CHITRAL AND THE N.W. FRONTIER CAMPAIGN. 500 blank range by the fire of a thousand rifles.

Many a soldier gave his life in trying to save a woundedcomrade.

stop them. Half-way up the path Mathias somewhat out ofbreath, said to a colour-sergeant near him. " Stiff climb this,Mackie, and Iam not so young as Iwas, you know.'' "Never mind, sir," answered the sergeant, giving his colonelan encouraging slap on the back,in the enthusiasm of the moment, "you're going verra strong for an auldman!"

At noon things were looking serious. The enemy's resistance was unbroken,and from the pines the heliostatsent up to the Chagru Kotal a message that against a front attack theposition was allbutimpregnable. General Kempster was with thedivisionalcommander. Yeatman-Biggs saw, and said, that at any cost the position must be stormed. At this stage of the campaign failure would be disastrous. He toldKempster Finding that their fire did not check the assault, the hillmen abandoned the crest as the bayonets of the Gordons shone over the brink of the precipice. There was no hand-to-hand fight, such as some of the illusto take the Gordon Highlanders and the 3rd Sikhs, who as yet had not been engaged,and make a final attempt.

trated papers drew, on the strength of the first telegrams. Nor were the Gordons alone in their exploit. As a matterof fact it seems that Tillard, of the Goorkhas, was actually the first man to reach the top. But it was theiradvance that had carried everything else onward, and they were rightly given the chief honours of the day. As they cheered their colonel on the summit, officers of the other regiments gathered round him to grasp his hand. It was a proud moment for the regiment. Two days later they received onparade the personal congratulations of Sir William Lockhart. " Your records," said the commanderin-chief, " testify to many a gallant action performed by you, and you have now added to them another, which mayworthilyrank beside those gonebefore."

So difficult was the ground that it was a full hour before the Sikhs and Gordons had climbed to the pines. There they formedfor the final rush, the Gordons in front. Colonel Mathias, who commanded them, turned to his splendid battalion and addressed them in brief soldierly words. "Highlanders," he said, " the general says theposition must be taken at all costs. The Gordons will take it!"

The guns, firing as fast as the gunners could work them, were pouring a storm of shells into the enemy's sungars. TheHighlanders cheered. The pipes screamedout their shrill battle music,and with their colonel at their head the Gordons dashed into the open-Major Macbean, the second in 5LONEL MATHIAS, C.B.

Photo:E.Debcnham & H'eyiiiouth.)

command, was close beside him. He dropped badly wounded almost as soon as the advance began. Nor was he the only man down. Themen were dropping on all sides. But the Gordons went,closely followedby the Sikhs,and drawing on with them the Derbyshire and Dorset men and the little Goorkhas. It was a rush of five battalions, all eager to close with the tribesmen,the Gordons forming the centre of the charge,and leading it up the steep hillpath beyond the open. One of the Gordon pipers, George Findlater, dropped shot through both legs. But propped against a rock,regardlessof his wounds,hecontinued to playhispipes. The advance up the face of the hill was slow, and the fire of the enemy told heavily on the crowded mass of men; but nothing could now The victory had been dearly bought. The Gordons had had anofficer, LieutenantLamont, killed ; two officers,Major Macbean and Lieutenant Dingwall, badlywounded,and four others slightly wounded— namely,the Colonel,Captain Uniacke, and Lieutenants Crawford andMeiklejohn. Of the officers of the Goorkhas,Captain C. B.Judge was killed and Captain Robinson mortally wounded. Of the Derbyshires, Lieutenant Protheroe-Smith was killed. Of the Dorsets, Captain Arnold was badly wounded; and of the Sikhs, Lieutenant G. E. White and threeother officers were wounded. Ol the rank andfile thirty-threewerekilledand147 wounded. The heaviest lossfell on the Goorkhas,who had seventeen officers and men killed, and fifty wounded. Next came the Dorsets, with a listof