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"Maybe, if the Gimpkes were gunning for you, they could pick you off as you went innocently up this Kyber Pass and you'd never know what hit you nor live to tell the tale; and they so snugly out of sight nobody but you would ever have sighted them," Leigh replied. "But let's hurry on. It will be cooler on the open prairie than down there along the creek trail.
After lengthy consideration, it was decided to reduce the total of our force in the country, while retaining a hold for the present on Cabul, Ghuznee, and Candahar, together with the passes of the Kyber and Bolam. In short, the British army was weakly scattered about in a region of mountains, amongst a hostile people, and with its long lines of communication insufficiently guarded.
In that year Lord Auckland was Governor-General, and Captain Alexander Burnes was sent on a commercial mission up the Indus, and through the Kyber Pass, to Cabul, where he was received in a friendly manner by the Ameer Dost Mahomed. It must be borne in mind that neither Scinde nor the Punjaub was then under our rule, so that our frontiers were still far distant from Afghanistan.
In November 1878 the British forces entered the country by three main routes, the Kyber, the Koorum, and the Bolam, and hard fighting at once ensued on the two northern ones. The results were immediate: Shere Ali fled northwards, and died soon after.
"Not many nurse-maids in the Kyber Pass," his son observed. "Frontiers yes, I dare say," snorted Sir Peter. "A few black rag dolls behind trees popping at you to keep your circulation going, and you with Maxims and all, going picnics in the hills and burning down villages as easy as pulling fire-crackers and half the time you want help from us! Look at South Africa!"
Not only that, but this unexpected outbreak was followed by hostilities on the part of the tribes in Bajour, and by the Mohmunds north, of Peshawur, and also by the Afredis, who, subsidised by us, had for years guarded the celebrated Kyber.
Both in a military and a political point of view the position was a false and dangerous one. General Sir John Keane, who was about to return to India, writing at the time, said 'Mark my words, it will not be long before there is here some signal catastrophe. During the summer of 1840 there were troubles both in the Kyber and Bolam passes.
Sir Donald Stewart, who was in chief command, and Sir Frederick Roberts, both, concurred in our withdrawal from the country; the Kyber Pass was to be held by subsidised tribes, and the Koorum Valley to be altogether abandoned; the independence of the tribes being in each case recognised.
The pipers played at intervals, the boatmen sang Gaelic songs, and the representative of Macdougal of Lorn steered. At Auchmore, where the party lunched, they were rejoined by the Highland Guard. As her Majesty drove round by Glen Dochart and Glen Ogle, the latter reminded her of the fatal Kyber Pass with which her thoughts had been busy in the beginning of the year.
"It's hard to forget my father was a sea captain," explained Mrs Farthing. A door in the passage opened on to winding stairs, up which vanquished and victor walked. From the first floor, a sort of gangway led to the door of a room that was raised some three feet from the level of where the two women stood. "Now we ascend the Kyber Pass," cried Mrs Farthing gaily, as she set foot on the gangway.
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