their report. Old Akbar smiled a fat smile all over his face, and
Humayun twirled his long moustache,--he has a fine black beard and
moustache and a deep bass voice. Akbar Khan curls his beard like an
Assyrian king, and smiles good-naturedly at everything.

They reported that they had seen the enemy building sangars, and that
there were many men, also cavalry. Their report was clear enough, and
from their description I could pretty well place the position of the
different sangars, as I had been over the ground with Harley on my
previous visit to Chitral. To make matters certain, I suggested that I
should reconnoitre the position next day. This was agreed to, and it was
also determined to attack the enemy on the 13th April, as it was no use
giving them time to entrench themselves more than we could help.

I started off about 9 A.M. on the morning of the 12th April, mounted on
a transport pony. I had about fifty Hunza and Punyal Levies, under
Humayun and Akbar Khan, with me; these two also had ponies, Akbar Khan
having managed to get two over the pass with great difficulty. It was a
lovely morning, and we were all very cheerful except Gammer Sing, who
wanted to come along with me; but as he had to get my kit sorted and put
right for the next day's march, I left him behind, but took his rifle
and ammunition.

We dropped over the bluff and forded the Laspur stream, which was
hardly over the men's knees, and then kept along the bed of the river,
with a few scouts well up the hills on our left, the Mastuj or Yarkhun
river protecting our right. After about two miles we came to a small
homestead and Humayun told me there was a wounded man inside; so in I
went, and found the poor beggar with his right leg smashed by a bullet
just above the knee. There were a lot of women and children and two men