1 The Last Years of Ranjit Singh. 133
2 It soon became apparent that the restoration of the
3 Durani Shah was unpopular throughout Afghanistan,
4 and that the withdrawal of British protection would
5 be the signal for his dethronement. For two years a
6 British army of occupation managed, with difficulty,
7 to keep the forces of rebellion in check. In 1840
8 the capture of Dost Muhammad led to a brief period
9 of tranquillity, but in November 1841 a general
10 rising took place. Burnes and Macnaghten were
11 murdered, and Kabul fell into the hands of the
12 rebels. In the depth of winter the English army set
13 out to find its way through the passes back to India.
14 There is no need to dwell on the tragedy which
15 followed. Of the 4,000 troops and 12,000 camp-
16 followers who left Kabul, one solitary survivor
17 struggled into Jalalabad, where General Sale, with
18 his " illustrious garrison," was still holding out.
19 Before the fall of Ghazni, the Lion of the Punjab
20 had breathed his last at Lahore. To those who had
21 seen him at Firozpiir, and during Lord Auckland's
22 subsequent visits to Lahore and Amritsar, it had been
23 obvious that his life was drawing to a close. Whilst
24 the festivities lasted, his activity was unabated ; but
25 this "was the last effort of his energetic spirit.
26 He had scarcely returned to the Punjab — Lord
27 Auckland being then in the act of paying his return
28 visit — when he was seized with one of those violent
29 attacks which had often before caused his death to
30 be reported. He, however, again recovered, but com-
31 pletely lost the power of speech ; and a curious and
32 interesting sight it was now to behold the fast dying
33 monarch, his mind still alive ; still by signs giving