To Herat and Cabul: A Story of the First Afghan War

by G. A. Henty

"I will be here. I shall be one of the guards to-night round the fort, but shall be free in the morning."

"Does Saleh Mahomed sleep there?"

"No, it is a miserable and dirty place. He lodges at the house of the headman there."

Early in the morning Hassan came down to the khan. "Now, sahib, you have only to tell us what you want us to do, and you can rely upon us."

"For the present there is nothing. I am going to see Saleh Mahomed this morning, and try to get permission to sell some of my goods to the captives. I may then be able to learn something of his disposition towards them, and how he behaved to them during the journey. It is important that I should know this before giving him the message from the moonshee."

"It would be well to do so, master; but from what I hear the moonshee has been negotiating with many of the chiefs, who are willing enough to take his money, but who do not carry out their part of the bargain. However, I have not heard that any of them have denounced him. He is always considered to be the chief agent of the English, but as he spends English gold freely, and as it is well to have some one in Cabul through whom negotiations could be entered into with them, no one interferes with him."

"The only thing that you can do for the present is to go round among your friends, talk to them about the captives, and say that it is a disgrace that they should be sent as captives among the Usbegs after having received promises of protection, and having willingly submitted themselves as hostages. Of course you will do it carefully; but if you can create a feeling in their favour, and make them afterwards win over a portion of the escort, something might be done. Of course you can say, and truly, that Sadut Khan, Dost Mahomed's nephew by marriage, is most indignant at this breach of faith, and that you believe that many other chiefs share his feeling."

"I will set about it at once. The tribesmen here have not the same animosity against the English as those at Cabul. The English troops when they were here behaved well; they took no man's goods without payment, and the tribesmen got better prices for their sheep and cattle than they had ever got before. They care little who rules at Cabul, and it is nothing to them whether it is the Barukzyes or a Dooranee."

The next morning Angus met the Afghan soldier. "Here is the tobacco I promised you; it is good stuff."

"If it is like that you gave me yesterday, I shall be very content. Now, come with me to Saleh; he is a good fellow if you find him in the humour." The officer was alone when they entered. "Saleh Mahomed," the soldier said, "this is a trader from Cashmere, Syud Moorteza; he will tell you his business. He seems to be a good fellow, and has some excellent tobacco."