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royal forces and the levies formed a semi- circle stretching from Kafir Koh to the Wazirabad plain near the aerodrome. A careful observer could easily see that Bacha's men fought with spirit and enthusiasm; they were better disciplined and better equip- ped. On the other hand, there was no co- operation between the royal forces and the levies and cases are known of some soldiers having been shot down by the latter. The Government was so incompetent that even at a time of such imminent peril, it could not provide the men with sufficient food and ammunition; some of them had to quit their posts and come back to the city to fetch their own provisions. Most of the officers went to the front at 9 or 10 in the morning and would come back at 4 in the even- ing as if they were supervising a sham fight in manœuvres. Good luck, too, seemed to have deserted the King. Aeroplanes caught fire by chance, burn- ing the pilots to death, armoured cars overturned or went out of order right in the field of battle. Sayed Hussain had by this time captured Jabl-us-Siraj and the hydro- 35