exploits of asaf khan - forgotten books was the ninth 1 eight times had the exploits of asaf khan...

EXPLOITS Of

ASAF KHANBY

AFGHAN

WITH AN INTRODU CTION BY

GEORGE YOUNGHU SBAND ,

HERBERT JENKINS LIM ITED

3 YORK STREET LONDON S.W. I

HERBERTJENKINS

'

BOOK

P OPULAR EDITION

P rin ted in 0 nd") Evita“ by GARDEN Crn Pam

FR600 /

442574 ,

HOW ASAF KHAN ARRIVED

HERBERT JENKINS

HERE are times in the life of a publisher

I when the tragedy of being a publisher isrelieved to some extent by a manuscript

that causes him to take Off his telephone-receiver?to the detriment of his business and the relief of hisstaff.In my room are two telephones and two doors

,

each with a key upon the inside . Such precautionsare as necessary to a publisher as a second meansof entry—or egress .After readin g a few pages Of the manuscript of

the Exploits of Asaf Khan , I removed thetelephone-receivers and locked both doors—I desiredto be alone .Having finished the manuscript, I rang up the

literary agent from whom I had re ceived it,~ and inquired if I were the first to whom it had been

'

sub

mitted. I wa s curious to account for its travelstained appearance .I was the ninth 1 Eight times had the Exploits

of Asaf Khan been weighed and found wanting. I5

6 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

can almost se e some tired pen writing But why nothave made the ninth Levite, Mr. Jenkins ? Ireplaced my telephone-receivers , unlocked my doorsand

,knowing more about Authors than Afridis , I

dictated the following letter to Sir George Younghusband

DEAR YOUNGHU SBAND ,

I have had a manuscript offered to me of ra theran unusual nature . It is entitled Exploits OfAsaf Khan , and gives some inciden ts from thelife of a thoroughly lawless ruflia n ; but ratheran attractive fellow.

You know the North-West Frontier, and ithas struck me that you might be persuaded towrite a foreword giving the book a send-Off, thatis, of course, if you like it .I have n ot yet discussed terms with the author

’ sagent , and be fore doing so I wondered if youwould glance over the manuscript and le t meknow what you think .

Yours sincerely,(Signed) HERBERT JENKINS .

The reply came with refreshing promptness . Itread

DEAR JENKINS,

I think this story absolutely top-hole andtrue to life as a tick . I have met Asa f Khanan dhis like hundreds Of times , and the life describedis exactly his . I don ’ t kn ow who the author is,but he must have lived long on that Frontier andmust ha ve been in either the Political De partmentor the Police, I should say .

HOW ASAF KHAN ARRIVED 7

I am sure the book will be a great success .It will be absolutely new to 99 out of 1 00

,and will

give folks at home some idea Of the people wholive on our borders . I lived 36 years on thatFrontier, 30 with my regiment , and 6 commandinga brigade ; an d any day during those 3 6 yearson e might meet a knife or a bullet . But on e gotaccustomed to it II have written a sort of introduction , to which

you are welcome . I hope it is not too long andabout what you want .

Yours Sincerely,(Signed) GEORGE YOUNGHU SBAND .

I breathed again , because such is the vanity of

publishers that they like to imagine themselves witha keen scent for something good a nd new.

About the author I could gain little information .

To his literary agents he wroteI would prefer to write under the n omde plume

of Afghan ,’ but I leave the matter to you and the

publisher to decide . It is not a question of service ,as I am not in the service but if I write under an om de plume , I can write more freely than I couldif everybody knows who has written the book .

‘

Idon

’

t want a kn ife between my ribs . I have however, left it to you .

As regards Mr. Jenkins’ kind inquiries , I am

not out for notoriety,and I am afra id my private

life would be of little interest to the publicI was many years on the North-West Frontier

of India,and there met Asaf Khan—many Asaf

Khans in fact,but only one actually Of that name

,

the chaukida r of Jamrud, who went home to put a


stop to the blood fa cd, and did so exactly as related in the tale . One Asaf Khan I saw in Jhelum .

He went for his wife ’ s lover with his knife an d

Split his skull in two down to the eyes .I was a few years in Peshawar ; I have been

in Kohat,Mardan , and other frontier places, and

once went prospecting for gold up the Indus so faras the Black Mountains of Buner. The Border andher sons have always possessed a fascination forme in fact, the North-West Border is the part ofIndia I know best .Finally, I am English .

The only satisfaction I was able to glean from thisletter was that Asaf Khan really existed .

The introduction which Sir George Youn ghusba ndenclosed appears on the next page .

HERBERT JENKINS .

WHAT I THINK OF ASAF KHAN

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR GEORGE YOUNGHU SBAND ,

S t he traveller j ourneys up the Khyber Pass

A on his way to Afghanistan , to his left liesthe land of the Afridis . A small country

not larger than an average English county,though

in every respect most unlike an English county !For here, instead of green fields and green trees andgentle hills and dales

,are massed great rocky moun

tains , with narrow sparse valleys in between insteadof peaceful countryfolk at work in the fields, or towns~

men taking their pleasures abroad, are to be seenfierce and rugged warriors , born and bred to thesword , living in mud-forts and only daring tocultivate their fields when armed to the teeth .

There are many such tribes along the North-WestFrontier of India, the Mohmands, the Black Mountain e e rs, Bun e rwals, Wazirs , and Mahsud Waziris,

and all these Asaf Khan,the Afridi , the hero of these

adventures,visited . Sometimes in search of wa r ,

occasionally thirsting for love , more Often merelybecause he was bored with a quiet life. and wanteddistraction of the more virulent sort . Above allthese lesser tribes , the Afridis hold themselves assuperior, and are by the British held of more importance .

The Afridi youth are brought up from childhood9

I O EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

like the Spartans, under the hardest conditions Of

life,and only the strongest and best , and those lucky

enough to escape bullets and knives survive . Thesesurvivors are of splendid physique , with really phen ome n al courage and powers of endurance . The

Afridis are remarkably deadly marksmen , povertyhaving taught them never to waste a Shot , whilstin hand-to-hand fighting they are exceeding awkwardto meet with sword or kn ife .

Before the Great War, there were several thousan dsof Afridis in the regiments Of the Indian Army, a ndthese were always held by their British office rs invery high esteem a s fighting men . But during thewar their Mullahs, or priests, got hold of a naturallysuperstitious race , and persuaded them that theywere being led by the In fidels against the titularhead of their religion , the Sulta n of Turkey . Furtherit was impressed upon them by these false prophetsthat this road , if followed,

led to sure damnation , that damnation being combined incidentallywith the assured loss of all the beautiful ladies whowould otherwise have j oyfully greeted them at thegates of Paradise .

Thus these simple fellows became re stive and um

reliable, many deserted, many were guilty oi worsecrimes , so that it came about during the war thata clean sweep wa s made Of them, and n ow no Afridisare enlisted in the Indian Army .

Asaf Khan is a typical Afridi , and his story hasbeen told with rare fidelity by one who is manifestlyvery intimate with border life and border character .Those who have lived on the Frontier know AsafKhan well, and have met him and his like many atime but it is well that people in England and the

WHAT I THINK OF ASAF KHAN rr

Empire should learn a little from these graphic pagesabout those with whom the British Officer has todeal on the North-West Frontier of India .

In Asaf Khan are blended the virtues and vicesof the Afridi he is brave, enduring, hardy and chivalrous . He performs many gallant and eVen noble deedsevery year of his life ; but betwixt and betweenwhiles, he will perpetrate the most appallingly treacherous and bloodthirsty crimes . It is Pathan custom ,

”

he will remark in complete explanation .

How Asaf Khan made peace in his village was asingularly dr astic affair, and was certainly more insta n tly conclusive than that achieved by Peace 00nfe re n ce s in London or Paris . Even more drasticallydid Asaf Khan deal with his wife and anothergentleman , who in this country would only havebee n called on to appear before Mr . Justice Horridgein the Divorce Court .Though these wild tribesmen are taught from

infancy to hate all Unbelievers , the chiefest of whom ,

the Mullahs preach , are the English ; yet strangelyenough when these same Afridi warriors leave theirmountain-homes and , by enlistment or otherwise,get to know British Ofiice rs, an extraordinary devotionand even affection for them springs up . Such anattachment had Asaf Khan , the outlaw and freelance , for Colonel Markham ,

and for that Britishofficer he would go anywhere and do anything, evento the death .

As illustratin g this personal devotion , once in myown regiment , the Guides , the night after an inspectionby the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punj ab , the colonelwas , sittin g in a chair in his garden, smoking a pipebefore he went to bed . Out of the com er of his

1 2 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

eye he noticed standing silent, awaiting his notice ,on e of the men Of the regiment , an Afridi.

Turning round , Oolon e l Lumsden said, Hullo l

Yakub Khan , what do you want PSahib , at the inspection to-day, I and others

of my comrades noticed that the Lord Sahib spokewords that were displeasing to your Honour, andthat your Honour ’s face became black . Now theLord Sahib travels by road to-morrow to Peshawarbut the re is n o rea son wha tever why he should a rrive

the re !

I Often told this story afterwards to Viceroys andWar Lords who came to inspect us

,and generally to

their huge delight .An Afridi , himself brought up in an atmosphere

of treachery and deceit , where lying is a virtue andwhere no man's life is safe even from hour to hour,does not take long to learn that the British officerin contrast is perfectly straight and honest . Herequires no bribes

,he is a s brave as himself

,he is a

man whose word is his bond a n d who incidentallydoes not stab or shoot people in the back . Curiouslyenough the Afridi

,much against his upbringing

,

admires this singular being .

Of Asaf Khan's stirring adventures , whether asa rifle thief, a freebooter, a gay Lothario, or a pe acefulnight-watchman at an Indian railway station

, thosewho read the following pages will find a wonde rqytrue and life-like presentmentThe author is unknown to me, but he knows as

much , or more about these wild border warriorsas I who served as a soldier for 3 6 years or sowithin hail of the land of Afridis .

GEORGE YOUNGHUSBAND .

CHAP.

I .

I I .

III .

IV.

v.

VI .

VII

VIII .

IX .

XI .

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

HOW

CONTENTS

PAGE

ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 1 5

ASAF KHAN DEFENDED THE HOU SE . 39

ASAF KHAN MADE A FRIEND 54

ASAF KHAN LOVED AND RODE AWAY 6 6

ASAF KHAN LEARNED To LOVE 87

ASAF KHAN BECAME A RIFLE THIEF 1 1 8

ASAF KHAN PAID A DEBT

ASAF KHAN RETURNED TO KAI

ASAF KHAN BECAME A HOLY PIR

ASAF KHAN WENT TO JELALABAD

ASAF KHAN LOST HIS HORSE,AND

GAINED SEVEN RINGS

ASAF KHAN KEPT THE FORT

EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

CHAPTER I

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE

THE small railway station of Jamrud, awayon the North-West Frontier of India, laybathed in the rays of the setting sun . In

the midst of a desolate plain, low ba rren bills to thewest and Peshawar in the dim east, i t nestled in theshelter Of the mound on which stood the fort of

Jamrud,that grim sentinel at the mouth Of the

Khybe r.A queer railway station , Jamrud . A small detached

Office on the platform the remainder a hollow square ,with massive gates giving admittance to an innercourtyard . A queer building, but a very necessarytype in a country where the chaukida rs (watchmen)go armed night and day and where it is no uncommonoccurrence for the staff to hear guns popping Off duringthe night

,an occasional dull thud on wood betraying

the fact that light filtered from an overlooked crack ina shutter.Asaf Khan

,Pathan , Afridi, and for the nonce

cha ukida r at Jamrud , sat on his heels andthought.


Of many things he thought . Of the three wearyyears he had been cha ukida r at Jamrud . a servant ofthe British Raj . Of the little hoard of rupees he hadhidden in a safe place

,for every little helps . Of the

pig Of a Hindustani stationmaster he had to Obey,and

whom he would on e day kill,-he would hold him down

on the office table and cut his throat . For Asaf Khanhad a long score to settle with the stationmaster

,and

a Pathan never forgets a favour or an injury. He hadsuffered much at this man

’

s hands,and some da y he

would repay .

Had not the son of a pig fined him a rupee for beingasleep one night What if he were asleep Was henot Asaf Khan Was n ot Asaf Khan known far andwide ? Even from the Samana ranges to the land of

the Bun e rwa ls was Asaf Khan known and who dareto come to Jamrud save in peace while Asaf Khan wasthereAnd there was the affair of the raiding party . He

was off duty that night, so what call had the stationmaster to interfere If he chose to take a j aunt on amoonlight night with some friends across the border,that was his a ffair.It took twenty good rupees to hush the matter up

for the stationmaster vowed that if he were not paidthat sum he would report Asaf Khan

’

s absence .Twenty rupees ! But the report would lead to in

quiries and he would be called upon to explain thebullet wound in his calf

,his sole share Of the plunder

from the raid .

Twenty rupees ! He would certainly kill the man .

On second thoughts , he would not kill him . He would

cut off his hands , nay, his forearms at the elbow, a nd

would burn the stumps with fire to stop the bleeding .

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 1 7

Then the pig would live,and would remember Asaf

Khan while he lived .

Then his thoughts turned to the home he had n ot seenfor three long years . He thought of the valley below,

where the walnut grew and the pea ches and grapesof the bul-buls that sang in the pomegranate grove,and the fields of rich waving corn of the limpid streamthat wound its tortuous way and with many a silverycascade swelled the music of the birds . And of thehigher hills he thought

,those green hills that spring

turned into a garden of wild flowers and of the peaksstill higher where the wild sheep wandered, and wherethe pine reared its stately crown , swaying to the windthat blew soft ha rmon ies through its needles , wha t timethe wood pigeon

,perched among the branches

,called

sweet melodies to its mate.And then his eyes fell on the hills in front, and his

thoughts returned to the present with a j olt . Backto the prosaic everyday. To the barren hills beforehim stretching north and south for mile s in a monotonyof bare rock ; to the burn t-up, sa ndy plain betweenJamrud and Peshawar a ndlastly to the solitary crowperched on the roof

,occasionally breaking the silence

with its infernal caw caw IThr ee years Three lifetimes 1 He must go back .

After working thre e years for the British Raj , washenot entitled to three months ’ leave

,on e month for each

year A fortn ight to reach his home a fortnight tore tin

'

n . That would give him two clear months athome . Yes, he would go . He must go . The nexttime the Traffic Inspector Sahib came, he would submitan application for three months ’ leave . He would getthe stationmaster to write it out for him , andwould give him a rupee

,two rupees even , to


write a recommendation across it ; then he wouhdgohome .But the Blood Feud ! The Blood Feud With the

family of Wazir Ali Ah,he had forgotten that. An d

yet it was because of the Blood Feud he was here inJamrud . Were there not three deaths to his accountWere not thre e avengers seeking his blood ? If hereturn to his home

,he must remain in the village

,at

most go to his fields how could he brook this confin ement ? His father and his brothers were content tolive thus but he must roam where he listed—and theavengers were on the alert for his blood . Three hadhekilled , and a grim smile passed over his harsh featuresa s he thought of the last on e .

The enemy had tracked him for miles , he having nogun while his enemy had . The other fired and misse d

,

but he,Asaf Khan

,fell flat and rolled in apparent

agony—rolled so that he presently lay behind a largerock . Rising quickly, he crept , concealed behindrocks an dbushes , towards the oncoming an dexultantfoe . With a tiger-like spring he hurled himself uponthe other

,and disdaining to use his knife

,felled him

with a stone and bound his hands and feet while he laysenseless . How well he remembered it allHe had laughed at his enemy and spat upon him and

then,cutting off his feet had left him there to die and

be food for the vultures ; while he , Asaf Khan , thevictorious

,had

,when darkness fell

,crept to the house

of his enemy. Even to the centre of the village did hecreep

, an d throwing the feet inside the door, hadesca ped

,making his way by tracks well-known to him

till he reached the Frontier and Jamrud . A post ofcha ukida r being vacant, he had applied, and

.

hadObta ined it .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join


not Asaf Khan ? Asaf Khan,the Pathan . Once the

slayer ofmen,now the Peacemaker

Asaf Khan,grumbled the watchman . Has

that shaitan (devil) returned That firebrand 1 Andwhat in the name of the Prophet does hemean by callinghimself the Peacemaker Asaf Kha n the Pea cemaker and he smiled grimly at the thought . Justas the young men had become quiet BismillaGod is great and leaning over the parapet he calledto a young man below .

0,Aziz There comes by the path from the hills

on e who claims to be Asaf Khan . Take thou thy gunand see if it be indeed Asaf Khan . Thou knowesthim inquiringly.

Know him replied Aziz,with a shout of delight

that se t the watchman grumbling afresh . Who knowsnot Asaf Khan Here Where is my gun Listenthere Hear ye Asaf Khan has returned Thedays of raiding Shall be once more Lea ping to hisfeet an dseizing the gun his wife brought to the door, herushed whooping and yelling down the village, out ofthe gate, and along the path by which his herocame .

Quickly the word passed ; and ere he reached thevillage

,Asaf Khan was surrounded by the young men

,

all eager to embrace, clasp the hand Of, and do honourto their hero .

To the ir surprise , surprise amounting almost to conste rn a tion

, their hero seemed chan ged . When Afl ulmentioned the latest raid

,Asaf Khan appeared to take

n o intere st in the recital ! But perhaps,because the

raid was a small on e , he considered it beneath hisnotice . They breathed again ; on ly to wonder anew

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 2 1.

when an allusion . by another to the well-knownBlood Feud was received in silence—with distinctcoldne ss !

What could have happened Had the heat of

India,the enervating climate of the Peshawar Va lley,

sapped his courage One who had always beenenvious OfAsa f Khan ’s fame ventured to hint as muchbut he received in turn such a look from those steel-greyeyes , that made him withdraw hurriedly, and effacehimself in the crowd .

Their hero wa s silent . Hardly a word did he Speakand when he did, how strange the words that fell from

I have learned much,my brothers ; and I will

speak my thoughts to-night in the square before themussafir khana (trave llers

’ rest house) when all willhear . I have lived with the English ; and though,being unbelievers, they are in some things foolish ,

inother matters their wisdom is great . It is enough .

TO-night I will speak,an d will tell the reason for

my return ..Where is my father, Kadir Shah, and

where my brothers P

An old man , tall and gaunt as all his tribe, with theaquiline nose and steel-grey eyes of the true Pathan ,

came striding from the village . He was followed bythree young men , who from the liken ess they bore theold man were easily to be recognized as his sons .Hurrying through the crowd that opened to give himpassage , the Old man rushed to Asaf Khan and threwhimself on his son ’s breast.

My son My son At last mine old eye s, wearyWith watching for thee, behold thy face. Ah ! SonOf mine 1 Why hast thou ta rried thus long ? Three


years To the young , three years are as thre e we eksbut to the a ged they are three eternities . But come ,my he art , thou hast travelle d far an dart weary . Come,and the women of the House shall prepare for thee therich pilau . Haste, someone, and carry the newsLet a kidbe killed

,and fowls

,and with them a pilau

be made . A good pila u with many spices andse e thatthey stint n ot the ghee (clarified butter) nor the salt .An d let raisins also be washed , and almonds and walnuts cracked , and the dried apricots stewed for thismy son has returned at last . "

What news , my son Hast thou returned toremain , or wilt thou tarry but a time and again leavethy father

’

s heart desolate

Father, spake Asaf Khan , have word sent tothe elders that I would speak at a jrrga h meetin g in themussafir khana this night . Askme n ot what I wouldsay be it enough that I speak of peace and the healin gOf the Blood Feud betwee n thy House and the House OfWazir Ali .”

Peace is good, remarked the old man sententiously. Also the House Of Wazir Ali outnumbers ustwo to on e .

” Never theless, he looked strangely athis son .

