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of the national catastrophe, were bent upon fighting to the last. But their old jealousies and rivalries would often create difficulties. And the first problem to be solved after the close of this Jirgah was how to distribute arms among these tribes, because every one of them insisted upon having the lion's share. Moreover, the behaviour of a few clearly indicated that they had some- thing up their sleeve and were probably bribed by Mohammad Siddiq to delay the departure of this lashkar. But the personal influence of the Marshal once more prevailed and the arms were distributed in such a way that all parties were satisfied with it. The next problem was the line of action—how to proceed and by what route. Nobody doubted that the lashkar would reach Gardez without difficulty, but the Marshal knew that some of the tribes en route would try to put obstacles in his way, so he proposed to take a route whereby he could avoid their territory. Finally it was decided that the Marshal himself with the Jadrani Lashkar should proceed via Jadran, Sardar Shah Wali Khan at the head of Manglis via Mangal and Shah 108