THE AMEER’S ADVENTUROUS LIFE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4319, 30 March 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE AMEER’S ADVENTUROUS LIFE

When at 16 he received from his father’s hand “the horse with gold harness and saddle, and the jewelled belt and sword” which befitted a commander-in-chief, be had already mastered the art of war, and had put behind him all hesitancy. He had not long been in command when ho turned from his uncle. “Although ho was my uncle,” he writes, “and far older than 1, being preyed a coward, I turned my face from him, and would; not say anything but that he was a disgrace to his celebrated father. Dost Mahomed.” His enthusiasm for the army has never changed. “The appearance of 40,000 men on a desert plain,” thought he many years ago, “is like the movement of a mountain”; and to-day, despite his zeal for administration, his horse is always saddled, his sword and pistols always at his side. And, save in his long contest with Share Ali, he has not often known defeat. Superior numbers have had no terror for him, and with 200 men he has attacked an army of thousands. When he lost the battle to his uncle, it was through the negligence of a general, who got drunk in the face of the einemy, and could only murmur, “1 will tear Shere Ali’s mouth.” Abdur Rahman laughed through his despair ; but flight was imperative, and he arrived at Turmat “tired, ruined, and broken-hearted.” So complete! was his rout that this wealthy prince had no more wealth than a travelling tinker. A few days before he had 'been the richest man in Afghanistan. He had possessed 800,000 gold coins of Bokhara, 20,000 English sovereigns, 20.000 drams'of gold, 11 lakhs of rupees, Kabuli, five lakhs of rupees, Kanduz, 10,000 Khilats, • cooking utensils for 2000 people (the number that used to eat with him every day), and 1000 camels. And now naught was left save one copper cup, cue jug, one hubblebubble, and* one small rug either to wear or stand upon. Yet Abdur Rahman accepted defeat with the resignation imposed by his faith : he spent his years of exile in Samarkand with what state he might command; when warfare was denied him, he mad a the best of sport; and lie knew that the day of his return wbuld'most surely come.