Asa f Khan accompanied his father to his house , andthe crowd dispersed

,with many expressions of wonder

at the strange words that had fallen from Asaf Khan’

slips Asaf Khan

,who from childhood they had looked

up to as the greatest warrior on the Border. Asaf Khan ,

whose chief delight in life was a raid,and who thought a

raid tame , brin ging little honour, if killing went not withit . Asaf Khan who had kept up

‘

his end of the BloodFeud better than an yman of his House, and

"

whose

How ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 23

trea tment of the la st enemy he had slain was the prideand the boast of the village .

And'

n ow he returned pra ting Of peace ! Of thehealin g of the Blood Feud !

'

Of'

a surety Peshawarmust be a vile place, and the rule of the English

demoralizing. That a Pathan , a great warrior, on e

of the greatest, should, after a soj ourn there of a barethree years , return babbling of peace and the healingof blood feuds ! It was in credible ! Unthinkable !Their village, which was known and feared for mileseven to the border of the Afghan country, would beshamed

,would become a thing to laugh at . To

spit upon And with many head—Shakings they wenttheir way to their various employments, to wait withwhat patience they might possess the coming of night,when Asaf Khan had promised to make all thingsclear.Night fell and the elders of thevillage

, toge the rwith

all the men —every male above the age of eighte e nh

is

considered a man , and is entitled to a seat at the j irgah— assembled in the square before the mussafirkhan a .

A large fire In the centre threw a fitful glare over thescene, casting a ruddy glow on the savage, swarthyfaces with their black brows and gleaming eyes

,here

glinting on a rifle barrel, there thrown back coldly fromthe scabbard Of a mighty sword

,and everywhere

glistening on the curved Afghan knives in embroideredbelts.

A space was left near the elders, ofwhom Kadir Shah

was on e ; and-presently the Old man arrived with hisson s . The usual hum of welcome was absent, for theirhero had fallen in their eyes , the cracklingof the fires,and the bubbling of the hookahs (Indian pipes) alone


breaking the silence . After a short inte rval, Hafiz Ali,the chief e lder of the village

,rose from the charpoy

(string bedstead) on which he hadbeen seated . HafizAli

,who in spite of his seventy years was still ere ct

through all his six feet Odd ; who was as strong, asswift, as keen of sight as many of the young men .

Hafiz Ali,of whose turbulent youth were still told

tales of daring and bloodshed that rivalled, if they didnot surpass , the exploits of Asaf Khan himself. HafizAli, now a grave elder talking wisdom, and restrainingas far as may be the headstrong young bloods of thevillage Hafiz Ali rose, and turned to AsafKhan .

Welcome again -to Kai,O Asaf Khan . Thou hast

been long absent,serving the British Raj we have

heard, and now thou hast returned . But in whatguise Have the years taught thee wisdom, or doesthy blood still run hot as in the days when thy handwa s always raised in anger

,and thy thirst for blood was

as the thirst of the desert for rain Hast thou cometo dwell ; or wilt thou tarry here but a short time,returning to the service thou hast taken with theBritish There is peace

,and there is quietness in the

village and in the valley . Even the House of WazirAli , the en emy of thy father ’s House , has sought noblood for many moons . Say then , 0 Asaf Khan ,comest thou in peace

,or comest thou to stir up the

young men to raids and the sheddin g of blood ?Speak and gathering his loose robes about him , heresumed his seat on the charpoy .

Asaf Khan rose and allowed his gaze to wander overthe assembly. A difficult task was before him . Thee lders would be on his side, and would approve ofwhathe was about to say but the scorn and contempt of

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 25

the young men would be hard to -bear. Afterwardshe would make them eat their words That he would

,

or he would tear out their tongues to feed the dogs IBut in the meantime he must bear their mockery andcontempt. His gaze wandered round the circle yetagain , finally resting where the elders sat and squaringhis shoulders

,he spoke.

People Of Kai,

” he said,and his voice rang out

over the assembly like a war trumpet . Ye kn ow me.Ye know who I am

,and what I have done to mine

enemies . Me, Asaf Khan , do ye know,as all men

know me. From Afghanistan to Hindustan, from theSamana ranges to the country of the Bun e rwals am Iknown and fea red . I , Asaf KhanThis was talk

’

they loved,and a shout from the young

men interrupted him . But the elders looked askanceat on e another and at Asaf Khan .

“Also ye know Of the Blood Feud between the Houseof Wazir Ali and the House Of my father, Kadir Shahand of the many I have slain . Especially Of the lastha Ve ye heard when I , armed only with a knife, disdaining to use even that knife, yet overcame on e

armed with a gun, the gun which is even n ow in thehouse of my father, Kadir Shah . But it is not ofthese things, neither the shedding of blood nor of warthat I would speak

,but of peace .”

It was now the turn f the young men to be Silent,while the elders mure ed their approval . A grimsmile passed over Asaf Khan ’s face, and hecontinued .

Brothers,for three long years have I been from

home in a strange land,and have there learn ed many

thin gs . Of on e Of these will I speak, anddo ye judge .


I hea rd it from an Englishman to whom I taught

Pusto,and the se are his words .

First I told him many things of our life here . Ofour raidings of our wars ; Of how the village of

Kai was feared by all ; and Of the Blood Feud did I

Speak .

The Englishman listened , and naught spake hebut when I had finished , he took from a heap Six

sticks .Asaf Khan ,

’ he said,

‘here be Six sticks ; takethem on e by on e and break them ,

' and I did

Then did the Englishman take six more sticks ofthe same thickness, but these he bound together .Asaf Kha n ,

’ he said, Thou didst break these othersticks which were loose take now these six which arebound together, and break them ,

’ but I couldnot .

This, then , is the lesson,’ spake the Englishman .

‘The English nation is a ll powerful, and has con

quered Hindustan, which is a gr eat country. Yet isEngland a small country, and the English few innumber. In the days when they conquered Hin dusta nAsaf Khan , their numbers were even les s butan dhe pointed to the bun dle I could not break, theEnglish were bound together and were all on e . Thepeople Of India and he poin ted to the sticks which Ihad broken

,were n ot bound . Rajputs

,Marathas,

Moguls, Sikhs, they were loose sticks and the Englishbroke them on e by on e .

’

And then he said that we tribes were even loosesticks

,which the English could bre ak when they listed

—whom even the Amir of Kabul could break for the


The last few words were almost drowned in the

clamour that arose .

What Give guns Precious guns Guns each worththe life Of a man i Give guns out Of the village toanother village ! Never ! Why this silly talk of binding sticks ? They

,the men of Kai , were a thick stick,

and could break the other sticks . They could evenbreak the stick of the British Raj if need be

Those of the House of Kadir Shah were loudest intheir condemnation . Never should it be said thatblood could be forgotten ! If this thing were done,they would become the scorn and byword of the Borde r !The House Of Wazir Ali would refuse would call themwomen and cowardsThe clamour rose and fell and rose again but fell,to finally cease when it was seen that Kadir Shah , thefather of Asaf Khan , had risen to his feet . Withupraised hand he comman ded silence ; and at sight ofthe gaunt figure of the Old man , stan ding with upra isedhand

,the tumult gradually subsided .

When Silence had at last fallen upon the excited men ,

Kadir Shah, stepping forward a pace , cast a glan cefrom his still keen and hawk-like eyes round the

assembly .

Men of Kai,” he said , to you I speak. Men of

my House,to you more especially do I speak . What

my son , Asaf Khan ,has said

,is good . I

,Kadir Shah,

say it is good . What he has said,I say. His words

are my words and any of my House that say my wordsare n ot good , shall be cast out and shall n o longer be ofmy House . I am the Head of my House ,

” he thundered . What I say is good , that thing is good IAnd what I say is bad

,that thing is bad I say that

5 the Blood Feud is bad and it is bad ! I say that if the

q

Blood Feud is ended , rt is good and it is good Willan yman of my House say that what I say is good , isnot good ? Or that what I say is bad, is not bad ?Speak

A deep hush followed his words,for all men knew

Kadir Shah an d his un govem a ble temper. Not longbefore

,he ca st a young man from his House and from

the village,never to return on pain Of being shot

,but

for that he doubted the word of Kadir Shah whenKadir Shah spoke of how he in his young days , armedwith his Afghan knife only

,had overcome and slain

two Sikhs armed with tulwars .

A great silence therefore fell the men Of the Houseof Kadir Shah scarce daring to breathe lest that eagleeye mark them .

The Old m an stood gazing sternly round for a fewmoments , but as none spoke, he turned presently tohis son .

We will go,my son . To-day have we spoken

,to

morro'

w shall we do,

” and with the usual farewell tothe assembly

,father and son left the square .

Their departure wa s the signal for another outburstbut now the crowd wa s divided , the men of the Hon sdOf Kadir Shah and the friends of his House againstthe rest , and eyes flashed , while many a word wa s saidin anger that led to bloodshed in after days .The elders conferred gravely apart

,and presently

Hafi z Ali rose . He wa s the chief elder , and all fellSilent to hear his words .

Men Of Kai . What Asaf Khan ha s said,is good

and what Kadir Shah has said, is good . We

,the

elders , say it is good . And as this thing concernsB


Kadir Shah and the men of his House alone,let them

therefore do that which seems best in their eyes . Butbecause the words which Asaf Khan has spoken soundstrange in our ears , we will wait , and will se e further ofthis peace . If it is good , we may then see to the furtherbinding Of these sticks . But Asaf Khan told us n otwhat further the Englishman sa id , n or if it concernedthis binding of the sticks or some other ma tter .

Has any man here heard Asaf Khan spea kthereonHe pause d for an answer ; but none spoke . Some ,

when his eyes fell upon them,shook their heads but

at length on e volunteere d the statement that AsafKhan had held private converse with n o man sinceentering the village

,save with his father

,Kadir Shah ,

alone .

They went into the fields,he said

,Sitt ing in the

open where none might approach unseen , and therethey held converse for upward of half an hour . But itwould not have been on any serious matter they spoke ,for they laughed a s they talked and at the end KadirShah laughed loudly and embraced his son ,

after whichthey returned to the village in merry mood . Thesubj ect on which they conversed must have beena light on e ,

and n ot this ma tter of the BloodFeud .

With many headshakings and mutterings theassembly dispersed and next day went a messe ngerforth from the House of Kadir Shah to the House OfWazir Ali bearing presents . And AliWazir acceptedthe presents and swore on the HolyKora n and on theHoly Qa a ba at Mecca that two of his House wouldcome , un armed and unaccompa nie d ,

to the appointedSpot . Also a me sse nger came from the House of Wa zir

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 3 1

Ali to the House of Kadir Shah , and to him Kadir Shah ,

his son ,Asa f Khan , and Nadir Shah , the brother of

Kadir Shah ,swore on the Holy Koran and on the Holy

Qa a ba at Mecca , that they would come unarmed andunaccompanied to the appointed spot .So it came to pass that on a certain day Kadir Shahand two of his House met Wazir Ali and two of his

House,and arranged many things concerning the Blood

Feud . But because the demands of Wazir Ali weregreat

,there wa s nothing settled on that day and so

they met and parted . Again they met , and a thirdtime at the appointed place , and talked of this thing ;and at last

,at the third time of meeting , Wazir Ali

listened to the words of Kadir Shah and of his son ,

Asaf Khan . Also did he hear the tale of the sticks , andhis heart inclined to peace .

Also he thought of other things . It is true hisHousewa s more numerous , but wa s not Asaf Khan a host inhimself Also that village of Kai wa s powerful

,and

the men Of Kai Often stole his cattle . Besides,he

would get guns ; and Asaf Khan had brought richclothes from Peshawar, muslins and silks and embroidered belts and all these would Asa f Khan giveto Wazir Ali that the hearts of his House would bemade glad ,

and would incline their men tomake peace .

At last the House ofWazir Ali agreed to make peacewith the House of Kadir Shah ,

and to attend a greatfeast at the village Of Kai . This would Asaf Khanprovide with the money he had brought from Hindustan

,and then would be given the guns , the muslins ,

the silks and embroidered belts to the House Of WazirAli . Some of the muslins and silks were given at thisthird meeting

,that the women of the House of Wazir


Ali might make a brave show, and not be ashamedbefore the women of the House of Kadir Shah .

It was night, and a great fire burned in the centre ofthe squar e before the mussafir khana . Around the firewas seated a crowd seldom seen in a border village

,a

crowd not only ofmen , but of women and children alsofor every member of each House must be present

,even

to the smallest lest in af ter years that on e say he wasnot present, and so the feud begin afresh . And becausethe women were present , the members Of the twoHouses were alone admitted to the square , n o otherman being present .The House of Wazir Ali arrived earlier in the dayand after seeing their women safely in the zenana, orwomen’s apartments , of Kadir Shah

’s dwelling , thestrangers were escorted round the village by theelders and the men Of the House ofKadir Shah , the restof the men of Kai keeping severely aloof .They did not understand this talk of peace n or did

they like strangers in their village . It was not bypeace that Kai had become powerful , and a village tobe feared and they did n ot like strange men to walkin their village gazing with curious eyes upon theirhomes . Many a glance was cast upon the gun in thecorner

,and many a hand Closed softly on the hidden

knife at the girdle .

They did n ot understand this peace . Above a ll

they could not understand why the men of the Houseof Kadir Shah should agree to it . Let them refuse , andlet him thr ust them out . Then would the House of

Kadir Shah consist of Kadir Shah, his sons, and the

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 33

son of Asaf Khan,who wa s a boy which was foolish

ness . Had they refused to take part in this shamefulpeace , Kadir Shah could n ot have cast them out of his

House , else his House would be but a name .

And yet , though no later than the previous eveningthe men of the House of Kadir Shah had been bitteragainst this peace

,none daring to speak Openly how

ever, for fea r Of the wrath of Kadir Shah yet beholdto-day they walked with the House Of Wazir Ali, withsmiles on their faces , doing service I How this strangething had come to pass none could say. At morning ,Kadir Shah had ordered all his House to assemble athis dwelling

,women as well as men and had spoken to

them for on e hour while his sons kept watch at the doorso that none should hear what pa ssed within . Menwondered , and presently the door opened and KadirShah and his House came forth . To the mussafirkhana they went and Kadir Shah bade on e manstand here

,and one there

,till he had told them all they

should do in the service of their guests . The womena lso he directed ,

telling them what they Should do , andon whom they should wait .And the people of Kai , looking curiously into thesquare

, saw that the men of the House of Kadir Shahwere changed in heart . They had gone into his dwelling with dark looks and frowning brows , but nowlaughing and merry, as if pleased with this shamefulpeace . But the faces of the women they couldnot see because of the boorkhas (veils) theywore .And the men Of Kai marvelled at the sight , wonder

ing if this thing were ofwitchcraft .The House of Wazir Ali having arrived , they were

first Shown the village and then didKadir Shah a nd


his son,Asaf Khan , bring forth into the courtyard

before their dwelling the two guns , the silks andmuslins , and the embroidered belts . Also with thesedid Kadir Shah give a sack of raisins , a sack of

almonds , and , greatest gift of all, except the gun s , awhite she buffalo with her young calf .

The heart of Wazir Ali re jorcedwhen he receivedthese gifts ; and he embraced Kadir Shah and calledhim brother. Likewise , the eldest son of Wazir Aliembraced Asaf Khan , and would have called himbrother, but could not , for there wa s not sufficientbreath within his body, the embrace of Asaf Khanbeing even as the embrace of the great bear that livesamongst the mountains ofAfghanistan .

Others of the Houses of Wazir Ali and Kadir Shahalso embraced and one whose balcony overlooked thecourtyard of Kadir Shah ’s dwelling said thatalways the men of the

,House of Kadir Shah

laughed .

In the evening they came to the square before themussafir khana where the feast wa s pre pared , KadirShah ’s dwelling n ot being sufficiently large to a ccommoda te this great company

,and there they sat round

the great fire to partake of the food preparedby the women of Kadir Shah ’s House

,a great

feast .

Great n a nds (unleavened cakes)were there , flavouredwith assa foetida ; chicken pilau ; kid pilau ; a nd

kababs (small pieces Of meat roasted on Skewers).Sweet pilaus with sour milk

,and many kinds of

chutneys and a cha rs (oil pickle). And to be eatena fterwards were sweetmeats , almonds , raisins , walnuts,and pistas (pistachio nuts). To drink there was green


them on the ground or aga inst the walls of the mussafirkhana .

And the men of Kai,hearing the noise

,came and sa w

and ran and told others ; so that presently a greatcrowd a ssembled round the squa re . But the y wereSilent , and Spoke not , for they knew n ot yet what the sethings might mea n .

When all the me n of the House of Wazir Ali weredead , then did Asaf Khan stand forth and speak to themen of his father’s House .

Men Of the House of Kadir Shah, what shall bedone with these pigs and sons of pigs P Who will bin-ythem Here is a great fire do ye this, that having n obones , the y cannot rise to tr0uble us on the last day,

”

and with a swing , he hurled the nearest body into thegreat fire that burned in the centre of the square ;another followed and another and also they threw onvast quantities of wood , that the bodies might beutterly consumed and naught remain .

Because the heat of the fire became increasinglygreat , they hadpresently to move further away . AsafKhan ’s favourite wife hadto move from where she sat ;and Asaf Khan , whose eyes loved to dwell upon her,noticed that she did n ot move with her accustomedgrace , and that , moreover , her boorkha did not hangstraight .Striding across

,he tore the boorkha aside and dis

closed the child She wa s seeking to hide , a chubby littlelad of three ,

the last of the House Of Wazir Ali . Thechild was seated near her when the g began andbein g young and foolish she had bee seizedwith pityand had sought to save it

,forgettin g that to kill the

snake and leave the youn g,was but to breed more

J

How ASAF KHAN MADE PEACE 37

Naught said Asaf Khan to his wife , She being youngand of little sense

,and also because his heart inclined

towards her but se izing the child by the arm,he lif ted

him, placed him on his shoulder, and strode out intothe open where all might see , the men of hisHouse , andthe me n of Kai . And as they wondered

,he

spake .

Listen , ye men , both Of my father’s House , and of

Kai . I told n ot all that the Englishman said,but now

ye Shall hear . After he had taught me the lesson of

the sticks, I asked him why then the English or theAmir did n ot break us sticks of the Border , and thesewere his words . The English, he said ,

will that theTribes be be tween their land a ndthe land of the Amir .For when we give the English trouble , they send a fewmen and punish us but were their country and thecountry of the Amir to adjoin , and the Afghans were toraid in the country of the English , then would theEnglish have to send a great army to punish them .

For this reason will not the English take our country,and neither will they let the Amir take it . This be ingso, we are safe , we Single sticks, and there is no needfor binding . AS for the Blood Feud between our

House a nd the House of Wazir Ali,this child

indicating the child on his shoulder is the last of theHouse of Wazir Ali .”

Turning suddenly,he caught the little fellow by the

legs , j erked him from his shoulder, and hurledhim screaming into the middle of the great fire .

Now,

” he said , turning back to the men , there isno longer a blood feud between the House of WazirAli and the House of my father, Kadir Shah , for theHouse Of Wazir Ali is not . Men of Kai, have I donewell


And the men of Kai rushed into squar e with agreat shout .

“It is good l Asa t a n is himse lf again ! He is

great as he has always been ! There is n o longer ablood feud for it has been wiped out in blood Inblood and fire has it been wiped out ! Great is thecunning of the mighty Asaf Khan 1But the elders shook their heads.It is not good ,

” they said . Also Asaf Khan hathbe come too great a man for this small village .

CHAPTER II

How ASAF KHAN DEFENDED THE HOU SE

SAF KHAN,Pathan

,Afridi

,sat in the house

of his father,Kadir Shah . His rifle pointed

through a loophole,his eye glanced along

the barrel,and he had be en Sitting thus for an hour,

waiting .

