. An empire story; stories of India and the greater colonies told to children . e longmarch, and as it began, so it went on. While the crowdof men, women, and children, wound through the narrowvalleys, the wild hill tribes rushed down upon them fromthe heights, slaughtering them without mercy. Themarch became a headlong flight. In the frantic rush,baggage, ammunition, provisions, all were left tents, without food or shelter, many lay downto die in the snow. Attacked by their pitiless enemies,they could scarce defend themselves. Muskets droppedfrom their numbed, frost-bitten fing
. An empire story; stories of India and the greater colonies told to children . e longmarch, and as it began, so it went on. While the crowdof men, women, and children, wound through the narrowvalleys, the wild hill tribes rushed down upon them fromthe heights, slaughtering them without mercy. Themarch became a headlong flight. In the frantic rush,baggage, ammunition, provisions, all were left tents, without food or shelter, many lay downto die in the snow. Attacked by their pitiless enemies,they could scarce defend themselves. Muskets droppedfrom their numbed, frost-bitten fingers, and they weremown down like corn before the reaper. The son of Dost Muhammad, who had promised thatthe army should march in safety, was powerless againstthe wild hill tribes. But he now offered to take care ofthe ladies and the children, and with heavy hearts themen gave them into his keeping. It was a terrible risk,for how could any one be sure that they would not all bemurdered horribly. Yet there was a chance that thiswild Afghan would keep his word and bring them to. CRUSHED BY ROLLING STONES, MOWN DOWN BY VOLLEYS OF MUSKET-SHOXTHE MEN FELL IN HUNDREDS. THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR 459 safety, and if they went on with the army, they must allcertainly die of the hardships of the way. The Afghanchief did keep his word, and months later all those left mhis charge returned home in safety. Faint with hunger, sick and numb with cold, the mencontinued the march. But they could not escape fromtheir savage black enemies. Crushed by roUmg stones,mowed down by volleys of musket shot «»* to byknives, pierced by bayonets, the men feU by hundreds, andthe army grew smaller and smaller. At last, on the morning of the thirteenth of January asentry on the ramparts of Jellalabad looked out along theroad from Kabul. There he saw one lone traveller rode a lean and wretched pony, and bent forward,clinoing to its mane like one in deadly agony. Soon thewaif was thick with anxious men
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidempirestorystori01mars
