ended, and before us was the level expanse of snow-covered valley.
Attempts were being made to get the gun mules of the battery through
this, but at every step they sank up to their girths, even then not
finding firm foothold. Trials were then made of the ground at the sides
of the valley, but the snow was found equally deep and soft there; and
after spending an hour or so in futile attempts to get forward, it
became evident to all that no animal could possibly pass over the
snowfield in its present condition. We had only gone some eight miles
out of the thirteen to Langar, and it was already three o'clock. There
was nothing, therefore, for it but to return, and the word to retire was
reluctantly passed along the line, and each man, turning where he stood,
moved slowly back towards Ghizr.

But though laden or unladen animals could not cross the pass, we saw no
reason to suppose that men could not, and therefore, at Teru, which we
reached by four o'clock, a halt was made, and two hundred Pioneers, with
Borradaile and Cobbe, and the Sappers under Oldham, were detailed to
remain there with the Hunza Levies, and to try and force their way
across the pass the next day. Borradaile was to receive all the coolie
transport, which he was to send back as soon as he got across the pass,
in order that we might follow with the remainder of the troops. His
orders were to entrench himself at Laspur, which was the first village
across the pass, and if possible open communications with Mastuj.

The guns were immediately sent back to Ghizr, and we set to work to
sort out the kits of Borradaile's party from the remainder. The
unavoidable confusion at first was something dreadful. First of all, the
kits had to be unloaded, then those of Borradaile's party separated and
put on one side; the remaining kits were then loaded on the ponies and
sent off, as fast as the ponies could be loaded up, back to Ghizr. The