In the morning, when the rush first came , therewas much to do and he got many a pretty shot ;but now the foe wa s wary, and only an occasionalglimpse could he get of a flutter of Cloth or the tipof a rifle barrel. Ammunition is scarce on the Border,a nd costs much money ; therefore wa s Asaf Khanwasting none, firing only when he knew he would

Ah ! That was an a rm —a shoulder— a head !A sharp pressure on the trigger ; and a figure thatpirouetted wildly in the open before fallin g pronetold that another had been added to Asaf Khan

’

sroll .But surely that was a man of Kai

,even as others

that lay in the stillness Of death,scattered here and

there before the house,were men of Kai ! Asa f

Khan shooting down men of Kai ! Men of Kai39


seekin g the life of Asaf Khan 1 How had this terriblething come to pass ?

3

Asaf Khan,Pathan, Afridi , sat in the sun outside

the wall of the courtya rd , an d thought . Of manythings he thought as he gazed across the valley, butmostly he thought of Jamrud .

Should he return to Jamrud and again take uphis service with the British Raj , or should he remainhere ? There was n o longer a blood feud be tweenthe House of Wazir Ali and the House of his father,Ka dir Shah

,and no avenger tracked him as he roamed

the hills in search of gam e ; but still he was ,n ot

content . After the broader outlook at Peshawa r,the valley seemed confined ; and though he strodein glorious freedom over the mountains, he missedthe life and movement Of the great city . I t wastoo still here, too silent, and the life at Peshawarand Jamrud had given him a distaste forsolitude .True, he could again lead raiding parties, and

make his name once more the terror,admiration

,

and dete station of all ; for the young men wouldobey his lightest word, and thirsted to be led for thby the renowned Asaf Khan ; but there were manyeyes on the Border, an d many whisperin g tongues .Should word of his doings be carried to Peshawar, hecould no more go to that city

”or to Jamrud till such

time a s men had forgotten .

And as he pondered on these things, he heard voicesfrom the other side of the wall, voices Of some withinthe courtyard . But because they were the voice sofwomen , of his two elder wives, he paid no attention

HOW ASAF KHAN DEFENDED THE HOUSE 41

for the talk of women is foolish and without meanin g,even as the babbling of a brook . But presently aword caught his ear

,then a sentence ; and he sat

erect listening,scarcely crediting that such words

could be spoken .

Yes , continued one of the voices . It willbe fortunate for her if he goes to Jamrud soon elsewill he surely come to know this thing, and then I

An expressive pause completed the sentence .

Had we not better tell him asked the otherAnd have our noses cut off or our tongue s Slit

j eered the first. Thinkes t thou he would believeus ? IS she not the favourite wife ? She woulddeny everything. She would look at him with thosegreat eyes of hers, and what would be come Of us ?But the rashness of the woman passes comprehension .

He goes down to the valley this afternoon, returninglate lo she will meet Noor Din in the little copseat the second turn of the path on the other Side ofthe village . It grows dark at seven ; at that hourwill She meet him

,for She ca n go and come unpe r

ceived.

The voices moved away,and Asaf Khan sat motion

less,gazing vacan tly before him .

At first he could hardly believe that such a thingcould be possible . This young wife , to whom hehad been married during his absence in Jamrud,and whom he had found waiting him in his father

’

shouse

,loved him not . To her he had given the be st

of the presents he had brought from Hindustan . Her,he had almost loved . She had deceived him withfalse words of love, calling him the Light of her Eyes,the Lord Of her Life yet She loved him not . WorseInfin ite ly,

shamefully worse,she loved another !


She,his wife

,loved another man , and had brought

shame and dishonour upon his House !The great veins swelled in his forehead

,and he

ground his teeth with rage . This dishonour couldonly be wiped out in blood ; and in blood should itbe wiped out . Noor Din wa s the traitor ! NoorDin , the son Of Hafiz Ali , the chief elder Of the village .That should not sa ve him . He, Asa f Khan ,

wouldhave his blood ! Noor Din

's blood would he have !Ay, and the blood of anyone who Should se ek to

prevent him having that blood ! They would meetin the copse at the second turning, he also would bein that copse !At six O

’clock he left for the valley ; but beforereaching the bottom he made a detour to the right ,and again ascending, sought the copse behind the

village . It was deserted , and concealing himse lf,he waited for the blood he meant to have thatn ight .His gun he had not brought— there wa s no nee d

but _ his trusty Afghan kn ife with its keen edge andheavy blade

,he wore within his girdle ; and it was

enough . Many a man had see n that blade flash amoment before he died

,and the blood it Spilt to-night

would be naught to the blood it had already Spilt .Let Noor Din be armed with what wea pons he may

,

the knife would conquer. Concealing himself withina dense corner of the grove, he awaited the adventof the doomed pair.At dusk the unsuspecting Noor Din arrived ; and

Standingj ust within the shadow of the grove, waitedfor the comin g of the woman . Presently a lightfootfall was heard

, an d the woman entered the


Give me thy hand,Noor Din , he cried

,the

hand that clasped mine in friendship—a friendshipthat hid this ! Give me thy hand ! ” and se izingthe man ’s hand

,he cut it off at the wrist .

Now thy hand,woman ; the han d, the palm of

which and the nails thou did ’st stain with hennathat it might appear more beautiful in my sight .Give me thy hand ! Now the other hand ! andhe turned again to the fainting Noor DinAnd so he choppe d alternately ; first the fe et ,then the hands

,then the legs from the kn ee—which

took two cuts each in the case of Noor Din—andlastly he cut off their arms at the elbows.Thus does Asaf Khan to those who would dis

honour his House ! he said, looking down withgreat satisfaction at the mutilated forms .The woman ’s cries had ceased

,for she was dead

but Noor Din was still moaning when two men , cousinsof Noor Din

,burst into the grove . Hearing the

screams,they had come to learn the meaning Of the

outcry . It was dark within the copse,and at first

they could se e nothing ; but guided by the cries ,they approached

,and in the dim light saw the figure

of Asaf Khan be fore them , though they could notrecognize who stood there so Silen t a n d so

threa tening .

What is it ? asked on e of the men . Whatmean these groans ? Who art thou who stande stso silent in the darknes s ?It is I , Asaf Khan ,

” was the harsh reply . Oneof my wives met Noor Din , the son of Hafiz Ali , inthis Copse ; an d I came also . At my comin g theywere struck with fear

,and trembled ; and because

their fear was great, they trembled greatly. So


much did they tremble, that th ey Shook ofl theirfeet and their hands

,their arms an d their legs and

the pieces lie beside them . See ! ” He struck amatch

,and held it so that the light fell on the

mutila ted bodies .In the name of Allah cried the men in horror.Who ha s done this thing ?I, Asaf Khan , wa s the stern reply I have

taken revenge on those who dishonoured my HouseI have wiped out the dishonour in their blood !There w a s a moment ’s silence

,an d then , Ar e

they dead asked on e of the men in a hushed voiceof awe .

I cannot say, replied Asaf Khan indifferently .

I chopped Off their feet an d their hands,their 'kn e es

and their elbows otherwise I harmed themnot .The man stared at Asaf Khan incredulously, andthen the blood rushed into his eyes . Noor Dinwa s of his House, and this man had slain Noor Din .

Had slain him thus !Fiend ! and he started forward with upraised

hand . Devil from hell ! To treat a man thus forthe sake of a woman ! Why could ’st thou not haveslain the woman and cited the man before the eldersHe would have been fined

, a nd thou could’st have

mar ried another wife . But to slay him to slay himthus ! Ah , how thou hast dealt with him ! hecontinued in a sort of wail . “Thou hast choppedhim even in pieces , and yet he is n ot dea d !

”

Asaf Khan spat on the gr ound . Am I a.dog ,

tha t money should buy my honour ? The honourof my House is above money payment ; the price is


But to chop him even in pieces ! groaned theother. Die thyself ! Devil ! and whipping aknife from his belt

,he Sprang at Asaf Khan .

Better would it have been for him had he refrainedbut rage and horror blinded him . With a quickturn of the wrist Asaf Khan warded off the blow ;and before the other could recover, Asaf Khan struck .

Fierce an dhard he struck, and the keen, heavy Afghanknife

,catching the man on the temple

, cut Off thetop of his head above the eyes

,for the strength of

Asaf Khan,and the force Of the blow he could strike

were the wonder of all, even in that country of strongmen .

Without a groan the body sank,a huddled heap ,

to the ground the top of the head falling beside itwith a horrid squash , and looking in the dim lightlike some evil fungus . His companion fled shriekin g ,and Asaf Khan

,knowing that many of the House

of Hafiz Ali would come that way presently seekinghim

,left the copse . Shielded by the darkn ess , he

made his way home ; and there , having barred andmade fast the door, he told his father and his threebrothers Of the thing he had done .

The House of Hafiz Ali will seek my blood , hesaid . Let me

,my father , remain here and fight

them . But do thou and my brothers and my son

seek safety elsewhere ; so will their wrath n ot fallupon ye

,but upon me alone .

”

The younger men were about to burst forth indign a n tly, but Kadir Shah staye d them with upraisedhand .

Nay,he said

,and a grim smile played about

his lips . Thou hast done well,my son

,but thou

speakest ill . It wa s thus we cleansed the stain from


our honour in the days when this shameful practiceof payment wa s not . But it wa s n ot only thine honourwhich was cleansed

,it wa s the honour of the House ,

our House . Thinkest thou that we shall leave theeRather will we protect thee , even with our bodi es .

Asaf Khan strove to persuade them to leave whilethere wa s yet time

,but they laughed at his argu

ments,and in a few minutes it was‘ too late . They

were interrupted by a great clamour without , anda fierce hammering on the gate of the courtyard .

Bring out the murderer ! they cried . Bringout the on e who slays men , n ot a s men are slain ,but a s sheep are carved by the butcher ! Bringhim forth ! Blood cries for blood ! Two men hashe slain

,two men Of the House of Hafiz Ali

,and the

House of Hafiz Ali demands his blood in payment !Beware , Kadir Shah , lest it turn to

’ a blood feudbetween thy House and the House of HafizAli IStepping to one of the windows , which was of woodas were all the doors and windows , Kadir Shah threwit open and disclosed the great crowd that stoodwithout . All were armed, and many bore torchesthat lit up the square .

A still greater roar greeted his appe arance ; butthe old man surveyed them in scornful Silence

,till

presently the tumult ceased , and some in the crowdcalled on him to Speak . With another contemptuouslook round , the Oldman addressed them .

Who are ye who come rioting against my gatesYe speak of the House of Hafiz Ali since when hasthe House of Hafiz Ali become so vast ? Does allthe rabble of the village belong to the House of Hafiz


Ali It is not meet that the Head of a House Shouldconverse with the rabble concerning the affairs Ofhis House . Where , then , is Hafiz Ali ? Let himstan d forth , that we two the Heads of our Houses ,may talk on this matter .Here ! Here is Hafiz Ali ! cried the crowd

and an old man , a moum ful figure,tottered forth

from the throng . With garments rent , and withdust upon his head and venerable grey beard hecame forth his form no longer upright

,but bowed

beneath the calamity that had fallen upon him inhis old age .

Alas ! he cried in accents of woe .

thy son done this thing ? Why didst thy son slaymy son ? Ah ! my son ! My son !

Thy son sought to dishonour our House , repli edKadir Shah sternly . He has paid the penalty,which is death !But he slew him n ot cried the unhappy father .

He Chopped him in piece s . Ah, Allah ! What acruel fate But that fiend

,thy son , wa s n ot merciful

enough to slay him ! I,his father, had in

mercy to slay mine own son My son ! Myson I

Kadir Shah seized on the point immediately, a s adrowning man will grasp at a straw .

His blood, then , be upon thy head ! he crie d .

It was by thee thy son was Slain , not by my son

Thou hast said it Why come s't thou here with this

tumult , seein g thy son’s dea th li es n ot at my son

’

sdoorThere was a moment Of stupefied Silence , followedby so fierce a roar of execration , that the windowsand door literally shook with the volume of sound


but presently, seeing that Hafiz Ali had more to say,

the crowd be ca rrie silent .Lies the death of my son at my door or thy

son's door,” quavered the Old ma n , at whose door

lies the death of my sister ’s son ? By whose handdid he die ?By the hand of my son he died , acknowledged

Kadir Shah . But he would have slain my sonso in this , therefore , there lies n o blame on my son .

Thy son was Slain by thee and thy sister’s son was

slain by my son that he himself might n ot be slain .

”

Suddenly he addressed the crowd . Since when hasyour council of elders ceased to exist he thundered .

And thou , Hafiz Ali ,’

who art the chief elder, whycomest thou here with this shouting rabble ? Letthe matter be laid before the elders in due form .

Let them decide if my son is to die for the man heslew not , or for the man he slew to save his own

lifeHafiz Ali shook his clenched hand at the window,

his form trembling with fury . Thy son shall diehe screamed. Say what thou wilt

,thy son shall

die I And even as my son died shall thy son

Thy son ’ s death lies not at my son ’s door, saidKadir Shah coldly . My son shall n ot be

slain .

”

He shall ! He shall ! shrieked HafizAli, foamingat the mouth so that the white spittle ran downhis beard . Asaf Khan Shall die I I , Hafiz Ali , sayit If none else will slay him

,I will ! Why lurks

he behind ..closed doors ? Does he think thus toesca pe my vengeance and the vengeance Of the menof my House ? If need be , we will tear down thy


dwelling , Kadir Shah but the blood of Asaf Khanwe will surely have !Kadir Sha h stroked his beard , but answered no

thing ; and Hafiz Ali turned to the crowd .

Men of my House and friends of my House . Letus go hence , for the hour is late and at dawn willthe elders confer on this matter . But lest the slayerescape in the darkness , le t the house he guarded .

Guard ye it well, both back and front and on bothsides and let none pass, neither in n or out, tillthe elders have decided .

”

At first the crowd would have attacked the gatesof the courtyard ; but Hafiz Ali and other elde rswho were present restrained them , though withdifficulty and a fter a strong guard had been postedround the house , the others withdrew that a ll

might be done accordin g to the custom of the

Tribes .In the morning the elders consulted . After hearing

Hafiz Ali , and also two men of the House of KadirShah, whom Kadir Shah had instructed from thewindow of his house , they n ot ~be in g allowed to enterand he refusing to come out, the elders declaredthat Asaf Khan must die . Comin g in a body, a ccom

pa n iedby a great crowd of arme d men , they demandedthat Kadir Shah should cast Asaf Khan out of hisdwelling , or Open the gate so that Asaf Khan mightbe brought out and slain according to the decree of

the council .But neither of the se things would Kadir Shah

do .

“ Who are ye , ye small me n of Kai, to condemnthe great Asaf Khan ! he sa id contemptuously .

Even if he be to blame in this matter, is his life


Speak, my son , said Asa f Khan , without removinghis che ck from the rifle into the breech of whichhe had just slipped a fresh cartridge .

The last of thy brothers is slain , O my father,replied the boy, and n ow are we two alone .

”

Art afraidAfraid I The boydrew himse lf up proudly

with a look that made Asaf Khan chuckle .

“ Thou art a true son of the Border, he said .

and thou hast fought as a man this day .

If as a man I have fought,

” said the boyproudly,as a man I ca n die , so let them comeDie scoffed Asaf Khan . We shall n ot die

Even the beasts that live in holes have a seconddoor, and have not Kadir Shah and his sons more sensethan beasts There is an outlet

,my son , that leads

from the chamber be neath the floor and this outletleads to the hillside . Ka dir Shah and his sons kn ewof it, but none else of his House . Because the housewas Close ly guarded last night we could not escape ,nor could we escape during the day but when duskcomes, thou and I , my son ,

will escape that way .

Before those fools outside know that we a re gone ,we Shall be miles away, and across the Border .GO now to thy loophole

,for it is n ot yet

time .

”

Thus it came to pass, that when the people OfKai made a sudden attack in the middle of the night ,their fire was n ot returned . Gaining confidence , theybroke down the gate of the courtyard . Still nonefired from the house ; so they broke in the doorand entered . And when they entered , they foundthe bodies of Kadir Shah and three of his sons . Alsothey found the two wives of Asaf Khan , whom they


took and slew,and other women whom they harmed

n ot but se nt to the homes of their fathers .But Asaf Khan and his son they found n ot but

pinned to the door with a dagger they found a pa perwith wr iting on it ; and taking this to the Mullah,he being a learned man read the writing to them .

Men of Kai . I , Asaf Khan , have gone, and thereIS mourning among ye for those I have slain . ButI shall return and at my coming, the mourning Shallbe greater than at my leaving .

”

They searched the house,the village , and the

surrounding bills for many days ; but Asaf Khanand his son they found not, for they two were at

CHAPTER III

How ASAF KHAN MADE A FRIEND

SAF KHAN left his son with a friend inPeshawar

,and returned to Jamrud ; but

having missed the train , and there beingno other till next morning

,he had to walk and SO

arrived la te . The Hindustani stationmaster hatedAsa f Khan because the Patha n would n ot salaam to

him and yet, because he knew that as long as AsafKhan wa s cha ukida r at Jamrud the property tha tlay at the station would be safe

,he would not dismiss

him . Now tha t Asaf Khan came late,he screamed

at him and threatened to fine him. Asaf Khanreplied n ot, but he scowled at the stationmaster andfrightened him .

That night,Asaf Khan

,Pathan , sat in his hut . He

thought of many things ; and taking from the holein which he kept it concea led his beloved Afgha nkn ife , he began to polish the blade , for the knifeof the Pathan is above all things dear to hisheart .NOW

, the Hindustani stationmaster, seeing a lightin the hut, came softly and peeped in for he thought

,

perhaps , Asaf Khan was counting his money . If54

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE A FRIEND 55

so ,he would see where the man hid it , and to-morrow

he would send Asaf Khan to Peshawar , and in hisabse nce take the money. Instead of counting money ,Asaf Kha n wa s polishing a great Afghan knife , perhapsto kill him

,the stationmaster

,with ; for he remem

bered the look Asaf Khan had given him a shorttime before . Also he thought Of the number oftimes he had fined Asaf Khan , and he ran from thedoor .Hearing the noise , Asaf Khan came out of thehut

,the knife still in his hand and when the station

master glanced back and saw Asaf Khan comingafter him

,a s he thought to kill him ,

he fled into theoffice , bolted the door, and sent telegrams furiouslyto

'

Pe shawa r , to"

Rawalpindi,and to Lahore . Also

he telephoned up to the fort for troops .Asaf Khan stepped back into the hut

,and replaced

the knife in the hole . After covering it carefully,he made his way to the oflice door ; and knockingon it

,asked what the matter wa s ; for he did not

know that the stationmaster had seen the knife .

But when the stationmaster heard his voice , insteadof replying

,he screamed louder and sent more tele

grams , shouting to the fort to send help Speedily,as the man was trying to break in the Office door .The rest of the staff

,when they heard the station

master screaming,bolted their door ; for, Asaf

Khan has become Ghazi ! they said .

“ He willkill us if we do not hide !In the midst of the commotion two officers came

on the platform . They were passing the station on

their way to the fort and,attracted by the disturbance

,

they came and asked Asa f Khan the meaning,for

they had seen the stationmaster run screaming into


the Office , but could n ot see from whom he ran . AS

Asaf Khan did not know any more tha n the Officers ,but thought the stationmaster must have gone mad

,

or wa s possessed of a devil, the Officers , after staringfor a while at the Office door

,told Asaf Khan to guide

them to the gate of the fort as they did n ot knowtheir way in the darkn ess .Asaf Khan accompanied them , and on the way

they met some Sikh soldiers . The sergeant in chargeOf the party, seeing the office rs, saluted them a nd

asked them if they knew why the soldiers had beensent for . The mystified oflice rs la ughed and decla redthey did not know

, so the soldiers went on to thestation where they found a ll the doors locked andno on e visible . Seeing a light through the glassin the Office door

,the sergeant kn ocked

,which

started the stationmaster screaming again , sen dingfresh telegrams

,and telephoning anew to the fort

for help . The sergeant desisted , and gettin g to theother side , stood so that the light that shone throughthe window, the shutters of which had n ot bee nclose d , fell upon him . Seeing the uniform , the stationmaster came to the window

,and seeing the other

soldiers,he opened the door but even then he would

n ot come out till they had searched the whole of

the station and told him the man had gone .

