Dear reader this last week was fully of incredible happenings, adventures, fighting, and we at Tribune will try to answer to the readers ‘request to have an overall clear picture of the latest news. The internal insert will provide also additional amazing news on some well known characters who are writing the story of the Frontier.
Many things happened but much more are going to be showed!
Let’s start from our glorious Army.
In the South Gen. Sir John Percival "Mandrake" Aubrey-Smith is marching towards Wana to capture and hang the bandit Mulehead, and actually is in Jandola, where it is reported many waziris tribes are regrouping both from South and North. The road to Wana is a tugh nut to crack.
With General Aubrey-Smith there is Major Haldane, the fine political officer, great manager of jirgas, author of the famous sentence: Gentlemen, we’ll have to suppress this uprising with the utmost tact and diplomacy…we’ll string up ‘alf a dozen of ‘em for a start”!
In north Waziristan Colonel Fullerton is burning the Tochi Valley to teach some civilization to those ruthless bandits. This young hero immortalized in Reginald Winkie’s poem, “The charge of the Guides”, responsible for many young ladies broken hearts.
North of Wairistan, north of Kohat, at the borders with Tirah Major Vousden is approaching with his gallant column to bandit Umra’s den to replace him with a more reliable khan. But the more he go to North the more Afridis are regrouping around him…Will he able to replicate Col Fullerton’s triumphs?
In Chitral there are two brigades operating. The former brigade is in front of Uch Pass which is in the hands of Yusufzais tribe while the latter is at Chakdara
Overall operations are brilliantly coordinated by Gen Mc Guinness
Nominal leader in Black Mountain is Hashim Ali Khan whose brother and heir was the bandit Sikander, killed by our forces. Rising star is now the infamous Gul Akbar Khan. They are quite fanatically devoted to new Rule and allied with Waziris.He has taken prisoner General Channers after a Jirga, as a retaliation versus destruction of Dargai village and jailing of his sister Farrah’s family.
He is recruiting new warriors among the tribes east of Malakand pass, burning the villages which refuse to provide support and enlist under his flag.
BG Channers is Gul Akbar’s guest in the Black Mountains while two columns under colonels Sym and O'Grady and political Officers search for them. It is suspected they are in the compound of Hashim Ali near Durband.
But the Frontier is like a Pashtun dinner: it is the chicken who gives substance, but the tamarind slices make it tasty. So we cannot forget many characters which are adding salt to the scenario.
The young bandit Muletail was reported to be everywhere, but our most reliable informers says he is in Khost with his merry comrades. Where will he go now? The more obvious choice should be southwards into Waziristan, but too obvious, probably dozen Afridis, Mahmuds, Orakzai, Turis killers are already waiting for him.
Two other roads are possible if he chooses Peiwar Kotal: the shorter but thru Khost lands, beyond Khurram river, thru many Afridis willing to grasp him and bring to Umra’s den. The longer but safer goes north west to Bar Ferozkhel and from there other decisions…
Decisions always new decisions. As the ones to be made by Colonel Fullerton: either obeys the order, once in his life, remaining in Tochi Valley burning and killing everything and everyone or moves to new adventures?
And in South Waziristian what is plotting the past havildar, past deserter, past khan,the enigmatic Zarin? Last voices give him marching with his bandits toward Jandola but…to fight whom?
And what about Zibibb and Flashman? Where are they going to find out El Osprey’s son and the secret scriptorium? And will they survive at the hand of Tsarist agents and hired bandits?
Sgt. Major Lawrence Brom (1st Brigade, Chitral Field Force) – Legendary Old Soldier of the Queen with a reputation as being a gifted tactician and logistician, as well a very talented writer. A well-known secret in barrack rooms from Peshawar to Calcutta is the rumor that Sgt. Major Brom is in fact the real-life Reginald Winkie, writing under a pen-name in order to preserve his position as a senior NCO in Her Majesty’s forces! Or are these just rumors spread out by the ironic poet?
