But it was a dainty charge, deftly delivered, and it ended by the
Cavalry finding itself at the head of the pass by which the
Afghans intended to retreat; and down the track that the lances
had made streamed two companies of the Highlanders, which was
never intended by the Brigadier. The new development was
successful. It detached the enemy from his base as a sponge is
torn from a rock, and left him ringed about with fire in that
pitiless plain. And as a sponge is chased round the bath-tub by
the hand of the bather, so were the Afghans chased till they broke
into little detachments much more difficult to dispose of than
large masses.
"See!" quoth the Brigadier. "Everything has come as I arranged.
We've cut their base, and now we'll bucket 'em to pieces."
A direct hammering was all that the Brigadier had dared to hope
for, considering the size of the force at his disposal; but men
who stand or fall by the errors of their opponents may be forgiven
for turning Chance into Design. The bucketing went forward
merrily. The Afghan forces were upon the run - the run of wearied
wolves who snarl and bite over their shoulders. The red lances
dipped by twos and threes, and, with a shriek, uprose the lance-
butt, like a spar on a stormy sea, as the trooper cantering
forward cleared his point.
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