Shortly after this occurrence, two of the marauders fell into our hands. In order to put an end to, or diminish these vexatious losses it was determined to make a terrible example of the prisoners, in the hope that it would have some effect upon their companions. They were accordingly tried by a court martial, composed of native officers, and sentenced to be blown from the mouth of a gun. Having been led into the market-place at Candahar, they were ordered to draw lots as to who should first undergo this dreadful doom. The younger of the prisoners, a stripling of about nineteen years of age, whose firm and gallant bearing excited universal sympathy and admiration, responded to this command by at once embracing the mouth of the gun from which he was instantly blown to atoms. His companion, a grey-headed man, upwards of sixty years of age, sat looking on, unmoved at this terrible scene, and coolly smoking his hookah. On being ordered to take his place at the gun he did not exhibit the least appearance of fear, and just as the match was about being applied, the officer in command arrested it and directed the prisoner to be taken away, the Shah influenced, it is said, by the entreaties of Sir Alexander Burnes, having granted his pardon. This unexpected release from the very jaws of death produced as little emotion on the part of this stout old man, as its near approach or the fate of his youthful companion had elicited. The mysterious and premature death of Cornet Inverarity, of the 16th Lancers, formed, whilst here, the universal topic of discussion in the military circles. The circumstances, as far as I could collect them, were these:--A pic-nic party had been given by the officers of the regiment at a pleasant rural retreat, within a few miles of Candahar, and the Cornet, being fond of fishing, took his rod and strayed a short distance from his companions in search of sport. His prolonged absence having given rise to remark, some of the party went in search of him, and found the unfortunate gentleman lying dead on the banks of a neighbouring stream. The wounds he had received were of such a nature as to preclude the idea that they were self-inflicted, and there can be but little doubt that he was murdered by the Affghans. The deceased was an officer of considerable acquirements, and was regretted by all who had the honour of his acquaintance. He was only in his 26th year, and had been about five in the service.