As the soldiers finished their search, an enginearrived from Peshawar with a European officer anda posse Of policemen to arrest the Ghazi , so the soldiersreturned to the fort and the policemen searched thestation afresh . They

,also , found n o one , so returned

to the office,and Asaf Khan came with them . He

had seen the Officers to the gate of the fort , a nd cameback in time to walk with the policemen to the Office .


The stationmaster saw him , a nd with a screammade a dive for the office door, crashing into thepolice Office r who wa s j ust coming out, and sendinghim sprawling over the Office table , which upsetso that the office r fell hard on his head . Dashingto the corner

,the stationmaster tried to get into

a large stationery box , a nd a s there was n ot sufficientroom, he began frantically to empty it, pulling out

papers and books,and throwing them about the

room . The whole time he kept up a wail of, Oh !your Honour Save me I am a miserable wretch,your Honour ! Save me , your Honour !

”

You infernal idiot cried the Officer scramblingfur iously to his feet . I ’ve a good mind to giveyou a jolly good kicking ! ” and striding across towhere the stationmaster wa s bending over the box,he caught him by the neck and Shook him . Answerme , you little rat ! Why did you rush in likethat

Oh ! your Honour ! He has returned , yourHonour ! whimpered the man .

Returned said the bewildered Officer . Where?There , your Honour You ca n see him through

the door, your Honour and again he began ,

“ Oh ,

your Honour ! Save me , your Honour ! I am amiserable maYou’re a miserable coward ! interrupted the

Officer throwing the trembling wretch aside andstepping to the Office door.The only ones he could se e

,for they stood in the

light which streamed through the Office door, werehis policemen and Asaf Khan .

IS there anyone else on the platform ? heinquired Sharply.


NO, sahib, replied the sergea nt . Only wepolice and this cha ukida r .

Handcuff the cha ukida r , ordered the officerfor it is not good to hesitate in these matters atPeshawar . It is much better to ha ndcufl the handsof the wrong man than to leave the hands of theright man at liberty a second too long . Handcuffscan be taken off ; but the hole made by a n Afghanknife is not easily mended .

Search him ! a nd swift hands searched AsafKhan from head to foot

,but found nothin g .

He bears no weapon , sahib,” reported the se r

geant .The officer stepped out on the pla tform . Brin gthat beast of a stationmaster here And if he doesn ’tcome Sha rp , kick him here for the officer had n ot

yet recovered from his undign ified sprawl over theOffice table . Also a lump wa s rising on the top of

his head .

Two policemen appeared presently, dragging theunwilling stationmaster be tween them

,but when

he saw that Asaf Khan wa s sa fely guarded and handcuffed , the stationmaster became quite brave . Settlinghis clothes , he be gan to abuse the other volubly inHindustan i .Stop that row at once commanded the Oflice r .

IS that the man ? ”

Yess that is thee ma n ! cried the stationmaster . That is the ruflia n who would to kill meTell to the policemen to hold him tight ! ”

I will have you gagged if you make such aninfernal row said the disgusted officer . Now,

what happened ? ” and he took out his note book .

Speak in Hindustani .”


life sentence for you if the se men stick to their statements . What have you to say ?Asaf Khan stood motionle ss . That he, Asaf Kha n ,

should be ha ndcufledwhile that spawn of the devilabused him and told lie s about him ! Itfwas in fole ra ble ! What was that the oflice r said ? Thathe would go to prison for life for attempte d murderNay He would be hanged for the real thing Witha violent twist he sent the policea who were holdin ghim staggering away, and with a bound he was on

the stationmaster. Dashing his ha ndcuffs into theman’s face , Asaf Khan felled him to the ground ;and a s with a shrill scream of deadly fear he fell ,Asaf Khan fell on him and buried his teeth in histhroat .They had to beat Asa f Kha n senseless with their

batons before they could get him Off,and even then

his j aws had to be forced apart ere they could releasethe half dead stationmaster, whom they immediatelytook to the hospita l at Peshawar .Asa f Kha n also they took to Peshawar ; but him

they put in prison where he sat and brooded all daybeca use he had tried to kill the stationmaster andhad failed . And because he was in prison, a ndbecausehe had fa iled to kill the man he tried to kill, he wasashamed , and sent word to no man , not even to hisson .

Also no barrister-a t-law came near him, neitherany vakil ; for they thought him an ordina ry chaukidar, a man without money, and Asaf Khan , knowingnothing of courts and the customs thereof, sent fornone

,but sat brooding alone .

Now it chanced that in Peshawa r Asaf Khan hada friend , an Englishman ,

a maj or in the army ;

HOW ASAF KHAN MADE A FRIEND 6 1

for before he went to his home to make peace be tweenhis father ’s House and the House of Wazir Ali , hehad met this Englishman at Jamrud and had Spokento him . The Englishman had talked with him of

the Border,and had asked Asa f Khan to . come to

Peshawar and teach him to speak Pusto as the Borderfolk spoke it

,not as the munshi in Peshawar taught .

Because this wa s a Man and a Warrior, Asaf Khanconsented to teach him ; an d every day when hewas on night duty he went to Peshawar and taughtthe Englishman to speak Pusto a s the Border folkspoke it . And it came to pass that the heart of

Asaf Khan inclined towards the Englishman , andhe loved him as a brother . SO much did he lovehim , that he even spoke to him of the maiden , theonly being on earth save his son , that he had everloved .

Now,this Englishman wa s a painter, and of shrewd

wit. Listen ing to Asaf Khan's words , he made apicture Of this maiden in his mind and afterwards,while Asaf Khan wa s at his home , he put this picturecunningly on ivory, and waited for Asaf Khan to

return .

When the three months was up , and Asaf Khancame n ot to see him , Major Markham , as the Englishman was named , rode out to see him and to givehim the picture on ivory .

It was the day of the trial ; and when MajorMarkham arrived at Jamrud , to his surprise he foundstrangers

,for the regular staff were all away at Pes

hawar earning witnesses ’ fees . When he a sked‘

for

Asaf Khan , they stared at him till he became angryand then the relieving stationmaster told him thatAsa r

c

Kha n had tried to kill the stationmaster and


the whole staff, and was that day being tried inPeshawar .Maj or Markham ran to his horse ; but the coolie

who was holding it was so afraid when he saw thesahib ’s face

,that he let go the horse and Major

Markham knew it would not stop till it reached itsstables .Without a word he turned and raced to the fort

,

where he found the two Officers to whom Asaf Khanhad shown the way that night .For God's sake lend me a horse ! he cried .

Mine has bolted,and I must get back to Peshawar

at once . It is a matter Of life and death ! ” andwhile the syce (groom) was saddling the horse , hetold them what he had j ust heard .

But that ’ s all rot ! said on e Of the officers .Asaf Khan was the man who Showed us to the fortthe night the stationmaster went mad and telephoned up here for troops . We were on the platformthe whole time . There is some devilment here .

Be arer Order two more horses to be saddled Wewill accompany you

,maj or, and see this thing through .

Fortunately we were relieved to-day, and were returning to Peshawar after lunch .

”

In the court that day, after the stationmasterhad told the j udge the same tale he had told the

police officer, and the rest of the staff had earnedtheir witne sses ’ fees , the police Officer told how hearrived at Jamrud, to find the place locked up andeveryone hiding in terror . Then he told how thestationmaster tried to hide in the stationery box,

which made the people laugh . Even the j udge wascompelled to smile

,though he called the court sternly

to order'

the next moment . But the police office r


said nothing of how the stationmaster had sent himsprawling over the office table . Then he told howthe stationmaster had pointed out Asaf Khan as theassassin , and of the attack Asaf Khan made on thestationmaster after the arrest .The judge looked grave

,and turnin g to Asaf Khan

,

asked him if he had aught to say.

Ay Indeed , Asaf Khan had something he wouldsay He wa s about to a sk the judge not to imprisonhim for life, but to give him freedom for five minutesand then hang ! him for killing the stationmasterbut a s he straightened himself and opened his mouthto speak the door at the end of the room burst open

,

and three military officers covered with dust entered,

and the first wa s Asaf Khan ’s friend,the Englishman .

Everyone stared at them but Asaf Khan turnedaway his head

,and tried to hide his hands behind

the rail of the dock . Maj or Markham strode up theroom .

Is this the case of Emperor ve rsus Asaf Khanhe asked and when told it wa s Ha s the accuseda barrister ? he asked ; and he had not . Willyou take the case P turning to a barrister present .With pleasure , was the reply ; and then the

voice of the j udge cut through the air .Are you aware, Major Markham ,

that this ismost irregular ? he asked coldly .

I am , replied the maj or coolly, but better aslight irregularity than a grave miscarriage of j ustice .

When the barrister took the case in hand , it worea very different aspect . The two officers gave evidence a switnesses for the defence—without demandingwitnesses ’ fees- and when the stationmaster wa s

recalled a nd cross-examined , the barrister tore his


statement to rags, and showed him as the liar hewas . The other witnesses also broke down

,and

the barrister asked that the accused be acquitted .

There wa s the matter of the attack on the stationmaster after the arrest ; but the police office r saidhe would a sk the stationmaster if he wished to pressthat charge . Now , the police officer was still annoyedover the matter of the office table

,and wa s furious

with the stationmaster for making him believe hisfalsehoods , so this is the way he asked . It is notthe usual way, but it is the way the police ofiice r

asked the stationmaster .You infernal liar l he said , I ’ve a j olly good

mind to break your neck ! The judge wants tokn ow if you are going to press the charge againstthe man for attacking you after he was arrested .

You had better say no, or I’

ll run you in for perj uryand conspiracy !As the stationmaster did not wish to press the

charge, the judge said the prisoner wa s acquittedbut he must be bound over to keep the peace for ayear, and must find a surety .

I will be surety,said Major Markham . Do

you understand ? he continued to Asaf Khan .

You must promise not to interfere with the stationmaster for a year .Major Markham gazed at Asaf Khan , and AsafKhan gazed at Maj or Markham . Asa f Khan wouldhave refused , for he meant to kill the stationmasterbut when he opened his mouth to refuse , he foundwith those eye s upon him he could not so he shuthis lips tight and spoke not at all . Matters appearedto be at a deadlock ; but after they had waited fora while, and still Asaf Khan did not promise , Maj or


Markham asked if he could send up a note to theaccused .

Really, Major Markham ,complained the judge

hesitatingly, this is most irregular . But becausethe judge hesitated

,Major Markham gave a small

box to an attendant,and bade him give it to Asaf

Khan .

In the box was the miniature Major Markhamhad painted on ivory ; so that when the box wa sgiven to Asaf Khan and he opened it

,behold ! the

face of his dead love smiled up at him 1 For a whilehe gazed at it in silence

,but presently, looking across

to where Major Markham stood,he made this frien d

who could read the heart of a friend , a low salaam .

Turning to the judge,Asaf Khan drew himself up

to his full height .I , Asaf Khan , Pathan of the Tribe of the Afridis ,

swear on the Holy Koran that for a year and a dayI will n ot molest the man .

CHAPTER IV

HOW ASAF KHAN LOVED AND RODE AWAY

OW this tale of which I am about to tellcame to pass in the days of Asaf Khan

’ syouth , when his blood wa s hot , and the

swing of a boorkha ever made his pulse beat thefaster . In the country of the Mahsuds the matterhad its beginn ing

, an d in this wise did it come topass .Though often pressed by his father Kadir Shah ,

not yet had Asaf Khan taken to himself a wife whichwas a great scandal to his House

,he being of an

age when many men have two,even three wives . But

to all their reproaches Asaf Khan turned a deaf ear ,or made reply that he wanted no wife like the womenof that land .

What then did he want asked his father , butAsaf Khan would not say . Even to himself hescarce confessed that which wa s in his heart , leastof all to his father who would laugh at his Wildimagin ings . For Asaf Khan

’s soul had been firedby tales of an cient days , and it was n ot alone a motherof sons he sought , but a mate who would be on e

with him in thought a n d love .

“a


the fame of Asaf Khan had already gone forth on

the Border .With many words of kindne ss did this man , Jan

Mohamed by name , seek Asaf Khan in the mussafirkhana and pre ss him to take up his abode wi th himas lon g as he should remain in the village . Not bein gthen well-versed in the ways of men , Asaf Khan gaveear to the man , though he was a Mahsud, and con

sented to dwell in his house .

Then did the man plan a scheme whereby he mightcompel Asaf Khan to wedhis daughter for one whohad been to Asaf Khan ’s village told him how theyouth refused to wed, an d he knew that only bya trick might this thing be done . But first he spoketo his daughter, tellin g her what a famous warriorAsaf Khan already was

,and how much more famous

he was likely to be—if some enemy shot him n ot

in the back , though of this he did not speak to themaiden . Then he showed her Asaf Khan walkingin the courtyard, and the maiden

’s heart was filledwith love . Willingly she agreed to all her fatherwould have her do, and to her he unfolded his plan .

Li ttle did Asaf Khan,as he sat at meat with the

man tha t evenin g , think of the treachery that hadbeen planned that day and had his fortunate planetnot been in the ascendant at that time he wouldsurely have been wed , however much he n n ght dislikethe thought . But the man and his daughter, thoughthey knew it not , were not alone when they talkedand to this Asaf Khan owed his escape from thenet that had been spread for his uncon scious feet .In the same village there dwelt a young man .

Handsome was he , and in the eyes of the maiden s‘

he found favour . But in the eyes of the maiden

HowASAF KHANLOVED 69

whom he loved he found no favour ; and she wasthe maiden whose father would marry her to AsafKhan . Often had the youth waited near the pathleading to the well, hoping the fair on e would relentand drop a portion of her veil for an instan t , thusallowing him a glimpse of the face he loved, andalso giving him the sign well known to lovers . Buthis hopes were vain . With a toss of her head shepassed him, drawing her veil even tighter about herface . Many presents did he send by the hand of on e

of her maidservants,fruit both fresh and dry

,trinkets

such as girls love, silk which he bought from a manwho had been to Kabul but all she returned . Norcould the maidservant give him any comfort or hope .And then came Asaf Khan to the village .

At dusk , the young man who loved the maidensat beneath a tree on the outskirts of the village,playing sadmelodies on his reed flute , and mourningthe hard heart of his love and to him came themaidse rvant in haste . I t was news she brought ,news that made the young man beat his breast andrend his garments ; for she had overheard the planthat was made that day, and the youn g man

’s heartwas filled with woe . He could betray the plan , butthen must he give up all thoughts of having themaiden to wife

,for neither she nor her father would

ever forgive him . Yet if he remained silent anddid naught , in a day would she be the bride of

another .But this maidservant was full of guile else had

she never learned the plan . In her mistress s chamberwere many curtains , and oft would

, she hide behindon e , listening to what the others spoke of, they knowin gnot of her presence . Many were the things she


learned in this way, and many were the presentsshe received to dismiss from her memory an indiscreetutterance she had overheard . And hidden behinda curtain

,she had heard what the man said to his

daughter.Bidding the young man cease his lamentations ,

she unfolded her mind to him , showing that whatappeared the greatest misfortun e, was in sooth greatgood fortune for if he paid heed to what she said ,not only would the father ’s plans miscarry, but theyoung man would win his bride .For long they talked , and at dusk came on e to

the courtyard of Jan Mohamed ’s house seeking speechwith Asaf Khan . He was a young man , Ib rahimby name, and Asaf Khan knew him n ot ; but theyoung man had heard much of Asaf Khan , the greatAsaf Khan , and Asaf Khan , who was not yet usedto the flattery of men , felt his heart warm to theyoung man , and talked much . So long talked they,that the father of the maiden grew impatient ; forthe hour grew late , and what he would do must bedone before the village slept . At last he spoke , upbraiding the young man for his thoughtlessness inthus keeping a weary traveller from his rest ; andthe young man left . But he craved Asaf Khan toaccompany him a little way, and to this Asaf Khanconsenting , they left the courtyard .

Then did the young man tell Asaf Khan of thedanger that threatened him , and Asaf Khan

’s heartwas filled with rage against this treacherous host .In haste would he have returned and reproachedthe man

,perhaps have slain him ; but the youn g

man entreated him , and then told him the plan of

the maidservant .

HOW ASAF KHAN LOVED 7 1

Asaf Khan smiled . It was good . The huntershad dug a pit into which they would themselves fall .He looked curiously at the young man who wouldwed such a maiden in such a way. But love, so

he had heard, saw no wrong in the loved on e , andhe held hispeace .

The man wa s waitin g for him when he returned ,and conducted him to an inner chamber

,saying he

could sleep there that night and Asaf Khan smiledin his beard , for it wa s a woman

’ s chamber.Of a truth, my friend , thy house is richly furnished

within , he said . In few houses are the men ’srooms thus . This is more fitted for a dainty maidenthan for a rough man like me !In some confusion , for Asaf Khan

’s talk of maidensalarmed him , the man explained that it was a roomhe kept reserved for guests to whom he wished toshow especial honour ; and hiding another smilebehind his hand , Asaf Khan thanked him for his

courtesy .

Just then came on e to the door,a servant , with

a me ssage from on e in the village craving Jan Mohamed ’ s presence for an hour and bidding Asaf Khansleep well and so be strong for the morrow ’ s j ourney,the man

,Jan Mohamed

,would have left him there .

But this,Asaf Khan would by no means have . Aecom

panying his host to the gate of the courtyard, hesaw him on his way and then returned within . Notinto the house where it wa s dark did he enter, butstood under the stars in the courtyard watchingthe wall .At last that for which he looked appeared. A

head showed above the wall, and a figure climbedover

,dropping noiselessly within in the shade of a


plum tree that grew near the wall . Asaf Khan alsowent there

,and for a while there were two figures

under the plum tree ; but presently there was onlyon e , and Asaf Khan was alone .Half an hour passed,

and then from without camethe sound of many feet . They reached the gate ,and a number of men entered the courtyard, the manJan Mohamed at their head .

And thus it was,

” he wa s saying . Little thoughtI when I admitted him to my house that he wouldbewitch my daughter . Little thought I when firstI missed him from the chamber to which I had ledhim , that I would find him in my daughter

’

s chamber,that daughter willing Softly I peeped in and beheldthem

,and then hurried for help . Alone I could do

naught,for he would have slain me and fled ; but

now he shall wed the maiden or die ! Unhappyfather Unhappy daughterBy this time they had reached the door, and as

they entered,Asaf Khan followed . Pointing out a

room to the left a s the on e he had given to AsafKhan

,the man led the way further into the house ,

bidding them step softly for they approached theroom of shame, his daughter

’

s chamber .There was silence within , and the man crept to

the door , the others following, stroking their beardsand handling their knives ; for if this man who haddishonoured their village refused to wed the maid ,they would slay him . Even had they brought theMullah with them , that this Asaf Khan should n ot

leave the room save as the husband of the maidenhe had bewitched .

Suddenly the father burst open the door and rushedwithin

,the rest almost tumbling over each other


in their eagerness to follow ; for though their beardswere grey, they did not wish to miss what the firstOpening of the door might disclose .

There was little to see . A man stood with hisback to the door

,a man wearing Asaf Khan ’s posteen

(fur coat) ; and near the further wall cowered themaiden . She may have j ust sprung from the armsof her lover

,or she may have just slipped from behind

a curtain . A small lamp burned in a corner, butthe lantern the father carried lit up the whole room ,

showing the two figures and the couch from whichthe man appeared to have j ust risen .

