Two squadrons of the 11th Bengal Lancers,
under Major Beatson, and with Mr. Davis, the political officer, were
sent to put some pressure on the Mamunds, to make them carry out the
terms agreed upon. They had promised to surrender fifty rifles. This
they now showed no intention of doing. They had realised, that the
brigades were only marching through the country, and that they had no
time to stop, and they were determined to keep their arms as long as
possible.
As the cavalry approached the first village, about 300 men gathered and,
displaying standards, called on the Lancers to stop. An altercation
ensued. They were given half an hour to remove their women and children.
Then the squadrons advanced. The tribesmen, still menacing, retired
slowly towards the hills. Then a small party came up and informed Major
Beatson, that in the next village was a troop-horse, which had been
captured in the fighting in the Swat Valley. This admission, that the
Mamunds had been implicated in the attack on the Malakand, was
sufficiently naive.
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