About two o'clock in the afternoon
All day long , on the 6th of October , William Gale sat at an open window in the upper story of the Parsee 's house -- facing west -- and listened to the distant roar of the battle ; while all Cabul was in a state of wild excitement , in the sure anticipation of victory . Will felt equally confident as to the result of the battle . He knew that -- well led -- a British force could be trusted to carry any position held by the Afghans ; and he felt sure that , even should he fail to carry it by direct attack , the English general would , sooner or later , succeed in turning it by flank movements . About two o'clock in the afternoon , William noticed a change in the character of the sounds in the town . In the Hindoo quarter all had been quiet -- for the inhabitants greatly feared that , in a burst of fanaticism following a victory achieved over the British , the Afghans might sack the Hindoo quarter , and murder its inhabitants . Yossouf , however , had been all the morning out in the town ; and had , from time to time , brought in a report of the rumors current there . At first it was said that the British were being utterly routed , that they were being exterminated by the Afghan fire , that the hill tribes were sweeping down upon their rear , and that not a man would escape .