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Machine transcription
at Charkh he made good his escape. He
soon joined the Bacha and advised him to
pursue the retreating lashkar, allowing it no
time to rally again. The Bacha and his
counsellors lost no time in turning this
opportunity to their advantage. Mohammad
Siddiq was at once put at the head of the
Southern Division, 15,000 strong. The army
proceeded at a rapid pace towards Gardez.
Passing the Altamoor they soon occupied
the White Fort facing Gardez, thus gaining
an important strategic position. Mohammad
Siddiq was himself a trained and experienced
soldier. When the revolution broke out,
he was at Gardez where he had been in
command of the southern force for the
last five years. He knew all the southern
tribes very well. He was not ignorant of
their military skill, but he was also aware
of their weak points, of their tribal jealousies
and long-standing enmities, which he wanted
to use to his advantage. He tried to find
friends and allies amongst them, and his
efforts in that direction were to a large
extent fruitful. The Sulaiman Khels and
the Dari Khels promised him full support.
135
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.