484 CHAPTER X.

THE EXTENSION OF THE RISING.

WHILE the Mad Mullah was rousing the Swat tribesmen to insurrection, one of his brethren, Najib-ud-Din, generally known as the Hadda Mullah, whose headquarters were in the village of Jarobi, was preaching the Holy War to their neighbours the Mohmunds. Under his influence, on August 7th,some four thousand of the tribe made a sudden raid into British territory, the point of their attack being the old fort of Shabkadr, eighteenmiles north of Peshawur.

of the victors in the action. The ground on which the littlebattle was fought had been the scene of two previous victories over the Mohmunds in1852 and in 1864.

The Peshawur garrison was promptly reinforced, and Elles strengthened the brigade at Shabkadr with the rest of the Somersets and the 37th Dogras, so that about 2,000 men were now on the spot. But the Mohmunds didnot venture to renew the attack, and reconnoitring parties sent into the hills reported that the tribal gatheringhad dispersed. Shabkadr washeldby a detachmentof border police. The raiders rushed the neighbouring village of Shankargarh, plundering the place andkilling two men. The rest of the villagers fled to the fort. The Mohmunds exchanged somerifle shots with the garrison,but Shabkadr, standing on an isolated knoll, and defendedby thick walls fifty feet high, could not be captured by a force that had no artillery. General Elles hurriedup from Peshawur with two squadrons of the 13th Bengal Lancers, four guns of the Royal Artillery, the 20th Punjaubis, and four companies of the Somersetshire Light Infantry, but by the time he reached the sort the raiders had retiredacross the border.

Before tellinghow the raid was punished by theinvasion of the Mohnaundcountry, we must note the further progress of the frontier rising.

About the timeof the incursion of the tribesmen at Shabkadr, there were ominous reports that the mullahs were busy rousing to action the Afridi tribes about theKhyber and the Orakzais along the Samana Range. Either of these tribes could put 25,000 fighting men into the field. The outbreakbeganin the third weekof August. On the 23rd, some thousands of armed Afridis appearedsuddenly before the fort of Ali Musjid at the entrance of the Khyber Pass. The fort washeldby a garrison of the locallevies,known as the Khyber Rifles, themselves Afridis, in the Government service for police duty in the Pass. They did not make any serious resistance to their countrymen,and abandoning the fort they retreated to Fort Jamrud, nearPeshawur. The Afridis looted and burned Ali Musjid, and then moved on to attackFort Maude,held by fifty of the Khyber Rifles. These stood their ground, closed the gates, and kept the attackingpartyat bay with rifle fire.

During the next day, Sunday, August 8th, the Mohmunds remained in bivouac on the hills about a mile from Shabkadr, and they were joined by fresh contingents. Elles had to return to Peshawur, and left Colonel Woon at the fort in command of the relieving force. At dawn on the Monday the colonel moved out to attack the enemy, but finding them stronger than he expected, and being threatened on both flanks, he was retiiing on the fort when the generalarrived on the scene, bringing withhim two companies of the 30th Punjaubis. By this time the enemy, who thought they had won a victory,wereswarming on the low groundbefore the fort. Elles ordered the Lancers to charge them, and the unexpected attack produced a panic, during which the infantry advanced,and the Mohmunds were driven back to the hills withheavy loss. Twelve killed and forty-eight wounded(including threeofficers)were the losses News had by this time reached Fort Jamrud of the attack onFort Maude,and a smallrelieving column was sent out, consisting of four companies of infantry,K Batteryof the Royal Horse Artillery, and an escort of the 4th Dragoon Guards. The Afridis were found to be in such strong force that it was not considered advisable actually to enter the Pass,but the battery found a position from which it was able to openon a large bodyof theenemy at a range of nearly two