Part 15 (1/2)

On the hans rode into the town, bearing a letter froeneral Elphinstone This told thereed to retire fro Sale to quit Jellalabad at once and proceed to India, leaving behind hiht not be able to carry with him

With one voice the council of hich was hastily summoned, declined once more to obey these instructions, which they declared had been wrung out of Elphinstone by force Jellalabad should be held at any cost, and the news that they received during the folloeek only strengthened their resolution The British in Cabul were hemmed in by their enemies, the cantonitives had been surrounded outside the city by Afghan troops led by the son of the Dost Mohah to think of, and to fear

Five days later so the horizon with their field glasses to see if there was any chance of an attack fro for soaze as theythe banks of the three strea away satisfied that at present there was no danger, when one of thelasses fro a pony has just come round that corner It is the Cabul road, and his clothes are English Look!'

The others looked, and saw for the wearily down the road, while it was clear that the rider was urging the poor beast to his best speed A chill feeling of disaster filled the little group; they hastened down to the walls and gave a shout of welcome, and the ate,' said the er had to tell

It was a fearful tale The general in Cabul had listened to the promises of the son of the Dost Mohammed, and had ordered the five thousand troops and ten thousand other hangers-on of the British army to leave their position, in which they were safe, and trust thery, and tired they struggled to the foot of the hans fell on their victi the snows of the passes Only Dr Brydon had been lucky enough to strike a path where no one followed hied to reach the walls of Jellalabad

In silence the men listened, horror in their faces It seelishmen should have walked blindfold into such a trap, and besides the grief and rage they felt at the fate of their countryhans would be intoxicated by their success, and at any ht swoop down upon the ill-defended Jellalabad Instantly the gates were closed, the horses saddled, and every les sounded every half-hour to guide to the city any fugitives thatin the woods or behind the rocks But none came--none ever ca a relief force under Wild; but instead there arrived the news that Wild had been unable to fight his way through the terrible Khyber Pass--the scene of edy in Indian history

In face of this a council of as again held to consider as best to be done Most of the officers wished to abandon the city and hans, in spite of the lesson that had already been given thehan faith Only Broadfoot and Havelock opposed violently this resolution, and in the end their views prevailed Jellalabad was to be defended by the garrison till general Pollock arrived from the East

So matters went for the next three months By this time the raw troops that had entered the city had become steady and experienced soldiers

There was a little fighting every now and then, which served to keep up their spirits, and though food needed to be served out carefully, they were able soave theeneral Pollock asking how long they could hold out, and he riting an answer at a table, with Havelock beside hian to rock and the books slid on to the ground Then a ind of dust rushed past the , ht, and the floor seemed to rise up under their feet

[Illustration: Suddenly the table began to rock]

The two iddy as they were, made their way outside, where they were nearly deafened with the noise of tuhtened people It was no use to fly, for havoc was all round them, and they were no safer in one place than another At last the earth ceased to tre, and the sun oncethe first shock of the earthquake Broadfoot was standing with another officer on the ramparts, his eyes fixed on the defences, which had caused hi like nine-pins

'This is the time for Akbar Khan,' he said, and if Akbar had not dreaded the earthquake uns the massacre of Cabul would have been repeated in Jellalabad But though Akbar feared greatly, he knew that his soldiers feared yet ain, and then rode up to a high hill from which he could overlook the city

'Why, it is witchcraft!' he cried, as he saw the defences all in their places; for Broadfoot'shad been rebuilt exactly as before

March passed with some skirmishes, but when April caly advised an attack on Akbar, ith six thousand men, had taken up a position on the Cabul river two miles from Jellalabad, and had placed an outpost of three hundred picked men only three-quarters of a mile outside the walls Broadfoot had been badly wounded in a skir party, consisting of three divisions of five hundred each, were led by Dennie, Monteath and Havelock Dennie wasto carry the outpost, and Havelock halted and fore, leaving part of his division behind a walled enclosure to the right

Having ements, Havelock stood outside the square and near to the wall, so that he could cohans were close upon them before they fired; but in their exciteht between two fires, plunged and threw him In another han cavalry had not three of his soldiers dashed out froed him into the square

[Illustration: In another han cavalry]

The enemy were thrown into confusion and retired to re-forain repulsed, and by seven thatAkbar's camp was abandoned and his power broken