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196 of the Sikh contingent. Akbar's threat to carry his captives off to Bámián failed to modify the demands of the British General, who was only waiting for a word from Nott to fix the right moment for his own advance.

By the middle of August he knew of Nott's intention to 'retire to India viâ Kábul and Jalálábád.' On the 20th Pollock marched forward at the head of some 8,000 of his best troops, all burning to avenge the disasters of the previous winter. Halting on the 23rd at Gandamak for further news from Nott, he drove the enemy from the neighbouring fort and village of Mámu Khel, by a movement in which Broadfoot's Sappers surpassed themselves. On the 7th of September Pollock resumed his march. Next day Sale's division cleared the Ghilzai masses in brilliant style from the hills on either side of the Jagdalak Pass. The dried and shrivelled corpses of those who had perished in the snows of January lay heaped or scattered along the road; some of them still recognizable by former comrades. Those ghastly relics of an ignoble slaughter stirred our men to a pitch of fury which boded ill for the foe in any future encounter.

On the 12 th Pollock halted in the Tazín valley. Meanwhile Akbar had sent the most of his prisoners off to the Hindu Kush; and, speaking for his fellow-chiefs, had begged Troup to return once more with fresh overtures to the British camp. When Troup assured him that the time for treating had gone by, he resolved to stake everything on the issue of one