The Story of the Guides | Page 5

sending their wives and cattle to some safe glen in the distant hills,
openly defied both the tax-collector and the troops that followed him. It
then became a case either of coercion or of leaving it alone. An effete
administration, like that of the Sikhs, if thus roughly faced, as often as
not let the matter rest. But with the infusion of British blood a new era
commenced; and the principle was insisted on that, where revenue was
due, the villagers must pay or fight. And further, if they chose the latter
alternative, a heavy extra penalty would fall on them, such as the
confiscation of their cattle, the destruction of their strongholds, and the
losses inevitable when the appeal is made to warlike arbitration.
It was on such an expedition that one of the Guides had a curious and
fatal adventure. Colonel George Lawrence, who was the British
Representative in Peshawur, was out in Yusafzai with a brigade of Sikh
troops, collecting revenue and generally asserting the rights of
government. Co-operating with him was Lumsden with the Guides.

Among the recalcitrants was the village of Babuzai, situated in a strong
position in the Lundkwar Valley, and Lawrence determined promptly
to coerce it. His plan of operation was to send the Guides' infantry by
night to work along the hills, so that before daylight they would be
occupying the commanding heights behind the village, and thus cut off
escape into the mountains. He himself, at dawn, would be in position
with the Sikh brigade to attack from the open plain; while the Guides'
cavalry were disposed so as to cut off the retreat to the right up the
valley.
In pursuance of their portion of the plan of operations, as the Guides'
infantry were cautiously moving along the hills towards their allotted
position, in the growing light they suddenly came upon a picquet of the
enemy placed to guard against this very contingency. To fire was to
give the alarm, so with exceeding promptness the picquet was charged
with the bayonet, and overpowered. At the head of the small storming
party charged a _duffadar_[1] of the Guides' cavalry, by name Fatteh
Khan. Fatteh Khan was one of those men to whom it was as the breath
of life to be in every brawl and fight within a reasonable ride. On this
occasion he was of opinion that the cavalry would see little or no
fighting, whereas the infantry might well be in for a pretty piece of
hand-to-hand work. "To what purpose therefore, Sahib, should I waste
my day?" he said to Lumsden. "With your Honour's permission I will
accompany my infantry comrades on foot. Are we not all of one
corps?" And so he went, keeping well forward, and handy for the first
encounter.
[1] Duffadar, a native non-commissioned officer of cavalry, answering
to the naik (corporal) of infantry.
As the gallant duffadar, sword in hand, dashed at the picquet, he was
from a side position shot through both arms; but not a whit dismayed or
hindered he hurled himself with splendid courage at the most brawny
opponent he could single out. A short sharp conflict ensued, Fatteh
Khan with his disabled arm using his sword, while his opponent, with
an Affghan knife in one hand, was busy trying to induce the glow on
his matchlock to brighten up, that the gun might definitely settle the

issue. In the course of the skirmishing between the two men a curious
accident, however, occurred. The tribesman, as was usual in those days,
was carrying under his arm a goat-skin bag full of powder for future
use. In aiming a blow at him, Fatteh Khan missed his man, but cut a
hole in the bag; the powder began to run out, and, as ill chance would
have it, some fell on the glowing ember of the matchlock. This weapon,
pointed anywhere and anyhow at the moment, went off with a terrific
report, which was followed instantaneously by a still greater explosion.
The flame had caught the bag of powder, and both the gallant duffadar
and his staunch opponent were blown to pieces.
So died a brave soldier. But lest the noise should have betrayed them,
his comrades hurried on with increased eagerness, and as good fortune
would have it arrived in position at the very nick of time. The operation
was completely successful. In due course the Sikhs attacked in front,
and when the enemy tried to escape up the hills behind their village,
they found retreat cut off by the Guides' infantry. Turning back, they
essayed to break away to the right; but the intention being signalled to
the Guides' cavalry, who were placed so as to intercept the fugitives,
these fell with great vigour on the tribesmen and gave them a much