The sense of the strangeness of his condition had begun to wear off, and he laughed and talked with the others, without restraint.
Up to the time when he joined the regiment, Lisle had heard a good deal of the state of affairs at Chitral; and his impression of the natives was that they were as savage and treacherous a race as was to be found in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Beyond that, he had not interested himself in the matter; but now, from the talk of his companions, he gained a pretty clear idea of the situation.
Illustration: Map illustrating the Chitral Campaign.
Old Aman-ul-mulk had died in August, 1892.

He had reigned long; and had, by various conquests and judicious marriages, raised Chitral to a position of importance.

The Chitralis are an Aryan race, and not Pathans; and have a deep-rooted hatred of the Afghans.
In 1878 Aman placed Chitral under the nominal suzerainty of the Maharajah of Kashmir and, Kashmir being one of the tributary states of the Indian Empire, this brought them into direct communication with the government of India; and Aman received with great cordiality two missions sent to him.

When he died, his eldest son Nizam was away from Chitral; and the government was seized by his second son, Afzul; who, however, was murdered by his uncle, Sher Afzul.