in strengthening his defences, laying in abundant supplies, and enforcing the utmost vigilance throughout his garrison. 'Whenever the Afghán tribes gathered to attack him' — says Sir Herbert Edwardes — 'he marched promptly out, thrashed them, and marched back again.' His troops were in excellent health and spirits, ready to do and dare anything under a general who knew how to command, and when to sound a halt. 'Be bold, be bold, but be not overbold,' was his rule of conduct. Many good officers he had around him; but the best among them was Nott himself.
When the Afghán chiefs, in February, summoned Nott to evacuate Kandahár, in compliance with orders signed by Elphinstone and Pottinger, the stern old warrior scornfully refused to obey any commands save those which came from his own Government. On this point, at any rate, he and Lord Auckland were of one mind. In the first days of March a thousand Afghán families were turned by Rawlinson out of the city. A few days later Kandahár was for some hours in no small peril of capture by surprise. On the 7th Nott had led out the greater part of his troops against large bodies of Afgháns who were driven before him for three days running. On the morning of the 10th there was no enemy in his front. Many of the insurgents had doubled back in the night towards Kandahár. That same evening a sudden attack was made on three of the city gates; one of which soon took fire from the burning brushwood piled up against it. Swarms of yelling Gházis, many of them drunk with
