themselves to their men, who, knowing that their officers have their
welfare at heart, will follow wherever they may lead.

Thus was the Shandur Pass first crossed, and a position established from
whence the force could work down to Mastuj and thence to Chitral.

I may here mention that so little did the Chitralis imagine that we
could cross the pass, that letters were found in Laspur stating that the
British force was lying in Ghizr, the men unable to move from frostbite,
and the officers from snow blindness; also that since then fresh snow
had fallen, and no forces would now be able to cross for several weeks.
In fact, the Chitralis looked upon the game as entirely in their own
hands; the surprise of our arrival was therefore all the more complete.

Having brought the guns and Borradaile's party safely across the pass, I
return and relate Colonel Kelly's and my own experiences.

After leaving the guns being dragged through the snow to Langar on the
3rd April, I walked back to Teru. On the way I saw the mullah's shovel
sticking up in the snow, with one half of the blade snapped off. Alas,
poor mullah! At Teru I found the battery mules and drivers; these were
ordered back to Ghizr, as they could be more easily fed there, and would
be protected by the garrison of the post. I eventually got back to Ghizr
before dark and reported events, and, just my luck, got a bad go of
fever the next day. Great Scott! I did feel a worm! I was shivering with
ague and my face was like a furnace. I hadn't a bit of skin on it
either, and it was painful to eat or laugh from the cracked state of my
lips. I managed to struggle through some necessary official letters, but
as a staff officer that day I was not much use.