ADVENTURE ON FRONTIER

Western Star, 3 December 1935, Page 3

ADVENTURE ON FRONTIER

Recently a British expeditionary force again entered the inhospitable country of the Vagistan Mohmands oil tho Indian frontier and occupied the/ Nahakki Pass that crosses th c mound tainous ridfie which separates the zones of the Lower and Upper Mohmands (says a writer in the ‘ I\[aiiclioster Guardian’). . I was one of the small batch of Europeans who in 1897 first crossed .thi s ' pass —a mere mule track and very pre-' cipitous upon the northern descent —and we encamped in Nahakki village. We were “sniped” all the night through from the commanding heights, and xve had to depend for water upon the mirt catch that, forms a pool outside the/ village. The water in this pool was th© worst water that I have ever met iifioii ,a. campaign. It was thick like peasoup, and when none drank it it left) gritty sediment upon the lips and moustache. The month was August, and there is little in the world that is comparable with the radiated heat of that iron-bound country in August. The necessity for water sent us all to that turgid pool, but I never heard that anyone wa s a penny the worse from drinking it. >

Nahakki is seared in my memory by an incident that was much worse at the time than drinking stale water. I had to no back tu Galanai, where headl quarter* wer t , installed A convoy under escort was returning. When I readied the summit of the pass I found Field, of the Devonshire Begimeitb. with a visual signalling post there (Field was killed in Ladysmith 10 years later.) There is a wonderful prospect from the summit of Nahakki, and T stayed, enjoying it and i-hattinrr with Field long.’ i*r than was wise, as when I reached 1 {ho valley I missed the convoy It was not a c;," r-ti y that it wa s healthy to he alone in.

In ir-v ciide'ivonr to catch up with the couvev r lest direction ill a labyrinth of nullahs and found myself suddenly near a village, outside of vlm-h were soMed in conclave about ’OO of the enemy tribesmen. They were all armed. 1 I had ruins upon them so unexpectedly that there was no time for me to turn inv poll'’ round and seek safety in flight. The tribesmen all rose t» their fret and unsliing their weapons I imairiiied that it was all over with me, as these fanatics are not inclined to Ih> merciful („ stray invaders. That T was a urn-oner was certain, lor two of them seized inv reitm immediately. T could i.of -no il. Push! ii . One of the crowd., whirh bi., 1 bv now closed all round me. then a dll * sod mo in 11 indnst/i ni. “It is fori una! o I'm- w-u.” he said, “that v,,u did w; i 'mu hio’i l 10 minutes earlier. 'l’ll is i, a li'i b■ d jirc-i ieouclav-01. and we ha-, in.{ a-rond In send, a de- ;■"( ilinii I" (!a hi na; In a- 1 ' thc General iiliun who! I (‘"in- bn vMi accon, our s 11 1 1111 1 --!> rll . if '.'ON h-,(i ill" io'll lil'tore we bad colli,, i,, f his decision. ihoil ” lie "mdc |be sign which is ac. | ,noicd -d! 11',■ ''"'ld O'Cr as indicating the i.utlin.; oi th-. throat.