attempt, and if I fell, he would do me justice in reporting what I had accomplished, as I had friends in England to whom it would be some consolation to know I had done my duty. He promised me faithfully he would, and was much affected when I left, saying-"We are all soldiers, and, when required, must do even more than our duty."

After receiving my despatches, I started in the afternoon, and once more mounted my favourite camel, Tippoo Sahib, which was so fresh that I had no control over him for twelve miles. He then came to hand; and this camel carried me one hundred and ten miles, without halt, in thirty hours. I then pulled up at a small outpost, held by forty men of the Resident's escort (cavalry), under Lieutenant Richardson. He informed me the Beeloochees were out in great numbers, and an attempt to get to Colonel Marshall's post was quite hopeless; but he gallantly offered to aid me in the attempt with his handful of men, and would have done so had I allowed him. But

BEELOOCH ENCAMPMENT.

27

I pointed out to him that if it were to be achieved at all, it must be by a very small party. I selected three of his men, who readily volunteered to accompany me, and after partaking of a bottle of beer and part of a cold fowl, we started about four P.M., on a tremendous hot afternoon.

After proceeding some eight miles, we came in sight of the body of Beeloochees through whom we had to force our way. There were some dry and very deep water-courses before us, and, as it was useless at daylight to attempt to make our way, we went down into one of these, muffling our horses. We remained here within a mile of the Beelooch encampment for five long hours, and at about eleven, after regaling and chatting a long time, they all lay down to sleep. I then crept up the bank, and finding all quiet, I beckoned my three followers up. We were all disguised; I wore an enormous Beeloochee turban over my helmet, and a posteen or Affghan cloak, made of sheepskin, over my uniform. Ordering the strictest silence, not a

word to be spoken, but the men to move by me, I led the way. We went on very quietly until we got to about the middle of the cluster of Beeloochees, when we were challenged. No reply was given. A second and third challenge, and then a general movement-tom-tom beating -men shouting-horses neighing, many of them mounting (nearly half were cavalry): the infantry began to fire, but at first well over us. It was now time to make the running, and off we went. My unfortunate Ketmutgar, the sporting youth aforesaid, turned back, however, in a panic, and was cut up. On we dashed. Lead was flying thickly, and two of the men were wounded, one in the shoulder, and one in the hip. I had many broad hints in the shape of whistling bullets. At last we got clear of the camp, and pulled up for a few minutes to give our horses wind. We soon, however, heard a heavy tramp behind us, and ascertained a large body of cavalry were moving after us at speed. There was no time to hesitate. On we went again, the tramp nearing us rapidly;

THE RETREAT AND PURSUIT.

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indeed, dark as it was, their dust was now visible. All on a sudden we were brought up by the dry bed of a river. Down we went, man over horse, and horse over man; we could stick at nothing, and a precious roll I got. We immediately righted, however, and a thought struck me that now our only chance lay in following the bed of this dry river. We did so for some four hundred yards, then pulled up and dismounted, and muffling our well-blown nags, we heard the mass of Beelooch cavalry pass through just where we had turned off. There must have been a very large body of them. We remained perfectly quiet, and in about an hour we heard them return, this time at a walk, shouting and talking very loudly. Back they went, to our delight, without examining the bed of the river. Half-an-hour afterwards, we pulled our horses out of the deep bed, and went off at speed to Colonel Marshall's camp, where I arrived at four o'clock the morning following the day of my departure. The Colonel was called, and greatly surprised

was he at seeing a British officer there from head-quarters with despatches.

The troops got under arms immediately. I had some refreshment, got a fresh horse, received command of the cavalry, one hundred and twenty Irregulars. Forward! was the word, and after a march of seven miles we came up with Nusseer Khan, the Khan of Khelat. He was admirably posted. We waited here for upwards of an hour, until a flanking party of four hundred men, under the gallant Major Teasdale, of the 25th Bombay N.I., shewed their heads. This brave man was afterwards killed at Meanee, leading as gallant a body of men as John Company ever possessed-the 25th Regiment of Bombay N.I.

Nusseer Khan, confident in the superior number of his troops, did not refuse battle when it was offered him. The action commenced at 9 A.M., and, after some stiff fighting, at 4 P.M. we had thrashed the Beeloochees thoroughly. We only took one hundred and thirty prisoners, but of these eighteen were