Page:The Earl of Auckland.djvu/125

 CHAPTER IX

On the Brink of a Catastrophe

The lull which followed the surrender of Dost Muhammad was broken for awhile in December by a rising among the Durání clans to the west of Kandahár. A policy which excluded the chiefs of the Sháh's own tribe from any share in the offices and dignities engrossed by a band of greedy upstarts could hardly fail to inflame their discontent with a rule enforced by the continued presence of foreign bayonets. One of tho chiefs, named Aktar Khán, bore a special grudge against the ministers who had rejected his claim to the lordship of Zamíndáwar. Calling his followers into the field, he routed a body of the Sháh's troops on the 29th of December, and took their guns. Five days later his own troops were badly beaten by the force which Farrington had led out from Kandahár; and the hard winter froze up the revolt.

Before leaving Jalálábád, Cotton had made his command over to General Elphinstone, whom Lord Auckland had induced against his will, — for he felt himself too old and intirm for such a duty, — to come up from India and take Cotton's place. 'You will have