Behold ’

f and the frantic father waved thelantern Wildly. Behold the traitor Villain 1 Thoushalt wed the maiden thou hast be trayed HO

Mullah ! Prepare to perform thine oflice , for onlyas this maiden ’s wedded man shall he go forth fromthis roomThen the man turned

,and it wa s not Asaf Khan,

but the young man,Ibrahim

,the lover of the maiden .

“ The maiden called me and I came , he said .

I came thinking the father asleep,but he seems

to be much awake . Perhaps he expected some suchthing ,

” and he glanced at Asaf Khan who had enteredthe room and stood smiling at his host . “ I amwilling to wed the maid ,

” continued the young man ,“ for maid she still is , and as I would have wrongedthe father, I will even take her without dowry .

Without dowry Truly this was a son -in -law worthhaving ! And the chagrined father had to listenwith what patience he possessed to the congratulationsof his friends on his good fortune .

There was no way out of it . He had broughtthese men

,thinking to have them as witnesses against


Asa f Khan , and 10 ! with them as witnesses to theshame Of his House , he must wed his daughter tothis young man to whom he had refused her morethan Once .

But the Mullah wa s there, the men were impatientto return to their homes

,and the maiden was wedded

then and there to the young man Ibrahim who hadloved her so long .

Asa f Khan left with the rest,and that night he

slept in the mussafir khana , but the next day heleft , for this place where men tried to trick folk intomarriage was no place for him .

But before he left he went to the house of Ja nMohame d .

Bid me Godspeed,0 Jan Mohamed

,most honour

able of hosts ! he cried mockingly . Fool hisvoice grew harsh and his face dark . Would

’

stmate a lion with a sheep I am Asaf Khan Know,

0 Jan Mohamed , that ere I would wed thy daughter,I would slay every man of thy House Ay, of thyVillage ! Did ’

st think I had only a knife ? Se e !

and whipping from his waistcloth a revolver, hepointed it at the now trembling man . Five liveshad I here

,and see furthe r l”— pulling out a bag

and pouring a score of cartridges into his handa score Of lives here Then he laughed . Sheepmates with sheep

,0 Jan Mohamed but lion mates

only with lion ! I mate not a mong the Mahsuds,I seek my bride in the land of Men ! and with apa rting wave of his hand he left .

1 :

For three years did Asaf Khan wander thus , andmany adventures had he , both of love and of war .


clouds,casts through the gaps shafts of cold , silvery

splendour that make the blackness of the cloudsmore black . Or like the snow mountain wa s she ,soaring in fierce majesty through tier upon tier Ofun sca le able rock to the summit that floats above ,dazzling white , and pure as the sky that care sses it .Cold she wa s, and no man had yet found favour inher eyes , much less touched her heart .

This was passing strange , and it came into‘Asa f

Khan ’s mind that he would go and see this maiden .

Perchance she might be the on e he sought,for such

a woman would be not only a fit mate for a warrior ,she would also be the mother of warriors

,warriors

it may be even greater than Asa f Khan,and into

the land of the Orakzai he took his way.

It was evening when he reached the village wher edwelt the maiden , and a s the hour was late , he madehis way to the mussafir khana, meaning there topass the night . But on e who knew Asa f Khan learnedof his coming , and told the Khan in the hearing of

the maiden . She , curious to see this renownedwarrior, begged her father to let the man be theirguest while he dwelt in the village .

A message wa s sent ; but Asaf Khan sent wordin return , that since the day when in the countryof the Mahsuds he had dwelt in the house Of a manwith an unwedded daughter, he had sworn neveragain to dwell in such a house . This message puzzledthe ma iden greatly, till her father , who knew the

story, laughed and told her how Asaf Khan wasnearly wed against his will .Then was the maiden wroth

,and vowed that Asaf

Khan should rue the day he sent that message butdissembling her a n ger, she smiling bade the man


tell Asa f Khan to come early, as she wished to se e

if the spirit of so great a warrior were in a fit setting .

In the morning went Asaf Khan to the house of

the Khan,and foun d the maiden seated near her

sire . Beautiful indeed was she,but with a beauty

n ot often seen in women . As the lioness is be autiful ,as the lightning is beautiful

,so wa s her beauty

and the heart of Asaf Khan inclined towards her .But not yet would he show it . The outside wasgood

,but the hear t within he would first know. Many

a brave form hides a coward heart ; and the wifehe wedmust be in all things fit for the high destinyhe would offer her . For in those days Asaf Khan,his head full of the olden days

,had many dreams .

Men had carved out empires for themselves beforehis day, why should he not do likewise ?Tall wa s the ma iden , and stately as the pine that

grows on the higher mountains . Soft wa s her voicea s the wind whispering through the needles of thepine

,and fragrant wa s she , with the fragrance of

the pine ’s sap. Lithe as the panther wa s she , straightof limb , a ndwith the swelling bosom and broad hipsthat belong only to the mothers of Men .

Her garments were not the garments of a woman ,n or yet were they the clothes of a man . While servingto hide her form ,

they yet allowed freedom of movement to every limb

,and though she wore a woman ’s

cloth upon her head,her ebon locks were n ot braided

back as is the custom of women , but were caughtup in a loose coil behind , so that many tresses escape dand nestled in loving curls about her cheek and neck .

The more Asaf Khan looked at her, the more hedesired her but he hid his feelings and talked aboutother matters . Of the raids he had led . Of the


sudden attack at night,or the fierce skirmish by

day. Of the lands through which he had pa ssed .

And sometimes he Spoke of the maidens who hadsought his love ; for in that land to speak of suchthings is accounted no shame .

Always he watched the ma iden while he ta lked .

And when he spoke of other countries , a far Off lookwould come into her eyes , as if she , too , would wanderthe world . When he spoke of war and the killingof men , then would her eyes kindle and her bea utybecome the beauty Of a devouring tempest . Butwhen he spoke of love , she sighed . And sometimesshe glanced swiftly at him , and sometimes , withdowncast eyes

,she played with the fringe of her

garment .The Khan marked these things ; and when he

escorted Asa f Khan to the gate of the courtyard ,as was the due Of an honoure d guest, he smote AsafKhan on the back .

Thr ee years hast thou wandered , he said witha great laugh

,art yet ready for a wife ? If so,

methin ks thou wilt n ot have far to seek onewilling .

”

Asaf Khan knew well what the Khan meant, andalso he had marked the maiden when he talked of

love ; but he was not yet ready, and he strode off

with a la ugh .

And so the days passed . Asaf Khan would goto the Khan ’s house , and first he would talk Of countries . Then he would talk Of war . And lastly hewould ta lk of love . Always the maiden was there ,and ‘always she dropped her eyes when he talkedof love but still Asaf Khan was not ready . He nowdesired her greatly

,but wished that she should desire


him more , for thus should it always be,lest the

woman hold the man cheap .

At last was a day when the Khan came not to theroom , and Asaf Khan met the maiden alone . Hewould have withdrawn, for hardly was he accustomed to talking to an unveiled maiden, and 10 !

he must talk to on e,not only unveiled

,but alone !

But the maiden bade him stay,while the warm

colour mounted to her cheeks,and Asaf Khan

stayed .

Asaf Khan knew not that it wa s at the maiden ’srequest the Khan stayed awa y

,but so it wa s. Judging

the time ripe , and Asaf Khan prepared to do as Shewished

,She asked her father to leave them together

for an hour, posting her maidens in an adj oiningroom so that she should not be alone with theman .

For a time they talked idly, and as before , whenAsa f Khan talked of love

,the maiden sa t with down

cast eyes, only stealing an occasional glance at him .

But presently her mood chan ged,and though She

did not look openly at him,when their glances met

She did not at once turn her head,but for a moment

let their glances mingle . And the fire in her eyeswent to Asaf Khan’s head as new wine goes to thehead of the unbeliever, so that presently he startedup . She rose also , and as she rose , Asaf Khan strodeto her and grasped her by the shoulders .Thou shalt be my wife

,he said ,

“ for thou artfit to be a warrior ’s bride . Also my heart inclinestowards thee , and with me shalt thou wed.

”

To his surprise , the maiden drew back and withswift turn released he rself .What she cried ; and the light in her eyes


wa s n o longer the soft light of love , but the lightof mockery and scorn . Thou would

’

st wed withme ? Nay, my lord does this humble maiden too

much honour ! Come , my maidens . The grea t AsafKhan seeks thy poor mistress in marriage ! Comeand witness the truth of what I say !

” and as themaidens came into the room, He thinks he is stillin the land of the Mahsuds, where the ma idens areso anxious to marry that their fathers wed themto strangers by a trick ! Know,

vain boaster ,”

and now her glance was like the lightning that playsabout the hilltop when the storm rages fiercest , Iam not for thee When I wed , I shall wed a man ;not on e who goes about belittlin g women , thinkin ghe ha s but to a sk a nd to have ! Then her moodchanged , and the light of mockery again shone inher eyes and touched her lips with scorn . Hastnaught to say ? Merry it was to play with theeand lead thee on to this

,for know, Asaf Kha n ,

this has been in my mind from the beginning,even

from the day thou didst send thy message aboutthe Mahsud maiden . Now go ! And leave the

Village quickly, for I will surely tell this thing tomorrow . GO

Asa f Khan turned and stumbled from the room .

When the maiden first began to speak,he thought

she j ested ; but when her maidens entered he knewit wa s no j es t , but bitter shame . He , Asa f Khan ,was held up to scorn and made a mock of bya woma n !

At first he felt stunn ed , but then a gre at rage enteredhis heart , and he would have killed the woma n ,strangled her where She stood and mocked . Buthe wa s far from his own land , and many would therebe to avenge her death . Scarcely could he esca pe ,

HOW ASAF KHAN LOVED'

8 1

and a woman wa s too light a thing for Asaf Khanto die for .Drawing himself up he faced her , returnin g scorn

for scorn , but at her last threat he flin ched. Shewould tell , and all men would laugh at him ! Ina week would the tale be carried to every part of theBorder and he must live an exile . Never couldhe face men , knowing what they knew . Dearlywould he have loved to put his hands round thatwhite throat and hold until her face grew purple andbloated and her eyes started from their sockets , fornow he hated her far more than he loved herbefore .

But life is dear and , turning , he staggered fromthe room like a drunken man . He must travel fast ,and he must travel far. That evening he would se eka horse , and at dawn he would leave this cursedcountry where Vile women made a mock of bravemen . And as he left the room

,the maiden laughed .

Loud and long she laughed , and the soun d of herlaughter wa s in his ears until he passed through thegate of the courtyard .

Strange is the heart of a woman . The maidenhad se t out of purpose to do this thing , but now itwas done she was not happy . How proudly hehad borne this shame she had put upon his manhoodHow his looks had given back scorn for scorn , tillshe put that last shame upon him and threatenedto tell ! She had called him vain boaster, but sheknew he wa s a brave warrior

,for wa s not his fame

in the mouths of all men How his eyes had glowedwhen he spoke of war ! How tender his voice grewwhen he spoke of love ! Never would his voice betender for her again . He would hate her, the maiden


who had put this shame upon his manhood . Nevermore would she see him . Never more And coveringher face with her hands , she wept .

Her maidens gathered round her with little crie sof pity and comfort ; but she drove them from herwith harsh words , and going to her chambe r , threwherself face downwards on her bed . There she weptbut presently she dried her tears and wondered whyshe wept . The man had almost said that She andher father wished to do as the Mahsud maiden andher father had done , and he was j ustly punished .

But how he must hate her now He who had lovedher, thin king she loved him— thinking she lovedhow dare he think she loved him ! She loved noman . She would love no man ! Not even if hewere tall, and handsomer than any man on theBorder ! Not even if his voice when he spoke Ofwa r wa s as a trumpet urging men to battle . Not

even if his eyes and voice grew tender while he spokeOf love ! Not even if And n ow again she wept

,

for She knew. She loved a man , and the man wasAsa f Khan , the man she had shamed as surely ma nwas never shamed before .

For an hour she lay on her bed. And sometimesShe sighed , and sometimes she wept ,

and sometimesshe lay and thought of the love that had been hersa nd which she had cast away . Till presently therecame to her an old woman w 0 had nursed her asa babe

,had watched over her budding girlhood , and

who wa s n ow more friend than servant ; and toher . with many sighs andmoans , the maiden Openedher heart .The Old woman shook her head . Thou hast donewrong to scorn a brave man ’s love , daughter ,

” she


she did . Would Asaf Khan forgive her cruel wordsand let her tell him how she loved himAsaf Khan listened in silence . At first his brow

was dark , and more than once he strove to close thedoor ; but presently his face cleared , and at theend he smiled .

SO he said grimly . When she could , she wouldn ot ; now she cannot

,she would . Or seeks she to

put fresh shame upon me ?Nay,

” replied the Old woman . I have knownmy mistress from a babe

,and this I tell thee never

has ma n been loved a s my mistress loves thee . Wedher, and she lives ; leave her , and she dies .Asaf Khan stood wrapped in thought till the old

woman had three times asked for a message to bearher mistress , and at last he spoke . He would wedher mistress , he said , but the wedding must be atonce . All the people of the village must be aske d ;and all the pe ople of the surrounding Villages ; tha tall might know it was Asaf Khan bein g wed . Thenext day the preparations must be made , and theday after , at dawn , he would wed the maid . Butall must be done a s he said , and the wedding mustbe at dawn ,

or he would not wed at all . Also hewould se e neither the Khan nor the maiden till thewedding morn . He asked n o dowry with the bride .

A little Of the maiden ’s spirit returned to her whenshe received Asaf Khan ’s masterful message ; butlove speedily drove out all hard thoughts , a nd she

was soon busily engaged with her ma idens makingall ready for the wedding morn . The Khan waspleased that his daughter would at last wed, moreespecially as the ma n she would wed wa s the re

doubtable Asaf Khan,a nd though he grumbled at

HOW ASAF KHAN LOVED 85

the hurry and expense , he did all things a s AsafKhan had desired . Asaf Khan was a son-in -lawto be proud oi— and he asked no dowry .

Great were the prepa rations next day, and greatwa s the crowd that assembled in the Village thefollowing night

,eagerly waiting the dawn . Asaf

Khan remained in his room , refusing to se e anyman , and though they thought it strange , he wasAsaf Khan, and his wishes must not be crossed .

But at dawn they went to his room . The wedding,according to his wish

,was to take place in the Village ,

Outside the mosque,and the bride and her father

were already approaching the spot .What was this ! The door was Shut ! It was

padlocked on the outside, so Asaf Khan could not

be inside ; where , then , wa s Asaf Khan ? Thelock wa s a common on e

,and as something might

be learned by opening it , a key that fitted it wa ssoon found .

The room was empty ! Nay, not empty, for on

the floor in the centre Of the room lay a parcel doneup in paper, and on It in fair writing wa s, FromAsaf Khan to his bride .

Wondering greatly, they took the parcel to theKhan , who had now reached the mosque , and hehanded it to his daughter

,bidding her open it . With

trembling fingers she undid the knots,unrolled the

paper , and out fell —a n old Shoe !What a commotion there was ! What shouting !

What laughter What curses from the Khan Butthe maiden said naught for a while

,then

,

Be there men in this village who will ride withme she asked , for I will have this man ’s blood .

Fast they rode,and far they rode

,but never they


found Asaf Khan . For the horse he had boughtwas a good on e and he spared it n ot, knowing thatof a certainty the maiden would seek his life forthe shame he had put upon her .And on e day Asaf Khan rode into his father ’svillage and threw himself from his horse .

“ Give me a wife ,” he sa id

,

“for I would ha ve

sons,

” and his father gave him two .

CHAPTER V

How ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE

OR two years Asaf Khan dwelt in the houseOf his fathe r with the two wives his fatherhad given him that Asaf Khan might have

a son . Two long, weary years , and yet there wa sno son . A daughter had been born, but to the joyof the House she died on the third day, for of whatuse is a daughter ? She is a trouble and a curseand moreover

,the firstborn of Asaf Khan must be a

son .

Still there came no son , n or could either of his wivesgive him hopes of on e and Asaf Khan was a -weary .

Sending his wives back with papers Of divorce and theirdowries to the Houses whence they had come, he badehis father farewell

,and with a good horse he had bought

in the Orakzai country , he se t off for the north .

TO Afghanistan would he go n ot to Kabul, but tothe wilder parts

,for there might a man se e life . Always

was one Khan at wa r with another, n or did they heedthe Amir when he bade them cease their strife for

Kabul wa s afar, and if the Amir sent an army againstthem , they could unite till they had sent his armyhome to him like whipped curs then they could again

87

r88 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

settle their differences as their fathers had done withoutinterference from the Amir.

That was the life for a man The life in this dullvillage, where the raids were petty and wives refusedto bear sons, wa s fit only for cattle . He would hie himnorth, and there live as a man should live . Perchancehe might slay some Khan and seize his land . He wasa warrior. A great warrior Men

,hearing his name,

would flock to him,and he might even be a

king

And SO he j ourneyed north . Many perils had he bythe way, and oft was he in danger of his life but hewon through

,and at last came to a land that was fair

in his sight . Green was the valley between the hills .

Rich the waving fields of corn and the heavily burde n ed orchard . Fat and many were the cattle thatgrazed be side the stream and in his heart Asaf Khanmade a vow that he would possess this land . Firstwould he dispossess the Khan and then , when menheard he was there and came clamouring to him to

lead them, he would go forth and would possess the

whole country-side . After that—who knew The

grandfather of the Amir had not been Amir . If theDurani House could become Amirs

,could n ot the

House of Asaf KhanBut the day grew on apace , and going to the village

that nestled in the shadow of!,a fort wherein surely

dwelt the Khan of this fair valley, Asaf Khan tookup his abode in the mussa fir khana, and aftertending his horse, walked abroad to hear what men

sa id .

First he asked of the Khan ; for were the Khan

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE 89

beloved , then would his task be hard . It might bethat he must go elsewhere . If the Khan were feared ,he would stay for where the ruler is feared there arealways discontented men who but wait for someonewho fears not

,to give trouble to that ruler .

This Khan,he found , was both beloved and feared .

Beloved in that he took no man’

s goods or land, andmolested the women of none . But he wa s feared forthe stern ness with which he punished even the slightestfault . Asaf Khan talked with men , learning much ,and in the evening retired to his chamber to weighthe matter well .Many loved the Khan , and to them it would be

dangerous to speak aught against him . As manyhated him for through fear Of him they durst not dothe evil that was in their hearts . Thus , there were asmany for as against . But there were others left , menwho neither feared nor loved him . They feared himnot , for they sought to wrong no man but neither didthey love him

,for men are weak

,and many of his

pun ishments they thought harsh an dsevere . Thesewere the men Asaf Khan must gain if he would oustthe Khan and have the valley for his own .

One fault had the Khan he loved his ease overmuch .

In his youth he had been a great warrior but n ow,

though scarcely past middle age, he seldom led aforay . Nay , when neighbouring Khans raided hislands , he would oft-times take his ease at home while hismen drove the invaders out And this did not pleasethe people . Asaf Khan thought long that nightand , ere he Slept , he made up his mind what he woulddo .


Now, though Asaf Khan was known throughout theborder, his fame had not reached thus far. Afghanistan is a great country

,and a country of great warriors

to be famous in Afghanistan on e must indeed be a great

warrior— and must also be of Afghanistan . For thepeople Of Afghanistan look with scorn upon the menOf other lands . More especially do they think little ofthe men of the Border for the English have been manytimes across the Border, and each time have the tribe srued their coming . But in Afghanistan it is otherwi se .

True , the English have been there but once they hadcause to regret their coming , and though they faredbetter the other times they came , they could not stayand this wa s in the long ago . Let the English comenow

,said the Afghans , they would find they had not

men of the Border to deal withOf this

,Asaf Khan wa s glad for if the story of his

fame had reached thus far,other stories might have

reached a lso ; and some of the stories might havealarmed the Khan and put him on his guard . Itwa s better thus , and in the morning he took his wa y tothe Khan ’ s house .

