The British in India are advancing into the heart of the Afridis territory, and are now within thirteen miles of the Afghan frontier.
They have gained another victory over the tribesmen, and have secured from them two important mountain passes.
The hillsmen are fleeing before the British advance, and representatives of the Afridi and Orakzai tribes have sought the Ameer of Afghanistan and asked him to help them.
The Ameer has therefore sent word to the English agent at Kabul that the tribes are full of repentance and alarm, and have begged him to tell the British Government for them how truly sorry they are for their misconduct, and to ask on what terms they can be pardoned.
The Ameer writes on his own account that he is trying to arrest the Haddah Mullah, the mad priest who stirred up all the trouble, and he promises that if he can only succeed in finding him, he will exile him from Afghanistan.
It is not certain that the British are at liberty to make terms with the Afridis.
With savage and semi-savage people it is always necessary to keep strictly to your word, else they lose respect, and are apt to think that their adversaries are not powerful enough to do what they have threatened to do. The quality of mercy enters very little into their calculations. To threaten to do a thing, and then not to do it when it comes to the point, does not mean to them that their adversary is kind and good, but that he is weak and foolish.
The situation is this:
When Sir William Lockhart took command of the force which was sent out to punish the Afridis, he issued a proclamation ordering the tribesmen to submit immediately, stating that he would severely punish any attempt to oppose the advance of his army.