In the guardhouse near the Mughal Gate, Sub-Lieutenant, the Honourable Edwin Allardyce languishes at a desk. He feels somewhat disgruntled as his guard duty has meant that he has missed the Tuesday luncheon of kippered salmon and truffled pate in the mess and has had to exist on camp rations. He is reflecting on the misfortune that has led to his company commander sending out a novice officer to gain experience, when normally the detachment would have been commanded by one of the native officers. The detachment, drawn from H Company of the 5th Sikh Infantry, consists of the following men; most of whom have a smattering of the Pathan language, Pushtu. Sub-Lieutenant Allardyce also knows a little Pushtu, although the financial inducement of an additional 100 rupees a month to Pushtu-speakers is of less interest to him than to some of his brother officers.
| Soldier | Rating | Firearm | Melee Factor | Firing Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Lt. Edwin Allardyce | Novice | Revolver | 5 | 5 |
| Jemadar Godse Singh | Average | - | 7 | - |
| Havildar Pir Singh | Veteran | Snider-Enfield | 7 | 7 |
| Havildar Hari Singh | Veteran | Snider-Enfield | 7 | 8 |
| Naik Parasiya Singh | Veteran | Snider-Enfield | 6 | 6 |
| Bugler Mangal Pande | Novice | - | 4 | - |
| Sepoy Vishnu Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 5 |
| Sepoy Songh Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Narain Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Sher Dil | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
As the action opens, one of the water-carriers to the Regiment, a fellow named Gunga Din, bursts into the guardroom shouting that the notorious outlaw, Bahram Khan, is believed to have arrived in the market place, together with some of his followers.
RELIEF GUARD
Meanwhile, at the other end of the market place, another detachment of Sikhs, under temporary command of Captain Horace Hardyman of the Political Department has just entered through the Mandi Gate. Captain Hardyman has also heard rumours of Bahram Khan being in the market place and has ordered the Sikhs, en route to relieve the guard at the Lahori Derwa Gate, to double to Gor Khatri with all despatch. Captain Hardyman speaks fluent Pushtu and some of the Sikhs, like those at the Mughal Gate, have a smattering of the language. The detachment consists of the following men:
| Soldier | Rating | Firearm | Melee Factor | Firing Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Horace Hardyman | Average | - | 7 | - |
| Subadar Manball Singh | Veteran | Revolver | 8 | 8 |
| Lance-Naik Badri Singh | Average | Snider-Enfield | 5 | 5 |
| Sepoy Manglararyi Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Ramdass Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Hanbir Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Mehnat Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Thaman Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Baksh Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
| Sepoy Rumball Singh | Novice | Snider-Enfield | 4 | 4 |
As can be seen, the 5th Sikh Infantry contains a high proportion of untried recruits. The abscence of a firing factor means that the man has only a melee weapon.
Victorian Campaigns on the Northwest Frontier
Part II: If Anyone Can, Bahram Khan (WN 155)
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© Copyright 1975 by Donald Featherstone.
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