Part 30 (1/1)
The Gerht faces, but their eyes popped round and their rew stiff with the effort to suppress ehness, is the last new invention,” said the Gerineers shall look at it,” said the amir, ”for ish to keep abreast of the inventions As you remarked just noe are a little shut off from the world We must not let slip such opportunities for education” And then and there he , he scarce concealing hislike thieves caught in the act while the workings were disclosed of such a wireless apparatus as ht serve perhaps between one village and the next, while the batteries persisted,” they said, reporting to the aht he looked puzzled-perplexed, rather than displeased He turned to Ranjoor Singh:
”And you are a liar, too?” he asked
”Nay, Your Royal Highness, I speak truth,” said Ranjoor Singh, saluting him in military manner
”Then what do you wish?” asked the a this is neutral soil on which you trespass?”
”Nay, Your Royal Highness,” answered Ranjoor Singh, with a curt laugh, ”we have had enough of prison camps”
”Then what shall be done with you?” the amir asked ”Here are men from both sides, and how shall I be neutral?”
The Gerhness, we desire to be interned,” he said But the aely
”Peace!” said he ”I asked you nothing, one string of lies was enough! I asked thee a question,” he said, turning again to Ranjoor Singh
”Since Your Royal Highness asks,” said Ranjoor Singh, ”it would be a neutral act to let us each leave your dohed and turned to his attendants, who laughed with hiood,” said he ”So let it be It is an order!”
So it came about, sahib, that the Germans and ourselves were ordered hotfoot out of the amir's country But whereas there was only one way the Gero, viz, back into Persia, there to help theh chose was forward to the Khyber Pass, and so down into India
Aye, sahib, down into India! It was a long road, but the Afghans were very kind to us, providing us with food and blankets and giving some of us new horses for our weary ones, and so we came at last to Landi Kotal at the head of the Khyber, where a long-legged English sahib heard our story and said ”Shabash!+” to Ranjoor Singh-that naling ahead that ere co We slept at Ali Mas jib because neither horses nor men could ain And because they had notice of our coreet us, and we took the salute of a whole division as we had once taken the salute of two in Flanders, Ranjoor Singh sitting his charger like a graven ie, and we-one hundred three-and-thirty ht hundred strong-reeling in the saddle froue while a roar went up in Khyber throat such as I scarcely hope to hear again before I die Once in a lifetih They had their bands with thereeted us that first night of our charge in Flanders, and we-great bearded men-ept like little ones They played IT IS A LONG, LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY
Then because ere cavalry and entitled to the saave us BONNIE DUNDEE and the horses cantered to it; but some of us rolled fro like a line, and a general rode up to shake hands with Ranjoor Singh and to say things in our tongue that may not be repeated, for they ords from heart to heart And I remember little more, for I, too, swooned and fell frorew one into another Hira Singh sat drawing silently in the dust, with his injured feet stretched out in front of hiiant tree above us shook down a little shower of twigs and dirt A tru tents and reducing the camp to superhuman tidiness
”So, sahib,” he said at last, ”they coh they have rant him his desire! May my son be such a man as he, when his day comes
”Me! They say I shall be reat war began Yet what did I do coh did? Each is his oitness and God alone is judge Does the sahib knohat this war is all about?
”I believe no twoIt is a war in eachas the spirit moves him So, they corant the sahib peace Peace to the sahib's grandsons and great-grandsons With each arraciously excuse ?”
THE END