Seldom when two gladiators, armed and stripped, enter the arena does
a doubt exist as to their purpose. Yet such an exceptional
uncertainty attends the presence of England and Russia on the border
of Afghanistan.
[Illustration: Gorge in the Tirband-i-Turkestan through which the
Murghab Flows.]
At least 50,000 British soldiers are drawn up in front of the Indus
awaiting a signal from their Queen. Nearly twice that number of
Russian troops are massed on or near the northwestern angle of the
Ameer's country. [Footnote: Since the events noted in our first
chapter (page 12) transpired, another page has been added to
Afghanistan's blood-stained record. After confronting each other on
the Khusk River for some weeks a large Russian force under General
Komaross attacked (March 30, 1885) the Afghan troops at Penjdeh, and
after a gallant resistance on the part of the native garrison it was
utterly routed and the town occupied by the victors. The Russian
casualties were inconsiderable, but the Afghans lost nearly 1,000
men.]
It is impossible to eliminate, altogether, from a study of the
present military situation, certain political elements.
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