Angus was led to a cell in one of the turrets on the wall. His weapons had been taken from him when he was first captured, and when he reached the prison his arms were unbound by the leader of the band, who carried off the sashes to the men to whom they belonged. A massive door was closed behind them, and Angus heard two heavy bolts shot—a proof that the tower was often used as a prison. Listening, he heard another door at the foot of the turret closed and bolted. The window was a mere loophole, but it commanded a view of the road by which he had been brought up. The cell was circular in shape, and some ten feet in diameter; it was absolutely bare. Angus stood for some little time looking through the loophole. It was three feet wide on the inner side, but narrowed to six inches at the outlet; the wall was more than two feet thick, and of solid stone.
"It is evident that there is no possibility of escape," he said aloud as he turned away from the loophole. "Even if I could widen the hole so to be able to creep through, there is a fall of a hundred feet or so; and there is nothing of which a rope could be made. I have my knife," he said, "fortunately they did not think of looking in my pockets; but though it has a good long blade, and I might at the end sell my life as dearly as possible, and force them to kill me, it can be of no earthly use here, for there is nothing to cut except that rough plank in the corner, which was, I suppose, brought up for some purpose or other and forgotten."
The day passed slowly. No one came near him until, just as the sun was setting, two soldiers came in bringing a jug of water and some bread. Angus had little sleep that night. He dozed off occasionally, but the hardness of the stone floor and the cold speedily roused him, and he was glad indeed when daylight returned and the sun shone out. An hour later, when looking from his prison window, he perceived a party of horsemen. Long before he could distinguish their figures he made sure that they were British troops, from the fact that two or three rode ahead, and the rest, evidently an escort, in a close body behind them. They approached within musket-shot. As soon as they did so a fire of matchlocks broke out from the walls. They drew off a little, and then turned and rode off. There was no doubt that they were a reconnoitring party, who had ridden forward to ascertain the best spot for an attack.
Two hours later three regiments of infantry came up, followed by a battery. The object of their approach was to discover whether Ghuznee was held in force, for reports had reached the camp that the greater portion of the garrison had retired. It answered its purpose, for the guns of the fortress opened fire, and for an hour there was an exchange of shot between them and the battery. The object of the reconnaissance being fulfilled, the British returned to their camp. Not until five o'clock was any further movement perceptible; then Angus saw a long dark line ascending the pass. On reaching its head the column made a wide detour, so as to keep beyond the range of the guns of the fortress, and then entered a rocky and difficult country to the east. As he knew that the gates had all been walled up with masonry with the exception of that through which the road from Cabul entered it, he had no doubt that it was intended to encamp on that side, thus cutting off the fortress from relief by the army assembled under another of the Ameer's sons, and at the same time preventing the flight of the garrison. As long as it was light the column was still passing on—a long line of baggage waggons and native followers, guarded by bodies of troops against any sortie that might be made. During the night occasional shots were fired from the fortress, and at various points of the plain and on the surrounding hills fires raised gave indications of gatherings of tribesmen.
It had indeed been a painful and difficult march. Several streams and water-courses swollen by rain had to be crossed, but with enormous exertions the whole force was established, and on the following morning tents were erected along the position chosen. Sir John Keane, accompanied by General Cotton, ascended the heights, took a survey of the fortress, and decided upon the plan of attack. At two o'clock in the afternoon a body of Afghan horse suddenly attacked the camp in the rear, but were beaten off by our own cavalry. Angus heard the outburst of firing, and concluded that the governor would ere long carry out his threat. He had no idea what the commander-in-chief's plan was, but he felt certain that the attack when made would be sudden and sharp, and would be in the nature of a surprise, for in no other way did it seem possible that a force, however strong, could without artillery capture the place. In that case there was just a possibility that in the excitement of the moment his existence would be forgotten.
"At any rate," he said to himself, "I will do what I can to defer the moment of my execution. I don't suppose it will be of the smallest use, but as I have nothing else to do, I will cut some wedges, and as soon as the attack begins in earnest I will jam them in round the door."
For the rest of the day he occupied himself in cutting strips of wood off the plank and fashioning wedges, of which he made about four dozen, the work sufficing to keep his thoughts from dwelling upon his probable fate. He concealed all these in his clothes; then he cut off a stout piece of plank and fashioned it into the form of a short thick bat, with which to drive the wedges into their place. Then he laid the plank in its place again, with the freshly-cut side against the wall, swept up the chips, and threw them out of the loophole. He thought it probable that Sir John Keane would attack without any delay, as it was all-important to capture the citadel before the relieving army from Cabul and the forces of three or four great chiefs which were also in the neighbourhood could join hands and attack him in the rear, while the powerful garrison sallied out and fell upon him in front.
JUST IN TIME