THE MAN OF PEACE.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 27, 23 February 1912, Page 8

THE MAN OF PEACE.

A PAGE OP LIFE IN UHITRAL. “The sahib," said the Pathan, •'knows the way* of all the hillmen. They will certainly rush this saagar ti the darkness ; but we shall have left it ere they come.” The Pat ban again laid his rifle across the breastwork and took careful aim against what appeared to be the lifeless desolation of the opposite hill. One after another, swiftly and with careful deliberation, withal, he fired three rifles. Then he squatted down again to reload them. “There is another Kaffir the less. Huzoor,” said he. “There may be two ; but tt the sahib takes his glass he can see how one has fallen. He is wriggling on the rocks.” The Pathan reloaded the rifles and laid them down, while he fumbled with his puggree. From this, presently, he extracted a packet which Stranaghan’s traftied eye immediately recognised as a bundle of “chits” the inevitable letters of disgrace or recommendation good or bad, that are given to servants by their European masters and mistresses in the land of Vain Regrets. “In these,” said the Pathan, with a low salaam, “the sahib will find the choice and pick of all the ‘chits’ in the Saddar Bazaar of Peshawar. I have hired them at a price that would stagger a rajah ; and a learned pundit, to whom I paid eight anna?, to decipher their import, assured me that: they w«re fit for a Dew an in tha house of a prince. W a zir All told me to show them to Captain Eestran sahib ; and, therefore, Huzoor,, hither have I come. I do not know if any mention that I learned cookery from the Khansamah of the Peshawar Dak Bungalow—bifeesteak, mutton cestewy poo h egg, hot toash, Oostaschee sauce—but doubtless the sahib himself knows how to read, and will tell me if they be lacking in comprehensiveness, in whfch event I shall destroy them, and let the Hindoo pig who hired them to me lose every ‘pice’ of what they cost. On the other hand, I hope they may be of such adeqaateness that they will commend me to the services of the Huzoor.” Even in the face of his sore hurts and the impending peril of death, Stranaghan felt forced to smile ; but the Pathan was very serious. “The matter is of greater import to his servant than perhaps the sahib can imagine. Therefore it were well that the sahib should inspect the 'chits’ and decide if they are of sufficient excellence. Without the protection and shelter of the sahib, I am as An infant wailing in the wildernr.is—a thing marked for death and the jackals.” “Zipp !” “Zipp !” "‘Zipp !” “Thy pardon, Huzzoor. Those swine have found some of your dead soldiers’ rifles and are coming down the 'khud.' I must frighten them back again. Mayh&p the sahib will load for me, so that I can make a brave display and shoot more swiftly ?”

Again the uneven battle was resumad, while lead rained' over the san gar.

•Pathan,” said Stranagban, “there are but few cartridges left.” “They will last until the sun goes down, sahib.” “Then they will rush the sangar.” “Yes, sahfb ; but we shall have left it. What, therefore we care for the rushes ? ... . For the sake erf Allah, Huzoor, pass me fresh guns !”

“Zipp !” “Zipp !” “Zipp !” sizzled the bullets on the rocks. “Crack !” •Crack !” “Crack I” went the rifle of the Pathan. Stranaghan's leg was swo'len and stiff. He had long ago ceased all to raise himself. “It is mow accessary that the sahib should help save his servant.” “What does that mean, Pathau ?” “Without the sahib I am lost. I am a prey to those children of infamy, the Frontier Palic* ‘ wallahs,'i and in those spawn of swine, the meq of the Khal&ni Kbel. “Nay, Huzoor ! the matter is a light one, and ol no consequence to a sahib. It was nothing—a dog of a Khalani dared look upon a woman of our clan ; and so I shot him. The Hnaoor would have done the same. Then his wretched brother took up the mat ter, and likewise perished ; and then as the feud spread—as such trifles do spread in our country—the nncle had also to be shot. Then it was that those misbegotten children of Shaitan who call themselves frontier Police came nosing around like jackals, and Interfering. It was when one of them got shot that my troubles began, Huzoor ; and I, who was ever a free man of the hills, had ho flee to the bazaars of Peshawar—ntinking pots they be, Huzoor * but heavens of rest for the fugitive ! Thus it was I came to know Ismail Khan of the Dak who j'.ave me shelter and sustenance, and the friendship of Waxir Ali, whom all the j sahibs know. “Look, sahib ! The sun touches the ridge. That, sahib, is Aspoghar. There is no higher ri-’ge in this country. The Huzoor must do his own shooting for a little while. I go to seek the garments of Waly Mah moud.”

The Pathan raised himself and peered over the breastwork. The light was swiftly failing. 4, 1 shall wrap the sahib in the garment of Waly Mahmoud,” said h*, “and carry him hence, alive. Sal aani, sahib ! I go.” “Come back, Pathan.” Quiet as a snake, the Pathan had Blithered out of the sangar ; and Stranaghan was a lona with his dead “havildar,” his dead “seyoy,” and his dead “naih,” and the three rifles

Ho noted that the Pai.han had taken no gun - only the kukri with which he had 11 rat entered the saugar.

“It is thy slave, Hruzaor ; do not shoot l M

From the ridges above the cnokling of the rifles and “jezails” was growing fiercer, and the continued “zipp ! aipp 1 zipp !" of the missiles bespoke the imminence of invisible death. “It is tliy slave, Huzoor ; with the garment of the Waly Mahmoud. Yes, it is dirty, Huzoor ; but there be naught else for it but that thou must wear it. The blood on it will give truth to my words, if, when one of the Kaffirs atop me, I tell him that I carry my brother who is wounded. Who can see in the dark that I am not an afridi ?”

Stranaghan felt a choking in his throat that was not brought there by his physical suffering or his sense of danger.

'“Thou art a brave man, Pathan !’ said he ; “but thou shalt not carry me h nee. Save thyself! That is my order !” ‘ The Huzoor hath spoken. I am his slave. It is impossible that the slave should leave the stricken master—especially in view of the fact that the Huzoor has not yet inspected the chits which bear testimony to my accomplishments. We can both die. I swear to thee, sahib, that thou wilt have no cause for disgrace in the manner of my dying. At the same time, Huzoor, thou art not so heavy by half a inaund as the woman who was looked upon by that Kalani whom I slew aforetime, and I could carry her like a kitten. “I speak as a man of peace, Huzoor—unskilled in the ways of war—but if I had the Huzoor on my back, and a kukri knife in my hand, and Huzoor also had a kukri knife and a revolver, we should have two men’s work to do to pass the way that I had intended to go ; but we should have won it. However, the sahih has spoken. We shall die where we sit, and, sahib, I shall see to it that thou be the last to die."

The stars were twinkling in the sky. The fast-falleD night was chilly. No. longer could they see the smoke from the snipers’ rifles ; but sometimes, while they peered in the direction of the reports, they could nerte the sharp red spurts of flame. 4*''Boston Globe."