cabul, that all resistance had ceased, and that akbar had fled no one knew whither.

it was immediately decided that a start should be made for cabul on the following morning. it was evident that akbar had not retired by that route—had he done so he would have arrived before the news of his flight—and that therefore the risk of meeting any strong force on the road was very slight. they set out at eight o'clock in the morning. horses had been procured for the whole party; the officers took the children before them, the ladies rode. that night all slept on the rocks within shelter, but at midnight they were awakened by the arrival of a horseman. he brought a letter from sir richmond shakespere, general pollock's military secretary, saying that he was on the point of starting with six hundred native horse for bamian.

at daybreak the party were astir again, pressing their[pg 344] horses eagerly, their sufferings all forgotten in the hope of speedily meeting their friends. at noon a cloud of dust was seen to rise from the road far ahead; then some straggling horsemen were made out, and behind them a body of cavalry. it was still possible that this might be a body of the enemy, and preparations were at once made for defence. the drums were beat, a line formed, and muskets loaded. soon, however, it could be made out that an officer riding at the head of the party was in british uniform, and in a few minutes shakespere rode up, followed by his men. the joy of the meeting was almost beyond words. a few days before a hopeless captivity among wild tribesmen seemed to be their certain lot; now they were among friends again. they learned from sir richmond that general sale himself was to set out at the head of a brigade to support the advanced party.

the next morning they started again, and on the 20th met sale's column. that evening they passed near the camp of the candahar force, and the next day rode through cabul on their way to pollock's camp, where their arrival excited unbounded delight, for it had generally been felt that the victories that they had won would be incomplete indeed unless their fellow countrymen and women had been rescued. general pollock thanked angus publicly that evening for the service that he had rendered, and the manner in which he had carried out the perilous scheme he had volunteered to perform, and he received innumerable congratulations from all the officers with whom he had shared in the defence of jellalabad.

the army remained but a few days at cabul, for the winter was at hand. it was at first proposed to destroy the bala hissar, but the idea was given up, as it was represented that no ruler of afghanistan would be able to maintain his position unless he had that fortress to rely upon. instead of this the great bazaar, through which macnaghten's body had[pg 345] been carried in triumph, was destroyed, and in spite of the efforts of their officers many of the troops entered the city and punished the treachery of its inhabitants by sacking a considerable portion of it. the united army then marched down the passes and retired to india. pollock's division met with no resistance whatever; that of nott, which followed it, was more than once attacked by large bands of plunderers.

the report that general pollock had sent in to the governor-general on the day the captives reached the camp gave full credit to angus for the courage and devotion that he had shown, and stated that had he not succeeded in bringing saleh mahomed over to our side, the latter would probably have reached khooloom with the captives before they could have been overtaken, and in that case they might have been sent far away on the approach of sale's brigade and been lost for ever to their friends. the consequence was that he was at once appointed political officer to one of the rajput states.

henceforth his promotion was rapid. six years later he went to england on three years' leave. on the ship on which he sailed were four officers of his acquaintance, some of whom were accompanied by their wives. from several of these he received the most pressing invitations to stay with them at their country houses. these he gladly accepted, for except among military men who had returned home, he was without friends. feeling at a loss for employment after a life of such activity as he had led, he threw up his leave at the end of the year, and took back with him to india a wife, the daughter of a colonel who had sailed with him from india.

at the end of another ten years he returned home for good. his pay had been large. he had laid by a considerable sum before he first went home, and this he had placed in the hands[pg 346] of the firm to whom he had sent his money before leaving teheran for herat. it had been well employed by them, and at the age of forty he returned home with a considerable fortune, besides a pension, after twenty-three years of service. he had been reluctant to quit his work, but his wife's health had suffered from the climate. his three children had been sent home to her family, and he now bought a place near her people. at first he felt altogether out of his element, but he gradually fell into the ways of country life, and no longer regretted that his work in india had come to an end.