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rewards and high posts. Bacha was offered a Brigadier-Generalship and was asked to proceed with men of his own selection to Jalalabad to fight against the Shinwaris. The trick was too apparent and could not deceive Bacha who interpreted it correctly as an admission of weakness. It was a gross blunder and Bacha utilized it to his fullest advantage. Now that he had the authority of a royal warrant at his back and was a full-fledged Brigadier, he organized a large army and equipped it at government expense. Having thus strengthened his hands, he at once changed his policy, declared himself King and proceeded to attack Kabul. Some are of opinion that King Amanullah Khan intended to break his promise and take Bacha prisoner, but the latter having learnt of the King's true intentions by an uncommon act of cleverness adopted the course indicated above. The story goes that after concluding the agreement with Amanullah Khan and with a view to testing the latter's sincerity, he phoned to Amanullah Khan as from Ahmad Ali, Rais Tanzimia, the organizing commander of the Northern Province, and asked for the King's instructions concerning Bacha and his men, 24