Lorelai Brom & Christine Brom – the young adult daughters of Sgt. Major Brom, both recently arrived from their home in Glasgow, Scotland, on a self-appointed mission to visit their father in time for his fast-approaching 50th birthday, which their hearts are set on celebrating together with him.
Dirka Grimm (Detachmental Bhisti, Chakdara Outpost) – Dirka Grimm’s heroic efforts to assist Sgt. Crood and the handful of other survivors from the Yorks & Lancs garrison of Chakdara Outpost were recently immortalized in Reginald Winkie’s poem, “You’re A Better Man Than I Am, Dirka Grimm,” which has taken the Empire and the rest of the English-speaking world by storm. For his part, Dirka now dreams that his heroic efforts may somehow enable him to fulfill his lifelong dream of rising from the rank of “Bhisti” to “Sepoy,” but so far at least – sadly – neither his Indian nor British superiors have discussed this with him.
Maryam Singh – Clandestine Agent of the Political Department serving undercover as a maid in the Iron Amir’s Palace at Kabul, where she overheard the parlay between the Amir Abdur Rahman and the Mullah Sadullah (soon to be known throughout the Empire as the “Mad Mullah). She asked her brother, retired Jemadar Jai Ho Singh, to carry word of what she’d heard across the border to British India, and deliver it to his old Colonel, now Brigadier Ruff-Husband, at Dargai.
Jai Ho Singh – Aforementioned brother of Maryam Singh, who did not hesitate when asked to risk life and limb to help thwart the designs of those who would lay low the Raj. The question for him now is: will he rejoin the colors to get in one last campaign… or slip back across the border to rejoin his steadfast companion and housemate, retired Havildar-Major Habibi Singh?
2nd Lt. Hampton Fitzroy, Yorks & Lancs – A young subaltern on the very first deployment of his career, having no knowledge or experience of North-West Frontier terrain -- or any terrain outside old Blighty – Fitzroy made the terrible mistake of plucking olives off a tree near Chakdara Outpost and eating them raw, after which he puked his guts out & suffered a convulsive stupor. One night later the Outpost was attacked and overwhelmed by a force of Ghazis and Lt. Fitzroy was the only member of the garrison captured alive while his Sgt. & 4 of his men were able to escape alive. Though he remains a prisoner – first of the Mullah Sadullah’s Ghazis, now apparently of the Afghan Regular Army, on the plus side he has managed to regain his health.
Mullah Sadullah’s Ghazis’s been vacationing from Chakdara to Kabul - vast distances for a local holy man!!!
Chakdara … to Kunar … to Kabul
Mayank Jan (Sarban Khan’s spy in Peshawar & then Dargai). Mayank Jan was able to get himself hired on as a Mule Skinner and travel with 1st Brigade Peshawar Field Force from the city of Peshawar to Dargai, where he saw with his own eyes the torching of that village at the command of Brigadier Ruff-Husband. By day he remains in camp as an erstwhile “muleteer” while by night he slips out to pass any and all intelligence he gathers to allied Tribesmen in the nearby Malakand Pass, though he must take great care not to be spotted and found out by the Riflemen of 9th Gurkhas who keep watch over that strategic terrain.
Dast has left his shop in Peshawar and is going towards Kashmir. To buy new flying carpets or...?
And not forget our spy on the roof of Mulehead’s tower, for safety reason we cannot indicate exactly where.
So many cruel stories but we know of a secret affair who can change all the balance in the Frontier, is happening close to Chitral river:
When I wasn’t in the need of jezails I had arsenals.
When I need jezails they were converted to unpalpables.
Punjab Your eyes are beautiful and
You have also beautiful hair…
Beneath the blanket of the stars
In the company of the moon
On the riverbank two mullahs
By the side of water’s boon
In a pavilion covered by flowers
Sat immersed in Rule consultation
They speak about Khans powers
And the outcome of their divination
From “Peshawar barracks ballads” by Reginald Winkie
Who are the mullahs? What new adventures will rise from these romantic seeds?
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