As he reached the gate of the fort , he found a grea tcrowd without , and asking the reason , wa s told thatthe Khan would pun ish a man that day . This manhad stolen another man ’s wife and had left the countrybut the woman being dead , he hadreturned , thinkin ghis fault forgotten , or that he would be punished with afine . But the Khan would have otherwise . Threedays was the man con fined , and then he wa s broughtout for punishment ; and the punishment wa s this .Because he was a man

,he had erred ; he should be


The Khan eyed him for a moment , and then grufiyasked him who he was .Men know me as Asaf Khan

,was the reply .

From the Border I come , from the land of the Afridisand I come thus far to learn the trade of a warrior .On the Border, the men are of little spirit ; but inAfghanistan are great warriors

,and when I asked for

the greatest , men sent me to the e . But what has this

man done, 0 Khan, that thy anger is thus heavyagainst himNow, the Khan was pleased with Asaf Khan

’

sspeech for who can resist the honeyed words

,Of

flattery ? The frown left his brow,and in friendly

tones he told the man ’ s fault . Asaf Khan mused for awhile though there was no need

,for as he walked the

length Of the courtyard , he had made up his mindwhat he would do . Then he spoke, choosing his wordscarefully .

The punishment is j ust,he said

,but I wish it

could be otherwise . And why n ot ? Thou art theKhan , and can

’st do as thou wilt . Let it be thus , 0Khan . Many men seek to be warriorswho have not thestrength to be a warrior . I also would be a warrior,a nd therefore have I come to lea rn of thee . Let methen Show that in strength I am not wanting, and so

prove myself worthy to be th pupil . Let this manwrestle with me

,and let the stake be this . If he win ,

he shall go free,and I shall return tomyhome . But if

I win,then teach thou me to be a warrior even as thou

art . Also one little favour will I ask, not for myself,but for a nother .This speech pleased the Khan greatly , for i t wa s


plain this man wa s no boaster—Asaf Khan no boasterAlso he wa s a man Of sense, for he had come to the on eplace in Afghanistan where a perfect warrior could betrained

,to the on e man who could give that training .

And he now regretted the harshness of his sentence ,though he would not unsay the order but if the manwon

,he would go free . If he lost, it wa s the Will of

Allah . As for the favour Asaf Khan asked it not for

himself,but for another, so it would be some trifle .

He gave his consent to the trial and while they

unbound the man , Asaf Khan removed all hisclothing except his loin cloth . And then wa s seen

such a match as never anyone present had seenbefore .

Though n ot as broad as the man , Asaf Khan wa staller, with a longer reach, and his frame through constant training wa s as supple as it was strong . For tenminutes the two circled round each other

,seeking

an opening . At last the man darted in and would haveseized Asaf Khan round the waist but with a movement quick a s the flash Of a trout in a mountain stream

,

Asaf Khan eluded his grasp and seized him by the neck .

He thought he had the man at his mercy but that bullneck wa s as strong a s the necks Of three men . Grasping Asaf Khan ’s forearm with both hands

, the manwrenched his neck free and sprang back . And so thefight went on . Once Asaf Khan wa s thrown ,

but he

wa s up and away before the man could leap upon himand once the man wa s thrown

,but he fell on his hands .

Sometimes the Victory inclined to one , sometimes tothe other . But at last Asaf Khan prevailed . With asudden twist and a mighty heave he cast the man

D


fairly on his back , and leaping on him , pressed his

shoulders to the earth .

He rose panting and faced the Khan .

Have I done well Am I fit to be thy pupilThis speech pleased the Khan more than anythin g

Asaf Khan had yet said . His mind was not at ease ashe watched the struggle , for in strength this strangerwas no ordinary man . If his spirit were high as hisstrength was great , it were better he left the valley .

But in the moment Of victory, when all me n boast , thisman boasted n ot. He thought of his victory only asproof of his fitness to be the Khan ’ s pupil . The Khangrasped him by the hand .

It wa s indee d well done Thou shalt be my pupil,and the day shall come when people shall point atthee as the worthy pupil of a great masterAsaf Khan sighed . A little I know of the use ofweapons

,he said meekly, but I have much to learn .

But Of the favour, O KhanIt is gran ted . Name it .That the man go free for badit n ot been for him ,

how could I have proved myself worthy .

The Khan frowned at the first part of the sentence,

but at the second half he smiled . This was indeed anhumble spirit and he ordered the man to be taken tothe gate of the fort and se t free .

Then did the Khan lead Asaf Khan within andordered food to be se t before them ,

and they ate .

Many questions he asked,and all Asaf Khan answered

meekly ; but when the Khan would have him dwellwithin the fort

,Asa f Khan said it might n ot be . On

the grave Of the holy Pir (saint) of his village had he


sworn that he would dwell in the house of no man tillhe had learned to be a warrior, but would be a wanderer,sleeping by the roadside or in mussafir kha n a s. ThisAsaf Khan said, knowing he had nothing to learn fromthe Khan

,save perhaps love of ease

,and it wa s in his

mind that in secret the Khan loved the j uice of thegrape . Now it is, that men who love wine always lovecompany when in their cups , and some day the Khanwould surely a sk Asaf Khan to

_

drink with him . To

refuse would anger the Khan,to drink would condemn

his soul to eternal fire ; for Asaf Khan wa s a goodMussulman . Also in the house Of the Khan he wouldsee little Of the people

,and of them he wished to se e

much . But he promised to come daily to se e the Khanand to learn from him the way to be a warrior andafter they had talked some two hours

,he left for the

village .

He thought to se e the man he had saved waiting forhim somewhere without the gate, but to his surprise theman wa snot there . Some folk he met, and many cameout to greet him a s he neared the village but the mancame not , and at this Asaf Khan wondered . In spiteof his lapse from the straight path , a lapse Asaf Khanfound it easy to pa rdon , the man looked a true mana ndyet he came n ot to thank the man who had savedhim from such a cruel fate . But the people thankedhim . It wa s the first time the Khan had decreed so

severe a punishment , and had not his hand been stayed ,how much further might he not have gone He wastheir Khan ; but they were freemen, and they were

angered in their hearts at the power he wa s taking tohimself. Yet would they not speak openly

,for as yet


these thoughts were but in their hearts , an dalso theyhad none to lead them .

Thanking them for their thanks , Asaf Khan passedon and came to the mussafir khana . The door of hisroom was Open

,for when going to the house of the Khan

he had left it so , that men might see he was of a trustingheart an dhad nothing to hide . Within , sat a man whocleaned and polished the gear of Asaf Khan ’s horse .

The light wa sdim within the room,and the man ’s face

was bent over his work .

Who art thou asked Asaf Khan in surprise .

The man raised his head . Men know me asIlderim

,

” he replied,but now my nam e is Ghulam

,

for I am the ghulam (slave) of Asaf Khan .

” And itwas the man whom Asaf Khan had saved .

Then didAsaf Khan ’s heart warm to the man ,for he

was a true man .

No Slave shalt thou be , he said , grasping the otherby the hand and embracing him . But brother shaltthou be . Thou hast strength , and I shall teach theeto be a warrior even as I am so that in the days to comethy name shall be great even a s the nam e of Asaf Khanis great And then he stopped ,

for already he hadsaid too much . One who sought humbly to be theKhan ’s pupil to ta lk thus But the man looked upwith twinkling eyes .

When I fled with the womah, he said , I fled to

the country of the Orakzai . There I heard of on e AsafKhan , an dalso saw him . Methin ks he was thy brother.He could not have been thee , for this Asa f Khan wasthe grea test warrior in the land , and also a man Of

guile,as the daughter Of the Khan had good cause to

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED T0 LOVE 97

know. Thou art simple in thy speech,and hast come

hither to learn the art of wa r from that fat pig !The man ’s eyes blazed

,and he rose suddenly to his

feet . Cursed be he and all his House he burst outfiercely . Know

, 0 Asaf Khan ,that had he worked

his will upon me,never would I have eaten till I had

had his blood ! Help me,O Asaf Khan . There is

something hidden in thy heart , for it is n ot thy wontto bear thyself thus humbly to any man . Thouseekest to deceive the Khan , and it is in my mind thouwould ’st work evil unto him . Help me to revengemyself upon this man, and I sha ll indeed be thy slavefor ever

Asaf Khan knew he had one who would help him inwhatsoever he undertook against the Khan but stillhe didnot open his whole heart , only telling the man asmuch a s he thought good . He called the man Ilderim ,

but to this name the man would not answer, saying thathis name was n ow Ghulam, a ndno other name wouldhe have

,and Asaf Khan was fain to humour him .

For three months Asaf Khan abode in the valley andwas the pupil Of the Khan . Each day would he go tothe Khan ’s house

,and there would he and the Khan

talk of the days when the Khan wa s young . Sometimes the Khan would teach Asaf Khan the proper use

of the swordf -and at these times Asaf Khan laughedin his heart , for the Khan

’ s hand had lost its cunning ,an d he wielded the sword as a child might . Sometimes the Khan taught him to shoot at a mark, andthen scarce could Asaf Khan hide his mirth . Oncethey fought with wooden knives but this was suchfoolishness that never again would Asaf Khan do the


like, for the knife was his favourite weapon . First hewould learn the use of the sword and rifle , he said,and then he would learn to use the knife . But mostlythe Khan talked of the days when he was youn g, an dofthe great deeds he had done .

Never in the evening went Asaf Khan for it is ateven that men love to look upon the wine cup and heknew that the Khan was indeed a lover of wine .

And then came news that a raiding party would cometo the further end of the valley for ther e be many spie sin that land, and the Afghan will sell aught but thehonour Of his women for gold . The Khan had drunkheavily overnight so that when they came to him withthe news

,his brain wa s dull and his speech confused .

Why did they trouble him he asked in anger . Couldthey not deal with such a small matter themselvesSurelyhe had led them often enough for them to ha velearned how such things should be doneBut the matter was n ot a small one, and the people

looked uneasily at on e another . The Khan who

headed this raiding pa rty was a great warrior, and theparty he led a large on e but while they hesitated, AsafKha n came . Knowing we ll what the answer of theKhan would be

,Asaf Khan came n ot with the people

but when he j udged the answer given , he cam e.Then was the Khan glad for it was as if ten men with

hammers beat upon his head, andhe would fain leave

this noisy crowd and go into his chamber and rest .Three months had he taught Asaf Khan ; and in asmall matter such as this was , Asaf Khan could leadthe people . He told the people so, and Asaf Khan

than ked him humbly for the honour he had done him

I OO EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

fort, he told them what he had a min d to do . Whywait till the enemy came ? he urged . The raidingparty would reach the entrance to the valley on the

followin g evening, and would attack at dawn . Whywait for them to attack Let every true man leavethe Village on the following evening, an dgoing to theoutlying Villages

,collect the fighting men . Let them

collect in some spot , and make their way in hasteto the entrance to the valley. They would arrive bymidnight and in the small hours Of the morning, whenthe enemy was sunk in sleep

,they could attack the ir

foe and destroy them

The men approved the plan,wonder ing whence Asaf

Khan had got it ; for they knew he could n ot havelearned such guile from the Khan and they return edto their homes .It happened as Asaf Khan had foretold . The

enemy, roused from their slumbers by the war criesof the men Of the valley

,made a feeble defence and

were defeated with great Slaughter . Great honour wasgained by the men of the valley that da ys; but of allwho fought there, none fought as Asaf Khan fought .None could stand befor e him . Whirling his swordaround his head

,he plunged into the thickest of the

strife , and then drawin g his great knife, he carved away out. Many a foeman he laid low but ever hesought another, for it wa s the Khan he sought and atlast they met . Strong as a lion wa s the Khan ,

andwith a lion ’ s courage but naught availed him against

Asaf Khan . The others , seein g who fought , drewapart and watched the conflict .It wa s short . The Khan wa s a great warrior, but

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE I OI

Asaf Khan wa s a greater and he wa s better with theknife . The flash of the swords the clang of steel onthe round leather shields with brass bosses each manbore and then , dropping his sword , Asaf Khan sprangin with his kn ife . In vain the Khan strove to inter

pose his shield . His day wa s come and with a groan

he sank to earth, Asaf Khan’s knife buried to the hilt

in his breast .It wa s the end . As on e man the enemy turned, and

the men of the valley Slew them as they fled . Neverwas so great a victory, and the glory was—AsafKhan ’ s .Men wondered . Even a s they gathered round him

with words of praise they wondered . This wa s nopupil of the Khan

,this was a warrior greater than the

Khan— greater than the Khan had ever been , even inthe days of his youth . And yet this man came tolearn from the Khan ! There was some mystery inthis . Whence came this Asaf Khan ? He said he

came from the Border but could the Border producesuch men Why wa s he not their Khan , rather thanthe on e who drank wine in secret , leaving others to

lead his men in the day of battleThus they murmured among themselves, thoughto Asaf Khan they said nothing of what wa s in theirthoughts . But he knew the hear ts of men, andgue ssed the meaning of their murmurs . But the timewas not yet

,and this matter must be kept frOm the

ears of the Khan .

Have I done well this day he askedAnd they a nswered with a great shout . Thou hast

done well A great warrior art thou, O Asaf Khan


never have we seen man fight a s thou didst fight thisday

“ Then grant me this , said Asa f Khan . Let n oword of my fighting this day pass your lips till I givethe word .

”

Again the people murmured , this time against AsafKhan but he would have his will , and they promised .

And so it was from the mouth of Asaf Khan alonethat the Khan heard of the fight , of the cowardlyenemy that ran at the first alarm

,and of the faint

hearted Khan who hidhimself and was slain by some

unknown man .

In not going thou were right,a s thou always a rt,

said Asaf Khan . For it is not fitting that a greatwarrior should go forth again st an unworthy enemy .

”

But in the village , Asaf Khan spoke otherwise tothe man Ghulam ; and the man spoke to other men ,

though he did n ot sayit was the words Of Asaf Khan hespoke . And ever the murmurs grew louder, for menbega n to say that wine had sapped the Khan ’s courageand that he did not go forth to battle because hefea red . The Khan had no Son ; let him adopt Asa f

Khan and make the country over to him . Then couldhe sit and drink wine if he chose , for the valley would

be safe . Also they remembered the Khan ’s harshness,

and the way he would have dealt with the man Ghulam .

Each day men grew more impatient and on e nightthey came to the room in which Asaf Khan dwelt

,and

spoke their thoughts . At first he drove them from himwith reproaches but the next night they returned

, a nd

he listened . It was for the good of the valley,they

pleaded . The Khan was a wine-bibber . He was fat


on a rough bench, She talked sportively with hermaidens

,her merry laugh ringing out a non like the

clashing of small silver bells .She wa s, she must be , the daughter Of the Khan

and it came into Asaf Khan ’s mind that when he hadslain the Khan

,the girl would be his . To wed or n ot

to wed as seemed best to him,but the girl would be

his . His pulse beat faster at the thought, for the

maiden wa s indeed beautiful.

Presently the maiden withdrew into the house , a nd

Asaf Khan returned to the village but often tha t dayShe wa s in his thoughts , a ndthe next day again cameAsaf Khan to the hole in the wall of the garden .

The maiden wa s there , clad in a soft clinging garmentthat showed the faultless beauty of her figure and AsafKhan ’s eyes glowed with the desire to possess herfor his own . That night he would tell the men that

he was ready,and to-morrow they would storm the

fort . The Khan knew naught of what was toward,

his men would fight half-heartedly,the fort would be

taken,the Khan slain, and the maiden would be his

Asa f Khan ’s eyes blazed , and his pulse beat in histhroat at the thought .But then the ma iden turned her head and looked

towards Asaf Khan . She looked at a bird ; nor sawAsa f Khan ,

for the hole wa s hid by the leaves Of abush that grew within

,and Asa f Khan saw her eyes .

Almost they seemed to meet his, and he caught hisbreath sharply at the sight . Never had he seen a facelike this

,and never had he seen such eyes This was

no houri,this wa s on e of Allah ’s fa rishta s (angels).

Pure , with the purity of Heaven was her ga ze , and with

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE 1 05

the innocence of a child . And he would soil this

purity ! He would dra g through the mire of infamythe soul that looked through those eyes ! Startingfrom the hole

,he left the place with rapid footsteps .

NO rest had Asaf Khan that day . Always hethought of the maiden

,and always he thought of her

eyes ; and when the men came that night , though hetold them to wait a few days more , he cursed himselffor a fool . It must have be en a trick of the light , hetold himself as he tossed restlessly on his bed . Manymaidens had he seen

,and many maidens had cause

to rue the day he saw them ,but in the eyes of none had

he seen this look . It was not a look of earth , but of

Heaven . It must have been a trick of the light .

With the dawn he was astir and walking forth , tohis amaze and anger he prese ntly found himself behindthe wall. What witchcraft was this ? He had notmeant to come hither

,and lo here he was . Turn ing

from the Spot he strode angrily away ; but presentlyhe sank into thought

,and 10 ! he wa s again at the

garden wall ! A third time he left,his heart full of

wrath , and a third time he found himself at the wall .With a curse he thr ew himself down . The maidenwould come presently

,and he would se e if her eyes

in truth held the look he thought he had seen .

She came but though Asaf Khan gazed as if withhis eyes he would have devoured that fa ir form , forlong her face did not turn in his direction . At last thebird sang again

,for it was building its nest in a tree

that grew near the wall ; and hearing its song , themaiden looked .

Asaf Khan Shaded his eyes with his hands , for he


was dazzled by the glory of that look . It was no trickof the light . The look was there , as he had seen itbefore , and Asaf Khan

’s heart turned to water withinhis breast . He desired this maiden . Above a ll

things in heaven or earth he desired this maiden ,

but she was not for him . To possess her he mustfirst slay her father and bring sorrow into her life .

How could he quench the light of innocent mirth inthose eyes ? How could he , stained with her father

’sblood , face the horror he would see in those angeleyesBlind , he rushed from the spot, and for many hours

raged the countryside , cur sing himself, fate , the earth,the heavens, all things , for this that had come to him .

And the more he cursed,the more he desired the

maiden , and the more he knew he could not slay herfather to win her . His blood wa s a consum ing flame

,

and like a madman he strode onward with ha ggardface . He would leave this cursed country, and inthe life of a warrior he would forget this maidenbut even as he said he would do it, he knew he couldnot . At last to him came the man Ghulam , and withbrotherly sympathy and shrewd questions drew fromAsaf Khan the cause of his disorder .Hardly could the man believe

,for of Asaf Khan and

his way with maidens he had heard much when hedwelt in the land of the Orakza is ; but presen tly heknew, and he smiled covertly . Kha n loved .

His foolishness was the foolishness O a love-sick boy,

and as a love-sick boy must he be dea lt with . Hemust not tell Asa f Khan he loved nor must he belittlethe maiden . Nay, he must praise her and urge Asa f


se eing their coming and guessing the ir reason, fled

from the fort by a back way .

On ly the Khan remained . Some of his old spirit

returned to him,and standing at the door of the house ,

be barred the way ; but when the crowd rushed intothe courtyard , Asaf Khan at their head , he slammedand bolted the door ; and fleeing to his daughter ’schamber , hid himself beneath her bed.

Not long did the door withstand the shower of blowsthat beat upon it . With a cra sh it burst from itshinges

,and Asaf Khan strode into the house . The

shouting had stirred his blood,the smashing of the

door made it stir more quickly, and now the thoughtof the maiden made it flame like living fire . Ghulamhad Spoken well . It wa s the destiny of all maidens .In the arms Of a warrior such as Asaf Khan , shewould be content .

Leaving the others to plunder the living rooms,

Asaf Khan passed to the back, where he knew the

women’

s apartments would be ; and throwing asidea curtain, entered the chamber he sought . Hermaidens cowered in corners , uttering cries of fear atsight of him but the maiden stood erect in the centreof the room , and faced him as he entered .

