NIGHT ATTACKS ON THE TRANSPORT. 507 animals were straggling in after dark from the blocked Pass on the day of the fight and on the evening after. Such an opportunity ought not tohavebeen given to the enemy. They took care not to miss their chance. On the evening ofthe 31st they killed and wounded nine transport men, and stampeded and captured mules carrying nearly 200 kits belonging to a Sikh regiment. Next evening (November ist) the losses were still heavier. Three of the Queen's West Surrey Regiment were killed and four woundedinthe rush on the baggage train, and in order to close the eastern exitfrom the Bara Valley,General Lockhart's plan being to move downthe defiles of the Bara and drivetheAfridis before him eastwards, thus catching them between hammer and anvil if they made a stand. At the same time theKurramcolumnmoved up the KurramValleyand swept the westernborders of the Afridi country, and Sir Power Palmer, with troops, from the line of communications, pusheda reconnaissancedown theMastura Valley in the Orakzai country. But during the long halt at Maidan the main column was not idle.

CAfTURE OF THE ARHANGA PASS : TROOPS RESTING ON THE SUMMIT Besidesprotecting the convoys the troops were engagedin dailyexpeditions,foragingandcollecting supplies, burning hostile villages, and protecting the parties engagedin the survey- of the country. Thus there was a record of almost daily skirmishes, and at night the camp was frequently disturbed by Afridi "snipers." The list of casualties in this guerilla warfare was very heavy,and the ranks were further thinned by sickness, brought on by hard work and exposure , in this mountain land, where the days were blazing hot and the nights, now that winter was coming, werebitterly cold.

On November ist— the day after the Arhanga fight— there was agood deal of skirmishing. A| reconnaissance sent out towards the hamlet of seventy-one mules, three rifles, about 10,000 rounds of Lee-Metford cartridges,and 350 of the men's kits werecaptured. It was a rich prizefor the enemy And now strict orders were issued that henceforth all baggage must beincamp by nightfall. It wouldhave been wellif these orders had been observed. But with the large force in the field,and theenormouslength of itsconvoys, night attacks on the belated baggage mules and their tired escort continued to bea feature of the campaign.

There was a long halt at the Maidan Camp while supplies werebrought over the passes and accumulated in the Tirah Valley, as a necessary prelude to a further advance. Meanwhile,the Peshawur column was moved up to Fort Bara,