407 bayonets, Guides Infantry. 427 bayonets, 4th Sikh Infantry. 397 bayonets, 1st Punjab Infantry. 684 bayonets, 2nd Punjab Infantry. 373 bayonets, 3rd Punjab Infantry. 381 bayonets, 4th Punjab Infantry. 400 bayonets, 6th Punjab Infantry. 207 bayonets, 14th Punjab Infantry.[141] 418 bayonets, 24th Punjab Infantry (Pioneers).[142] 464 bayonets, Hazara Gurkha Battalion.[143] 394 bayonets, 6th Police Battalion. The force started on the 17th, and arrived unopposed at Palosin Kach next day, a party being detached to destroy Shingi Kot. A halt was made during the 20th to give the Mahsuds an opportunity for submission; but nothing resulting, the Headquarters and main column moved on the 20th to Haidari Kach, so as to survey the country and punish certain especially troublesome sections, leaving a small force at Palosin and at Jandola (the latter a Batanni village) to keep open communications with the plains. From Haidari Kach the Brigadier advanced as far as Barwand, meeting with no opposition and seeing few of the enemy; and on the morning of the 24th returned to Palosin, where in the meantime the camp under Colonel Lumsden, with six guns, some 200 sabres and about 1400–1500 bayonets, had been very seriously attacked. The camp had been placed on the Kach[144] land, on the left bank of the Tank stream, with its right resting on an old tower (distant some 800 yards) overlooking the stream; the left was protected by a picquet on an abrupt peak to the south-east, having the scarped bank of the river in its front and the edge of the high table-land immediately in the rear. On the night of the 22nd, the outlying picquets were at their posts on the ridge behind the camp; a complete company occupied the tower, three other parties, each of a havildar and eight sepoys, were posted along the rear, while one of thirty men was on the high peak above mentioned. Each picquet had a support of equal strength close in rear. [Sidenote: A Night Attack] No information as to any tribal gathering had been received, and the night had passed quietly enough, when just at _reveille_ the rear picquet fired a volley, and a rush of 3000 Wazirs overpowered and nearly destroyed the picquets holding the high bank. Fortunately the whole body did not come on; some 500 swordsmen stormed into the camp, while the remainder kept up a heavy fire from the ridge. For some little time confusion reigned in the camp, but then discipline prevailed, and the Guides, 4th Sikhs and Gurkhas drove out the enemy at the point of the bayonet, pursuing them for three miles and punishing them heavily. Our losses had been serious—63 killed and 166 wounded—but those of the enemy were even more so. The attack had been a complete surprise, and was carried out with great gallantry and determination: we shall see another instance of such an attack further on in this chapter.