The blood now beat in his head ,and his breathin g

was heavy . Striding to where the maiden stood,

with rude hand he tore the veil from her head,tearing

also the band that held her hair so that it fell andhung a golden cloak around her

,rippling even to her

knees . As that beauteous form wa s disclosed,Asa f

Khan sprang forward with a cry of madexultationbut ere he touched her he stopped

,bereft of speech

,

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE 1 09

struck motionless by the proud scorn of thoseeyes .Summer lightnings flashed within their depths a s

they glowed with the anger of the angry dove thatdefends its young . Quickly she moved so that she

stood between Asaf Khan and the bed,and then she

spoke .Thou art Asaf Khan , she said , for I have seen

thee from the lattice . Thou art the man who wouldbe a warrior . True warrior ’s work is this, to burstin to a maiden ’s room and afright her an dher damselsTrue warrior’s work it is to deceive an oldman , and

then seek to slay him What would ’st thou hereHardly could Asaf Khan speak, and he could not

meet her eyes .I seek n ot thy father ’s life

,he muttered . Tell

me where he is hid that I may save him from the manGhulam , who would put great sham e upon him .

”

For now Asaf Khan knew he could not let the mandrag the Khan round the courtyard by the beard ;for the maiden would se e . But the maid believedhim not .

I know not where my father hides, she said .

Begone ! And take shame to thyself for havingcome hither !

But she moved closer to the bed as She spoke,and

Asaf Khan kn ew where the Khan lay hid . He moveda pace towards the bed

,but She confronted him ;

and now those gentle eyes flamed a s flames the swordof the an gel that guards the‘gates of Paradise . Withupraised hand she stood

,pointing to the door

,and

Asaf Khan paused . A moment they stood thus,

1 1 0 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

facing each other ; and then with downcast eyes anddroopin g head Asaf Khan turned and left theroom .

How had this thing come to pass ? he wonderedmoodily as he returned to the front of the house . Hehad entered the room ea ger to possess the maiden

,

resolved to possess her,and lo he had left the room like

a beaten cur She was a weak maiden, but she had

given him , Asaf Khan ,glance for glance, and had

beaten him . Why had he not clasped her to himand hidden her eyes on his breast Why hadhe n otplucked the Khan from his hiding place and ba t teredher father’s life for her surrenderAnd so Asaf Khan be came Khan of the valley .

The men left for their homes , save a few whom AsafKhan en gaged in place of those who had fled and the

ma n Ghulam,who for the love he bore Asaf Khan

had consented to forego even his revenge upon the

Khan ’ s beard , remained also .

All that day the Khan remained hid in hisdaughter ’ schamber, though Asaf Khan sent word that no harmwould come

’

to him ; but at even the thirst for wineovercame him

,and he stole from the room . Not far

had he ventured when he came upon Asaf Khan .

With a cry of fear he would have fled,but Asaf Khan

laughed and held him by the shoulder .It is peace ,

” he said . Naught shall be done tothee . In this house thou shalt dwell and shalt order

all thin gs . Only in the affairs of the valley canstthou n o longer order, for this is the will of the people .

Then did the Khan breathe freely. In truth he

was glad to be relieved of this burden ; for now he


busied herself with her maidens, and sometimes shespoke to them . Her voice was soft an dlow, like the

cooing of the wood pigeon and always a s she spokeAsaf Khan would forget what he was saying as helistened to the music Of that gentle voice . Sometimes he went to the garden wall, but she came n ot

there, and Asaf Khan cast himself down on the softearth .

Would she never speak to him If she but wouldIf she would but speak to him in the gentle tones sheused to her maidens What bliss would it be wereher eyes to rest on him but once while they held thelook he remembered so well in the days that were gone .

But he never saw that look in them now . Would heever se e it againAnd then one day on e of the damsels asked the

maiden why she no longer walked in the garden ,

begging her to walk there next day, and the maidenconsented .

Asaf Khan wa s there . A full hour before she camehe wa s behind the garden wall awaitin g her coming .

How the minutes dr agged Would she never comeAt last she came . But could this be the maiden whohad danced j oyft down the path a few short daysbefore This maiden who walked sadly and listlessly, a s if the light had gone from her life and allj oy from her heart ! Sin king upon the bench ,

themaiden gazed mourn fully before her

,a nd then she

wept . Softly she wept , like a little child, and thesight sent Asaf Khan mad .

It wa s he who had done this thing ! Before he

crossed her path , she was a creature of joy a n dof sun

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE 1 1 3

shine—now she wept Casting himself on the groundhe buried his face in the earth

,tearing great tufts of

grass by the roots in his agony of mind . He wa s notfit to live He would leave her Nay

,he knew he

could not do that . He would slay himself . Perchance when she heard that he had died that she

might be happy, she would smile again, and the sunshine return to her heart .He must do this thing soon , or the thought of never

seeing her more might overcome his resolve . But a she rose, the maidens were speaking ; and the windbeing from them to him , he heard their words , whichhad never been before . The maiden was speaking,and Asaf Khan listened

,his heart in his

ears

Yet what can I do ? she was saying mournfully . From the first day I saw him from thelattice I loved him, and ever as I saw him my lovegrew more ; but how can I love him now He haswrested my father ’s land

,he has shamed me by look

ing on my face, how can I love him n ow ? Andyet she sighed softly

,a nd her voice when next

she spoke was the most beautiful sound Asaf Khan

had ever heard . And yet he is a proper man . NO

harm has he done my father. He has even saved himfor the men of the valley would have Slain the Khan .

He tore the veil from my head,but methinks he would

not do so now.

” Her lips curled in a smile that se tAsaf Khan’s heart beatin g madly and the blooddancing through his veins . He desires me to wife,that I know ; but he desires me as he would desireany woman who found favour in his eyes. It is love

I I 4 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN

I want for and she sighed again , I love himstill .

Then went Asaf Khan mad a second time but thistime his madness was of another sort . Rushing fromthe spot so that the maidens should not hear him andbe ala rmed, he gave full vent to the joy that wa s inhis heart . She love s me ! He bounded in the air;

shouting the glorious news to the winds . She lovesme ! She loves me ! Till surely if any had passedthat way they would have deemed him mad . Butpresently his mood changed . It cori

'

ld not be . Hisears had deceived him . He would go back and listen .

But the maiden was no longer in the garden , andAsaf Khan went into the house . It wa s now the hourat which he usually talked with the Khan , and he wentto the maiden ’s chamber .The Khan bade him enter, but Asaf Khan would

n ot.

No more shall I enter this chamber, he said,till the maiden herself bids me ente r.

There wa s a moment ’s silence within the room ,and

then the maiden’

s voice wa s heard , gently bidding him

enter .

Asaf Khan raised the curta in , but as the maidenremoved her veil, he dropped the curtain again .

It is my punishment,” he said sadly but surely

so gentle a form ca nnot hide so hard a heart . Re sum ethy veil

,maiden

,I pray thee for tiie n I shall know

my fault is forgiven .

Enter then,and now her voice was as when she

talked with he r maidens , and Asaf Khan knew he was

forgiven . Could he hope for more


worthy of thy lighte st thought I would have donethee wrong ! When we took the fort , it wa s in mymind to possess thee

,with thy will or again st it .

This I would have done, and this thou canst neverforgive . My punishment is great , for now I lovethee . For many da ys have I loved thee ; but neve rhave I loved like this , and I knew not that I loved .

Now I know . Bitter it is to know what might havebeen ! But the past is past, and to-morrow I go .

Thou wilt wed on e more worthy, but think sometimeswith kindness of the unhappy Asaf Khan, and hesobbed once

,the harsh dry sob of a strong ma n

’ sagony .

No answer made the maiden at first ; but she stoopedlow over him

,and tears soft as the gentle summer ra in

fell from her eyes .

GO not,”she whispered

,I bid thee stay . But

as Asaf Khan , half disbelieving his ears started to hisfeet , she withdrew a pa ce . Her veil was thrownback , and at the glory in her eyes , Asaf Khan

’s breathcame in a great gasp .

Thou bidst me stay ! he cried . I have toldthee I love thee and thou bidstme stay WhyBecause,

” the colour mounted to her face and theradiance of her eyes was dazzling

,because I love

thee .

In a moment she was claspedin his arms and whilehe pressed burning kisses upon her lips , his heart sanga paean of joy. She loved him In spite of all sheloved him She would be his wife the mother of his

son And then the Khan fired .

Waking from his slumber and hearing voices , he

HOW ASAF KHAN LEARNED TO LOVE 1 1 7

peeped into the room . His daughter in the armsof Asaf Khan ! All his Afghan blood boiled at the

dishonour that had been put upon a woman of hisHouse and snatching a revolver from his belt , in his

drunken frenzy he fired .

One little sigh wa s all she gave . Kiss me oncemore

,she murmured , and then She died .

CHAPTER VI

How ASAF KHAN BECAME A RIFLE THIEF

OR six years no man who knew him sawAsa f Khan . Even the man Ghulam , thoughhe sought far a ndwide , could not find the

man who wa s more than brother to him . Some saidhe was mad , a nd lived with the wild beasts of theforest ; while others said he was the hermit wholived among the rocks of the great hills in the Bunerwalcountry. But no man knew, till on e day he walkedinto his father ’s house in Kai .

He came as a stranger ; for none recognised AsafKhan in this haggard man with deeply lin ed face ;and it was not till he spoke that even his father knew

Then was Ka dir Shah sore at heart for this thathad come to his son , and faint would he have question ed him

,but with burning eyes Asaf Khan bade

him cease . To none would he Speak of those years,

and one who j eered , saying he had been to Hindustan

and had been in the j ail of the English , him he slew .

Now this was a man of the House of Wazir Ali, a nd

1 1 8


tongue of the En glish ; and he advised Asaf Khan

to put his son in the Mission school, where he wouldlearn

,and would n ot waste his time ; and though

Asaf Khan scorned all learning for himself, he thoughtit good that his son should learn .

Next day he took the boy to the school, and askedto see the Mission padre , and when he wa s taken to

the missionary,he held forward his son .

“ Of the English I know little ,” he said , and

of their priests I know less ; but men say thou artgood and to be trusted , and in thy hands thereforewould I leave my son to be taught the stran ge knowledge the English possess . But with his faith thouhast naught to do . Seek but in on e small matter toturn him from the faith of his fathers , and I willsurely slay thee and thy whole house .

The missionary smilingly assured him that theynever interfered with the boys ’ religions

,and Asaf

Khan left his son , af terwards seeking employmen twhich he found at Jamrud

,where he learned to fear

not the fir e carriages of the English,and even dared

to ride in them . As for the boy, he was clever, andin the three years his father dwelt in Jamrud

,he

learned three times as much as most boys learn inthree times three years . With his golden hair and

blue eyes he was so like an En glish boy,that the

missionary took much interest in him,and also the

missionary’s wife , se eing him the first day he wentto the school, felt her heart drawn to the boy, forin many ways he resembled a son she had lost . SO

that instead of the boy being put into the boardinghouse with the rest of the boys

,she took him to her

HOW ASAF KHAN BECAME A RIFLE THIEF 1 2 1

own house and , giving him a room , bade him livethere . Once he went to Kai , when the blood feudbetween the House of Wazir Ali and the House of

Kadir Shah wa s ended, and after helping his fatherin the defence of the house , he returned to Peshawar .

‘Then came the day when Asaf Khan wa s triedfor attempting to kill the stationmaster and wasacquitted . But the post of chaukida r at Jamrudwa s taken from him . He was a fierce man , anddangerous

,and also word of how he had made peace

between his father’s House and the House of WazirAli came to Jamrud .

Though Asaf Khan had fair wealth in j ewels , i tbehoved him to do something , lest instead of leavinghis son more than his father left him he leave himless . He did not wish to return to the Border, andin Hindustan was naught he could do .

At last on e,a trader

,asked him to join in a venture

to Hindustan , and though at first Asaf Khan spatat the word trader, he in the end agreed to j oin theman . He would find half the money, and wouldaccompany the man

,but in the trading he would

take no part . And so began a new life for AsafKhan

,no longer warrior

,but trader .

First they went to Rawalpindi ; but in that citywere many traders from the Border, so presentlythey took seat in the fire carriages

,and passing Lahore ,

went to the great city of Delhi .

In Delhi they traded n ot, for the people of Delhiare of all people the most cunning in barter ' but

to the villages they went . Here the folk were simple,

and the hearts of the women were easily be guiled


by the brave display the trader set before them .

Stones there were,of little worth , but precious

in the eyes of the simple women . Work of gold

thread from Peshawar . Muslims and silks fromDelhi . Fine turbans, slippers and knives to tempt

the young men and for a ll the trader asked no payment . Why talk of payment ? The things were

theirs he had brought them so that they could make

as brave a show as the proud people of Delhi . Whenthey went to the great city none would know they

were villagers,but would think they belonged to the

house of some great Khan . As for payment,he would

take that af terwa rds,say in two months ’ time a nd

though he asked much for his wares , the thought of

the envy of their n e igt urs tempted the women

and the young men,so that they bought . Besides ,

two months is a long time ; much may happen intwo months .

Andthus went the trader to a ll the villages,returning

to Delhi when his goods were sold, for more . But

in all this Asaf Khan took no part . Silently would

he stand by ; and though at times he would haveliked to beat the folk for their foolishn ess , he saidnaught . After all it wa s trade , and the more the

profit,the more would his share be .

At the end of two months the trader stopped selling

a nd went round collectin g what the people owed.

Then wa s much sadness and trouble in the villages ;for the women had to tell their husbands of the money

they owed the Pathans , and their husbands beat themsorely . Some husbands paid the money with much


and he whispered the words,

our business is thetaking of guns .

”

Now,though As af Khan had often heard of the

men who bring guns from Hindustan and sell themon the Border for great sums

,he had never met one .

Often he wondered how they stole the guns , andhaving done so, how they conveyed them secretlyto the Border ; but though he asked men , nonecould tell him . In Hindustan guns were stolen

,and

a reward wa s offered . A few months afterwardsguns were sold on the Border

,and none could say

how they got there . Now he would know . Thiswa s fit work for a warrior, the lifting of guns, andhe would j oin the man .

First they went to Meerut but though there weresoldiers in Meerut , the soldiers had been many yearsin Hindustan

,and had also j ust come from Peshawar .

No rifle thief would get a gun from them , so AsafKhan and the man,

who gave his name a s Alada dKhan

,went to Ambala .

Now the regiment in Ambala had come from Englandonly the year before

,and were carele ss in the matter

of rifles ; with luck the two might get a rifle fromhere

,with great luck more than on e but the luck

which they had they never thought to have ,for they got six ! And in this wise they got

them .

It happened that the guard-room of this regimentlay a little apart from the barracks , and behind itwas a ground where the white soldiers hit a ball aboutwith a curved stick of an afternoon . A pa th led

by the guard-room , a nd a s in a guard-room there

HOW ASAF KHAN BECAME A RIFLE THIEF 1 25

are always rifles,by this pa th Asaf Khan and Aladad

Khan passed often .

Soon they notice d that when the soldiers p layedin the afternoon

,some of the men on guard would

go to the back to watch the game , a nd from thatday they passed by that way every afternoon . For

a month they passed,and then on e day the sentry

that walked up and down in front wa s not there .

The two men stood , hardly daring to believe theireyes, and then with a swift step Asaf Khan movedso that he could see the back of the guard-room . Thesentry stood at the corner, resting on his rifle Inan instant Asaf Khan had given the signal, a nd thenext moment Aladad Khan wa s in the guard-room .

Six rifles he seized,and slipping them under his clothes,

walked out of the guard-room and down the path ,Asaf Khan following .

It wa s a fearsome walk . Every minute Asaf Khanexpected to hear the alarm given ,

and to see thewhite soldiers in pursuit but naught occurred .

In a few minutes that seemed hours they reachedthe main road

,and crossing it

,were in the . shelter

of a growth of young trees . Both knew wha t todo—had they n ot talked it over a hundred timesand three of the six rifles being transferred to Asa fKhan

,they started off at a steady trot for the hills .

Only horses could overtake them now, and who knewwhich way they had taken ?Till dark they ran

,and before dawn they again

rose and ran ; so that by even ing they reached thehills and lost themselves among the ravine s . Nonecould find them n ow

, an d.they rested while they

E


talked over the more difficult part of their plan , toget the rifles past Rawalpindi . Let us draw a veilover what happened at Ambala when the theft of therifles was discovered .

Three weeks later, two Pathans walked up theGrand Trunk Road as it neared Sohawa. Theylooked like traders

,for they carried on their backs

the small leather satchels in which traders usuallycarry their goods but these were no traders, thes ewere Asa f Khan and Aladad Khan , and the innocentlooking satchels held the pieces of the six rifles

,well

wrapped in cloth . Aladad Khan would n ot have

come this way, but the other road was long, andAsaf Khan was impatient to push on by the shorterroute. This part of the country was safe, he argued .

It was open,and the uniform of a policeman could

be seen a far .They met few people, some villa gers going from

on e village to a close on e , or a bullock cart of grainon its way to the ne arest station but as the y came

to a place where the road passes betwe en deep ravines,

they met a wedding party . A gaily dressed crowd ,they came down the road to the music of pipes ;and the two stood aside to let them pass . Alas !

they did not pass !The first few men passed , but then at a signal

the policemen , for such they really were , threw themselves ou the two Pathans and ove rpowered them in

an instant .Great was the rejoicing among the policemen when

the bundles were opened and the bridegroom , whodotting his veil and robe s turned out to be the English


of the policemen opened the door and began to pushout the stuff with his foot .It was a despera te chance

,but the only on e . With

a savage wrench Asaf Khan tore the chain of the

handcuffs from the hands of the man who held it,and in another moment hurled himself from themoving train . One of the policemen leaped afterhim, but fell on his neck and broke it ; so that theothers hesitated to leap, but waved wildly from the

windows to attract the attention of the engine driveror the guard . Neither looked , and as the cord whichis in some carriages , the pulling of which will stopthe train

, wa s not in theirs, they wen t with the tra into the next station

,while the ir prison er made off

across country .

For by a miracle Asaf Khan esca ped unhurt . Notonly was he unhurt but in the confusion his bundlefell out of the car riage . It contained the pieces of

three rifles , rifles for which he had risked life and

liberty .

Snatching up the bundle, Asaf Khan’ s first impulse

was to make for the north an d lose himself amongthe foothills , but on second thoughts he consideredthis unwise . On arrival at Missa the police wouldimmediately set off in that dife ction , and he would

be intercepted . Where then should he go ? Shouldhe leave the rifles to their fate and set off unhamperedThat

,he was n ot inclined to do . For these rifles

he had risked much ; but could he only get themto the Border, the money he would rec eive for themwould ma ke up to him for a llhe hadsufiered. Wherethen should he go ? He would go to Khewra .


In Khewra there dwelt a ba n n ia h (grocer andmoneylender) Of whom the man Aladad Kha n

'

had

spoken to Asaf Khan . A ba n n iah who would fora consideration help a man get secretly to

Peshawar ar ticles which he could not get thereopenly . He would go to this ba n n iah and ask hishelp .

Asaf Khan continued running towards the hillsbut as soon as the train passed round a curve andwas out of sight, he retraced his steps, and crossingthe ra ilway line

,made off across country in the

direction of Khewra . He had neither compass n or

map but he hada fair idea of the direction , for they

had been talking about Khewra an d the ba n n iahshortly before they met the police so disastrously,and a Pathan needs n o compass . He has the sun

by day and the stars by night , and needs no othercompass .In four days did Asaf Khan reach Khewra, and

going to the house of the ban n iah,made the Sign

which Aladad Khan had taught him . He wa s hungryand weary, for he had eaten little by the waysidethe first day

,while he wore handcuffs , he ate nothing .

Vainly had he beaten those vile handcuffs againstthe sharp points of rocks the locks would n ot burst .Yet remove them he must

,or he could n ot go near

the dwellings of men . Desperate,he crept near a

village a s n ight fell , and hiding his wrists amid the

loose folds of his clothes,he went to the shop of on e

who worked in iron .

