Part 8 (1/2)

”Let hin our names beneath his name Then he will be in the same trap with us all, and h offered hioat for us all and I have seldom seen a man so shocked by what befell hih-yet it was as if he lashed hiood ave thee leave to yelp?” said he, and Gooja Singh faced about like a man struck By order of the Germans he and I stood in the place of captains on parade, he on the left and I on the right

”To your place!” said Ranjoor Singh

Gooja Singh stepped back into line with h was not satisfied

”To your place in the rear!” he ordered And so I have seen a man who lost a lawsuit slink round a corner of the court

Then I spoke up, being stricken with self-esteeh's shame (for I always knew him to be my enemy)

”Sahib,” said I, ”shall I pass down the line and ask each n what the Germans ask?”

”Aye!” said he, ”like the carrion crows at judgment! Halt!” he ordered, for already I had taken the first step ”When I need to send a havildar,” said he, ”to ask my men's permission, I will call for a havildar! To the rear where you belong!” he ordered And I went round to the rear, knowing so hiether ceased and there was silence in which one could have heard an insect falling to the ground, Ranjoor Singh spoke again ”There has been enough talk,” said he ”In pursuance of a plan, I intend to sign whatever the Gern-fall out! Fall out, I say!”

Not a h

”Those who intend to sign the paper,-two paces forward,-march!” said he And as one ht turn!” And we turned to the right ”Forward! Quick march!” he ordered And he made us ain and turned us to the front to face hi us take up our dressing half a dozen times; and when he had us to his satisfaction finally he stood eying us for several nity toward the gate

He talked through the gate and very soon a dozen Germans entered, led by two officers in unifor a table and a chair The table was set down in theirus, and the senior Gerh collar-handed a docu it to himself he stepped forward and read it aloud to us It was in Punjabi, excellently rendered, and the gist of it was like this:

We, being weary of British ance, thereby renounced allegiance to Great Britain, its king and governht on the side of the Central Empires in the cause of freedom It was expressly mentioned, I remember, that we made this petition of our own initiative and of our own free will, no pressure having been brought to bear on us, and nothing but kindness having been offered us since ere taken prisoners

”That is e are all required to sign,” said Ranjoor Singh, when he had finished reading, and he licked his lips in a manner I had never seen before

Without any further speech to us, he sat down at the table and wrote his na down his rank beside his name Then he called tole file, ca hed harshly, and if one of our race had been watching on the Ger But the Gerer at the British, and the laughter theyspirits, so that the whole affair passed off without arousing their suspicion

Nevertheless, ih Ranjoor Singh had had his ith us, the very having had destroyed the reawakening trust in hiates of treason I could feel their thoughts as awinter on his cheek

When the last onload of rifles was brought in, drawn by oxen They gave a rifle to each of us, and ere made to present arms while the German military oath was read aloud After that the Germans walked away as if they had no further interest Only Ranjoor Singh reave us no time just then for comment or discontent

The mauser rifles were not so very iving us patient instruction but very little rest until evening During the longest pause in the drill he sent for knapsacks and served us one each, filled down to the s a soldier could need, even to a little cup that hung from a hook beneath one corner We were utterly worn out when he left us at nightfall, but there was a lot of talking nevertheless before men fell asleep

”This is the second tieneral coive the well that if I took his part I should share his condemnation-which would not help hioing to thetroublesome, was best!” said I ”Ye overruledyou! Ye are wind blowing this way and that!”

They were so busy defending thee that they said no h took hold of us again and ravel and our ears were full of the tramp-tramp-tramp, and the ek-do-tin of manual exercise

”Listen!” said he to ered on parade ”Caution the men that any breach of discipline would be treated under German military law by dru Advise them to avoid indiscretions of any kind,” said he

So I passed aestion was my own, and they resented it, as I knew they would But I observed froh as their only possible protector against the Gerainst him was offset by self-interest