Page:The Earl of Auckland.djvu/118

112 The troubles on the northern frontier of Afghánistán in the year 1840 grew out of Lord's coercive policy towards all who came within his reach. His savage reprisals on certain Hazára clansmen who refused to supply any more forage for his troop-horses added fuel to the flame lit up by his former escapades. Lord then renewed his demand on Jabar Khán for the surrender of Dost Muhammad's family. As the wary Afghán still hesitated, a strong scouting party set off in June from Bámián towards Kúlum. It succeeded not only in securing the desired surrender, but in taking peaceful possession of a strong fort at Bájgah, some way beyond Saigán. This was speedily garrisoned by a wing of the Sháh's Gúrkha regiment. Macnaghten at this time was not in the best of tempers. He had been snubbed by Lord Auckland in the matter of Herát and Pesháwar. His countrymen in Afghánistán were saying or writing bitter things against his good friend the Sháh, and he saw in Burnes a rival impatient to fill his place. It was a comfort to feel that the game which he might not play elsewhere was being played so vigorously by his subaltern at Bámián. Lord's proceedings met with his ready sanction, and some more troops were sent to his agent's support.

But the advance to Bájgah had broken the last meshes of the web which Macnaghten had sought to weave around the fugitive Amír of Kábul. The whole country between the Oxus and the Hindu Kush had fairly taken alarm at Lord's progress through the