Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/579

Rh The wretched resource was again tried of negotiating with Akbar, who demanded that General Elphinstone should come to a conference, and that Brigadier Shelton and Captain Johnson should be delivered as hostages for the evacuation of Jellalabad. All was acceded to: General Elphinstone made over the command to Brigadier Anquetil, and, accompanied by Shelton and Johnson, proceeded to wait upon Akbar Khan, who received them courteously, and supplied them with refreshments. At nine on the morning of the 12th a meeting was held, when a number of the chiefs inveighed bitterly against the English, while Akbar pretended to plead their cause: but in this discussion the day elapsed without any decisive arrangement, and when General Elphinstone wanted to return to his troops, he found he was a prisoner.

At the British position, the return of the General had been long and anxiously looked for. Throughout the day hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and the galling annoyance of the enemy's unceasing fire, continued to be endured; and as night drew on, it became obvious that nothing was to be hoped from a longer stay. The whole body accordingly sallied forth, to make their way to Jellalabad in the best manner they could. The Affghans were not at first aware of the movement, but they soon gained intelligence of it, and marched in vast numbers to their work of destruction. Officers and men, troops and followers, fell in great numbers, and the progress of the retiring party was a moving massacre. Some officers who were well mounted rode forward with the few remaining cavalry straggling parties of Europeans, under various officers, followed as circumstances would permit; but when the morning of the 13th dawned, the remnant of the infantry approached Gundamuk, and now their numerical weakness was obvious to the enemy – they could muster only about twenty muskets among them all. An attempt to negotiate was made by one of the officers, but it ended in nothing, and the unhappy party had no resource but to stand on their defence, without a hope of ultimate success.