dur Khan, were several days' march behind.
They suffered untold hardships from heavy and
incessant snowfall for three days together. Men
and beasts of burden alike slipped on the snow
or lost the narrow track and went rolling down
into the depths below. The exhausted camels
lay down in the ice never to rise again. The
intense cold drove every man away in search
of shelter. Zulqadar Khan alone, with a handful of men,
guarded his charge on the bare top
of the pass for seven days, regardless of snowfall,
till the Rear under Bahadur Khan came up and
took him away. This last officer's march had
been slow, as he had constantly to face round
and drive back the hillmen who clung to him
in the hope of plunder. One night, in the midst
of wind and snow, he had to bivouac on the top
of the pass, and many benumbed men and beasts
of his party perished.[1] The last part of the
army reached Kabul on 10th November.[2]
Loss of life. The total loss of the Imperial army in crossing the passes was 10,000 lives, about one-half of the number being men, and the rest elephants, horses, camels and other beasts. Much property, too, was left buried under the snow, or flung into the ravines