CUT-THROATS AT PLAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 April 1928, Page 7

CUT-THROATS AT PLAY

•PATHANS LOVE GAMBLING "ATTitACTf Vi: U'Jt HAN£" ■; .1 • .11i.• i. ' ii tii. I:."t lift" l i*vi.iiii l ii.- Ki,yl..T :iiml lli<! <i; ■ ail' I •• V, iil I'd! your I llfoilt its i 11, I I lull'.' a • |m-a the time id' dayAt tin hest Li' will weigh professionally tin* [iiits .in.l ("iis c.i highway robbery --ii nauir.i! instinct— and regard murder as a mere ineiderit in 'lie prneeedings (writes ,-k. J’errival Diiillipw in Jilt’ Daily Mi Di.it see him at the Peshawar tares ia amusing himself in what is the I .ilh.iii ei.pl 1 Y alent i" a Week Hut at til U'llt'.ii. anil he 1 a ll.’tl in less. a tel ; 1,1 i at ll del it e I "til.Ml Ills VlceS :It I. ■■lit I v in Inin and lie coiiljonts lie \\ i ; willi a line .sf, agger in tthieli lolcraliee and delianee ate alinil! equally lliiMed. 1 let 1.1 n 1. 1 i■. eiytiiing he is a man. It is . ii mi ii. liit. 11 atelier w!m lias I'unie up in.ni ilie plain i f lnd:a. where the m:m sj.\ '.lie vitality "f her ehildreti. I" leave lieldlld the ipini'le-s, fawning el'ea! lll'es "lie lilnls 111 liengal null ti> HI , inatiler these line, tall hiilmen. with then damn your-eyes stal e of inspect inn land the hearing nf a king among his >tihjeets. They are incredibly dirty ami I unpleasant a! elnse range, hut 1 liny wear i heir lagged garments with a savage div.nitv that demands respect. Kvi'li a cut-throat has his time lor play. At sueii a t iine lie ian lie de. lei ted ii you an- a iln i hsel'ver —- gazing v.'ilu midisMiiised longing at a native imnkuiaker wim lond'ns Ins open satehel of rupee notes oil the other side if a very necessary barrier. I have e. iii seen him give v. lint is known in Some circles as "the once, over to a oavii-oiit of sweepstake prize money, linieli a- tin' head man in an abattoir might survev his nest hatch of unwilling clients.

At smli a liiunuMit. his lradiiioiuil iiov o tii.!i to tin l business oi’ loot nful his 111diltereiieo to thf human i lenient itivolvi.l arc vi'tiliy sinister. I“.m nothing ever happens. ilo iiit 1 ' h;s losses like tins eein leni.ill at Keluptoli Park, anil the un< e.ii-eiolis i.lijeets ol his refill'll never know that the shallow ol heath has hovered over tiipin.

|i r lends pirturesinio novelty to- the r,Tliese gymkhanas help hrotik the mounti:!iv ut' garrison lilt- mi the inhospit;i 1 ile North West Frontier. They liring together the little Kmnpoan coilitv.. with its assorted horses and gentlemen riders, in a cheerfully inforinn 1 atnn.stiliei'e which is lacking at ritee meet-

111 licai'el' lullin'. (In mi.' side I.r :i StHlM'wl i:i i nigged cniirsc is a little liii of Kngland : tweeds, oi..\, sin 1 i.iin 1 , ;i scattering of monocles, sill; stockings. siiinri frocks. :incl easy

\cross iln* way, watching ii all with a gleam of satirical ;t 1 nnsriinnf- in liis glowing eves. lounges your Pal ham lit; feu ns ea relessly mi tin- decrepit railing, naniiieiiting i<> 1 1is hairy neighbour on [lie .-malt Imlian pipers in green tunics that play themselves briskly up ami clowll between the races or tin* scarlet band of brass that awaits its turn be I'mo the tea tables. lie misses nothing if the shifting settle. Vet- seems tarelessiv ah.til' until lie sees a horse. 'll',en the arguments over form would do credit to anv gang of professional backers mi an Kngii.sh course. 't our I’aihan likes a Hut ter —and lie likes to win. He follows the horses with Ids hawk's eyes as they tome home, perhaps tugging excitedly a’t his henna-red beard, and if his favourite is first he scrambles towards the paving-out window, waving Ids ticket triumphantly in the air.

His souse* of liunujiir is keen, but grim, l.i'iu* ilio Chinos.*, misfnrluno makes him laugh—when ii is tlm othor Hum’s. I s;iw n group ,-,i these liiiiry highwaymen oiijov what to tlu-ni was an exquisite joke" nt tin* Afghan frontier. _ Tin* solitary sontrv i.n tin* Afghan side of tlm harrier hailed liimsidf into* blind fury born use .some ain:it<“ur photographers it) India wanted him in their snapshots. Tho Afghan was a- dusty youth in illfitting drab uniform and a comic little grey fell hat. the brim of which was pulled over his receding forehead. He looked more like an overgrown Hoy Sri ut than a leal soldier. The Hat bans fin* whom he provided a Roman holiday were on the Indian side ol the barrier. As ilie photographers stalked him with their cameras the sentry trifd to take oover behind Ids Indian comrade. Hut 1,,, |, a ,l t,» walk bis post. and whenever In emerged click went Hie shutters. |[is eves blazed with anger and lie si i earned protests to the sympathetic hut amused sentry in India, two feel awav. How Hit* I’alliam? laughed ! 1 he\ dislike being photographed themselves, hut ihe diseom lit lire of someone el.v* was another matter.