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

by G. A. Henty

Half an hour later the tents were erected, and two sentries were placed near them to warn off all intruders. Angus went into the little town, and made some purchases from three small traders who had remained there, and had been well rewarded for doing so by the prices they obtained from the troops for their stores. Lieutenant Mackenzie, on his arrival, had ordered them to send all the liquor they had to his quarters, telling them that unless they agreed to this they would not be allowed to remain, and promising that the liquor should be returned to them when the troops left. Their stores were almost exhausted, but Angus was able to purchase some rice, a pot of ghee, and a sack of grain for the horses. At eight o'clock Mackenzie came down. Sadut Khan had been apprised of the intended visit, and had willingly consented to be carried for the time into the other tent, so that Angus had his to himself.

"It is a snug little tent," Mackenzie said when he entered it; "not much head room, but that is of no consequence, as it is only a place for sleeping in. I am ashamed to come empty-handed, but I only brought a couple of bottles of spirits with me, and they are both empty long ago. I can't drink this beastly native stuff. And besides, the room in which I stored all there was in the place when I got here is locked up. I made the traders put their seals to it so that there could be no dispute about the quantities when I handed them over."

"Thank you," Angus said; "I don't touch spirits. Whatever may be the case in other places, I am convinced that men are better off without them in a country like this. Certainly they are best avoided in hot weather; and I think even in the cold weather coffee is infinitely better, and I have brought a good store of that with me. Now, make yourself as comfortable as you can. Fill your pipe from that jar, it is the best Persian tobacco. Then when the coffee comes in I will give you the news from Cabul."

A large jug of coffee, with two silver horns which Angus had bought before starting, was soon brought in, and then Angus told what had happened at Cabul since the last letter Mackenzie had received.

"Then you don't think things are going on well?" Mackenzie said when he had concluded.

"No, there is much disaffection among the lower class in the city. The tribesmen are restless and discontented. It was a great mistake to allow Shah Soojah the entire control of all civilian matters; the consequence is that the people are grievously oppressed by the tax-gatherers. The Ameer himself is impatient at the slightest attempt to control him. He renders himself intensely unpopular by hardly ever appearing in public, by his refusal to grant audiences, and by his haughtiness and arrogance to those whom he does admit to his presence. I am certain that he could not maintain himself for a day if we were to march away, and I don't see how we can leave him to his fate. Altogether the situation is very difficult, and I am afraid it will end badly. They want a strong man at the head of affairs. I do not think that Macnaghten is a strong man. Keane is a good soldier, but it is said that he will return to England in the spring."

"And how about Burnes?"

"Burnes is my chief," Angus said with a smile; "but I can say this, I believe that if he were in Macnaghten's place things would go on better. At present, however, he has no authority of any kind. He differs from Macnaghten on almost every point, and any advice he gives is almost contemptuously neglected."

"It is a queer state of affairs," Mackenzie said. "However, I suppose we shall get out all right in the end. It is a way we have. We generally make a muddle in the beginning, but our fighting power has pulled us through. Well, I will be going now; it is eleven o'clock. I think that it would be better that I should not come again to-morrow."

"I think so too. If the Afghans here entertained the smallest suspicion that you were visiting me, they would feel sure that I was not the trader I pretended to be, and would find means of sending a message across the mountains, which would result in the failure of my mission and my own certain death."