See ! and he placed a piece of gold before theman . For this

,what wilt thou do ?


Gold ! The man eyed it greedily . He would doanything for gold

,and he told Asaf Khan so.

Then remove the se,

” and Asaf Khan held out

his bruised wrists .The man knew now with whom he was dealing,and it wa s not till he had received another piece of

gold that he would remove the handcuffs .Asaf Khan stretched his arms

,rej oicing in his free

dom and then with bared teeth he sprang uponthe man , grasping him tightly by the throat andbearing him to the earth .

Now shall I slay thee ! he said ; but the man

made pitiful signs for mercy,and Asaf Khan lightened

his grip . He did n ot wish to kill the man , for when

his body was found there would be a search ; buthe wished to terrify him .

Dragging the trembling wretch to his feet, AsafKhan stood over him while he heated the han dcuffsin the fire and beat them into a shapeless mass . Thismass Asaf Khan cooled in water

,and then placed

in his waistcloth .

Now,he said , if thou sayest aught to the

police of this n ight ’s work, I will show them thehandcuffs thou didst remove and beat out of shape ,

Also I will come back , and this time I will hold thyneck till thou art dead ! ” and he advanced on theman .

The blacksmith dropped on his knee s with han dsraised in supplication ; and with a parting scowlAsaf Khan left .He

'

could now go near villages , though it mightnot be safe to enter them . He knew of the telegraph.

1 32 EXPLOITS or ASAF KHAN

Small chairs he had by him ; cha irs of bamboo ,painted

,and en riched with grasswork ; chairs such

as the wives of rich Khans love to have in their houses .Within the hollow of th e bamboo work the pieces

of the rifles would be hidden, one rifle in ea ch chair

and if the chair seemed a trifle heavy, the brass workwould account for the extra weight . Two cha irshe had ready

,the third could be made in a few days .

Till it'

was ready, Asaf Khan could dwell in a room

in the corner of the courtyard , and either preparefood there

, or eat it from the village shop . For at

the hands of a Hindu Asaf Khan would n ot ea t, a nd

the ba n niah knew it .All would have gone well ; but the ba n n ia h hada daughter , a widow. Being a Hindu, she could n ot

t e—marry ; but she was a woman , with a woman’

sfeelings , and her husband had died when she wa s

a child . Must she never ma rry ? Must she neverknow the love of a child A hard fate was he rs , andoften she rebelled in secret . Mussulman widows

re-marry ! She had heard that English widows re

married . It was even said that in man y Hinducastes widows now t e-married . But in her castethey could n ot re—marry,

and she was doomed to

live her life alone .It was of no pa rticular man she thought when

she thought ofmarriage it was of a child she thought,

a little on e who would nestle in her bosom ,and whom

she could love . It was the thought of having ahome, of wearing j ewellery again , and of holding up

her head among other women . But when Asaf Khan

came, i t wa s otherwise and with the thought of the


child and the j ewellery, began to mingle thoughtsof a ma n .

He was a Mussulman , but his re ligion wa s kinderto women than hers was . -It may be that he hada wife already, but his religion allowed more . thanon e wife . She was fair to look upon ; and if the

widow’

s veil hung loosely,who would notice she

was only a widow The woman began to put herse lfin the way when Asaf Khan entered or left the courtyard .

Pretending she,saw him not

, she let her veil hangloose so that her face could be seen .but A

'

saf Khanwas wise in the wiles of women , an d knew that shestood there of purpose . With a scowl he passedon , and the woman smiled . He had noticed her,and a beginning had been made. He had scowled ;but she was a Hindu, and from a Pathan of the Bordershe had expected nothing else.The next time, drawing her veil tight round herface, she stood in his path .

I am a widow,

” she said . As a Hindu I may

not re-marry . Is it true that if I become a MussulmanI can re—marryAsaf Khan glared at the woman . He suspected

her reason for asking the question ; and pushing

roughly past her, he went to his room . The woman

flushed ; but still she smiled, though now the Smilewas angry .

The third time,she kept her face covered , but

dropped her veil so that half her bosom was exposed

standing so that unless he thrust her aside , Asaf

Khan could not pass . With a n exclamation of rage


Asaf Khan turned on his heel and left the

courtyard .

This time the woman didn ot smile , and her hands

clenched in an ger. Was it the Hindu he despised ,or was it the woman ? For two days she watched

him, for the chair took many days to make, and

ever as she watched her passion grew . It was n o

longer of the j ewellery she thought ; even of the

child she thought n ot ; it was always of the manshe thought .Again she stood in his way, and this time she

dropped her veil so that her fa ce and her whole bosom

were exposed, that bosom which had never knowna man ’s touch but with a frown Asaf Khan passedon . Long the Woman thought that night . Wasthe man so cold that the sight of a woman ’s charmscould n ot move him ? That he would wed her, she

no longer hoped ; but that he should love her , ifeven but for an hour

,she was determined . He was

a man , and though he could withstand tempta tionthat few men could resist , the last, the great temptationwould fin d him weak .

All the house was sunk in slumber as she stolefrom her room . His door was slightly aj ar

,a n d

she could hear his heavy breathing. Softly she

crept to his bedside, and leaning ove r him ,pressed

her breast to his breast . And then came a dreamto Asaf Khan .

Again he was in the valley, an d again he clasped

his lost love to his breast. He threw his arm aroundthe clinging form , and awakin g with the moveme n t ,found a live woman in his embrace , a hot palpitating


of shameful love . Of how,when she repulsed him

with scorn,he had said that a pig of a Hindu woman

should feel honoured by the love of a Mussulman .

That would rouse her brother, even if the first pa rt

did not . She smiled, and this time her smile was

The English police oflice r sat in his dafta r (Ofi ce).The flies bothered him much , and the cawing of arook outside bothered him still more . Three times

had he thrown things at the crow, a paper-weight ,a ruler, an d an inkstand but still the crow was

there . To him entered a chuprassi , with word of

a policeman who came with important tidings for

his Honour.

The Officer nodded, and the policeman entered

to be greeted by a scowl, for the crow was now perchedon the window-sill, and there was naught save files

to throw at him . But the scowl disappeared when

the policeman began to speak . The crow was forgotten ; and ordering the policeman to come closer ,the officer conversed with him in undertones .

The third chair was fin ished . The rifles wouldnow be hidden within them,

the chairs booked to

Peshawar, and there Asaf Khan would take deliveryof them . The rifle s were still in the satchel in AsafKhan

’

s room , and that night he and the ba n n iahwould place them in the chairs with their own hands

,

for no third pe rson could be trusted in thismatter .

HOWASAF KHAN BECAME A RIFLE THIEF 1 37

It wa s ten o ’clock,and Asaf Khan heard a sound

in the courtyard . It was the ba n n iah,he thought ;

and drawing his satchel from under, he placed itupon the bed . His back was to the door, and ere

he could turn,six policemen threw themselves upon

him . He ~ fought hard, but what ca n one do aga instsix ? Nay, a dozen, for others poured in throughthe door. He was bound

,and dragged to his

feet .

And then he saw the woman,and knew who had

done this thing . Before, he thought the ba n niah

had betrayed him , but when he saw the woman inthe background, he knew the truth . She smiledwhen she saw his look , and drawing her veil closelyround her, came forward .

This is the man of whom I told my brother,she said . He came to my father ’s house and boughtchairs to send to Peshawar ; and my father, notknowing how evil he was, gave him two that wereby him and made a third . But I was not deceived .

He was no trader . Pathan traders take our money,but spare our women . This man did otherwise ,for he spoke sham eful words which I cannot repeat .

Then I watched him . In his sa tchel are the rifles,for I saw him take them out on e night .

”

The ba n n iah arrived while she wa s speaking, andmotion ing Asaf Khan to remain silent , began volublyto excuse himself and to abuse Asaf Khan for dece ivin g him . But the English oflice r was not deceived. He could see how the land lay, though onon e point he wa s in error for he thought the ba n n iah

had betrayed the Pathan,meaning thus to quieten


the rumours that were afloat rega rding his friendshipwith these men of the Border.Asaf Khan was taken to the thana, and therelocked up to think over his sins ; while the womanwent to her chamber rej oicing in what she had done

,

and the ba n n iah,drawing his son aside, abused him

roundly for a fool . Then it all came out, and theba n n iah stamped in his rage . He was not blind,and had guessed what the woman would be at butshe was a widow

,and he did not interfere . If there

was a scandal, he could turn her out, and there wouldbe one mouth less to feed . Now this fool of a boyhad butted in, and every rifle thief would distrusthim . It might be even that some night he wouldwa ken to find a kn ife at his throat !The boy had got him into this trouble, the boy

must get him out ; or he would go on a pilgrimageand make rich gifts to the temples and the Brahmin s .Much wealth would then remain at his death ! Thesergeant had the keys of the han dcuffs and the cellswell

,the sergeant must be brought to him

forthwith .

Police sergeants are but men , and the pay of asergeant is n ot great . And so at two o

’clock thatnight Asaf Khan ’s handcuffs were un locked by amuffled figure that led him forth from his cell anddisappeared .

Now of all things Asaf Khan expected this least ;for he knew not of the ba n n iah

’

s son who was a policeman a n dhe thought it a trap . But why they laidthis trap for him he could n ot imagine . Perhapsthey thought he would escape to the dwelling of some


for the little I had I gave thy father, an d n ow thatthe rifles are gone I am poor indeed"

Then the heart of the woman leapt with j oy, a nd

she burned again with love . It was only beca usehe despised her as poor of spirit that he had repulsedher . Now he knew her as she was , he would love

her—might even wed herThou art poor

,

” she whispered, but my fatherhas much money . I know where he hides it ; let

us take this money an d then flee .

It was what Asaf Khan wanted ; but he hid theexultation in his eyes

,and bade her bring the money .

Hiding himself in the Shadow of the door, he waitedand soon the woman came with the bag .

It is j ewellery and gold," she whispered . Silver

I brought not , for silver is heavy .

Asaf Khan weighed the bag in his hands . Thenseizing the woman , before she could scream he ga ggedher and bound her hand and foot with his turban .

Next he woke the ba n niah, and showin g him the

bag, told him what the woman would have done .Give me my due, he sa id , the money that

I paid thee for the rifle s to be sent to Peshawar, and

I shall be content . As for the woman, see that she

be kept in confinement till I am safe, then do withher as thou wilt .”

Ban niah though he was , the man gave Asaf Khanthe amount willingly ; for had he not saved a farlarger sum ! Also Asaf Khan would speak wellof him to his friends, and that would mean business .This time Asaf Khan reached Peshawar ,

wherehe lost himself in the great city while he thought


out other means of obtaining wealth ; but the womanwas never seen again . Her father gave out that shehad run away with a man ; and though, when herj ewellery was seen on his son ’ s wife

,people wondered ;

she was a widow, so nothing wa s said .

CHAPTER VII

How ASAF KHAN PAID A DEBT

HE great war in Europe a ffected many menin many lands

,a ndamong others it a ffected

Asaf Khan . An order went forth in

Peshawar that a ll men of the Border must returnto their homes on pain of being put in j ail ; and soAsaf Khan

,being of the Border

,must leave Peshawar .

But where to go he knew not . He could n ot goto his home

,for in Kai was a great thirst for his blood

to Afghanistan he would not go . Also he wished tobe near his son in Peshawar

,for the missionary had

obtained permission for the boy to remain and pursuehis studies . To the Mohmand country would he go ,for the Mohma nds were brave fighters

,and their

country was near Peshawar .Asaf Khan was known by name in the land of the

Mohma nds, and they received him with open arms,

asking many question s ; for strange rumours wereafloat . Men said that a nation even greater than theEnglish had attacked and invaded En gland . Otherssaid it was another country this nation had invade d

,

but they had defeated the armies of this country1 42


and on e called himself a B A , whatever that may be .

But Asaf Kha n looked at the young men who cameto the Mohmand country

,and he doubted. He had

learned much when in Hindustan , and he had heardthat many years before

,when there wa s a great rising

of the people of Hindustan against the English , theSikhs had been faithful to their salt and had helpedthe English to quell the risin g . He questioned these

young men before the j irgah , for this , bein g a famouswarrior

,he was allowed to do

,though not a Mohma nd

,

a nd at their answers he doubted still more .

None of the Indian troops hadyet risen a ndthoughthe young men said all the troops were ready to rise ,Asaf Khan doubted this also . And the youn g menspoke little of how the fighting was to be done

,nor

did they offer to lead the fighting men . But theyspoke much of how they would rule the country afterwa rds, so that each ma n would get his fair shareof this world ’s goods and be happy .

But this was foolishness . The tribe s they inducedto Hindustan would n ot go to get their fair sha re ,but to get as much a s they could . Also this tamof the young men governing the land afterwards

amused him . They had learned from many booksand could repeat what men had said

,many me n ;

but of themselves they could say nothing . Also,if

there were a rising in Hindustan and the English weredriven out

, it would be the fighting men who would

possess the land and rule it as seemed best to them,

not the boys who learned in schools .But though Asaf Khan doubted

,many who had not

been to Hindustan believed the young men and many.

HOW ASAF KHAN PAID A DEBT 1 45

who had been there,pretended to believe them .

For whether the people of Hindustan rose or n ot ,

the white soldiers were ce rtainly being taken away .

When they were gone,the men of the Border would

go to Hin dustan and would bring therefrom muchloot . Let the young men govern Hindustan afterwards if they liked— ii the others in Hindusta n wouldlet them .

Now Asaf Khan was a known warrior but when hepresently began to warn the Mohma nds and say thatall was not well

,there was much murmuring

,for

men’

s minds were greatly disturbed by the strangerumours now afloat on the Border . It wa s said thatthe Afridis would n ot j oin the tribes . The Afridis ,the greatest and most warlike tribe on the Borderwould not j oin the tribe s in this invasion of Hindustan . If they joined n ot, it might be the Orakzaiswould not j oin

, n or the men of Buner ; and withoutthese three

,the Afridis

,the Orakzais

,and the Buner

wal, the tribes would be weak . The youn g men of

Hindustan left for Kabul ; and in a few days camenews that caused men to stare in wonder

,asking

each other if thisthing could rea lly be .

The Am ir had seized these young men and castthem into prison ! What a fool the Amir was !Now wa s his chance to march into Hindustan ; toloot it and return as Mahmud of Ghazni and NadirShah of Persia had done

,or to found such another

empire a s Akba r ’

s—and he refuse d !But the Amir wa s no fool . On his hither Side werethe English , a ndon his further Side the Russe . If hetook his troops to Hindustan, who would keep out


the Russe ? England and Russe were , he knew,

fighting on the same side ; when they were defeatedit would be time for him to a ct. Were they in theend Victorious

,he would be safe only if he now t e

mained their friend .

The Amir was far, and he was the Amir, but AsafKhan wa s close , and though he was a great warrior,he was only a man, not even a Khan . He was growing old

,and it may be— but this was said in whispers

that his spirit was not as high as in the days of his

youth . SO black looks and the scarcely veiled sne er,now met Asa f Khan when he walked abroad , 1 1 1

could he brook such treatment from these men of

little worth ; and leaving their country, he went toWaziristan .

Now the Wa ziris were of two minds . Some wouldjoin with the tribes

,and some would n ot. At first all

would have j oined ; but when the war first began,

some of the Mussulmans of Hindustan who dweltnot far from the land of the Waziris, trusting to idlerumour , had risen and marching through the country,had raided the houses of rich Hindus and hadgainedmuch wealth . But this wealth remained not withthem

,for many armed police came

,and with them

white soldiers . From place to place were the rebelshunted . Most of them were seize d and put in prison

or hanged , and those who escaped must spe nd theremainder of their lives in exile .

One thing this taught the Wa ziris. They couldexpect no help from the Mussulmans of Hindustan,who were no longer the warriors they had once been .

They were brave when they thought the British


hidden valley . Every fighting man came a nd whe n

all were assembled it was a great host, a host tha tnone could stop

,said the Wa ziris ; and though Asaf

Khan smiled when he thought of the number of whitesoldiers he had see n in Hindustan , he said naught .

He had urged on the war, for had he remained silent ,

the Wa ziris might have treated him as the Mo 5

had done,and this a second time he could n ot bear .

But he was n ot of them and he stood apart from thegathering , n or would he take pa rt in their councils .

Wilt make me a leader ? ” he asked when theyurged him and this they could n ot do . He wa s agreat wa rrior, but he was an Afridi, not a Waziri ,and so could n ot be put in authority over Wa ziris.

Then let me be ,” he said . Decide what ye will

do , and let me know. But this I say ; if I may n ot

be over men,I shall be under n o man . I have eate n

your salt , and will fight for ye but I will fight underno k ader. I shall be my own leader a nd my oWn

followin g .

”

And so the preparations were made,till the day

came when all was ready and the Wa ziris ma rchedforth to war and the conquest of Hindustan .

How these things come to pass,n o man knoweth .

Some say it is the English gold,some the English

magic . None knoweth but certa in it is that when atribe would invade Hindustan

,the English have word

of their coming and are prepared to oppose them .

And so it was now .

For three days the Waziri host moved through the

mountain defile s, their banners flying and their shrillpipes echoing to the hills ; and coming to the lower


ranges they halted while spies went forth to see ifthe way wa s clear .It wa s not clear . A host encamped on the plain

without . Not such a host a s the Wa ziris, but thesewere white soldiers and would be armed as theWa ziris

were n ot armed,so that on e white soldier would be

equal to two,perhaps three Wa ziris. What now ?

To advance were madness , to retire , shame . Allahwa s great , and he had made these English foolish .

If a trick could be devised,these English could be

overcome ; and the Wa ziris assembled in council .Many plans were suggested for putting the English

to confusion, but all were rejected . The young menrejected the plans of the elders , for they Sa vouredtoo much oi— caution

,or cowardice ? The elders

condemned the plans of the youn g men as rash andfoolish . For three days they talked

,and then there

was n o further need for the English now advancedto meet the Wa ziris In their own mountains .It wa s good . The Wa ziris were men of the moun

tains,and on their own ground they would be more

than a match for the English soldiers . These mustbe the last of those left in Hindustan ; when theywere all slain, as they soon would be , the Wa ziris

could march on Hindustan unoppose d . The valleywas a broad on e , and massin g at the further end andat the foot of the mountains on either hand, theyawaited the coming of the En glish .

But now fresh news was brought by the watchers ,stran ge news . All the white soldiers were not ad

va n cing. Not more tha n a quarter marched from thecamp towards the mounta ins . and the Wa ziris won


dered what this might mean . Surely these men weremad ! Even had all come , the Wa ziris would haveoutnumbered them

,what could this small handful

doPerhaps they would halt when they reached the

outer foothills . But no, still they advanced, throwingout skirmishers in front and on eithe r hand. Allahmust have driven these white men mad , and n ow sentthem to be slain at the hands of the Faithful . Now

the white soldiers were in the defile leading to the

valley. Their scouts on the hills must see the Wa ziris.

They did,for they waved flags ; but still the white

men adva nced . And n ow the Wa ziris felt uneasy.

What strange thing could this portend ? The

white men knew they were there . The white menknew their numbers . An d still the white men cameonThe white men entered the valley ; and now theyha lted. Partly in the valley and partly in the defilethey halted ; and to the amazement of the Waziris,

they began to build a great barricade of rocks IWhat stran ge doings were these ? Did the white

me n entrench themselves , thinking the Wa ziris wouldseek to storm the wall a ndso lose manyme n in a use le ssattempt ? Surely they knew the Wa ziris were warriors , not children . It a lmost seemed as if thesewhite men sought to block the way a nd so preven t

the escape of the Waziris. Esca pe from whatAnd why should they seek to escape in that direction ?

Was not the way Open by which they had come ?And now the wall was built, a strong wall and high.

and be hind it the white men took their stand . But


guns which poured out a never ceasing stream oflead ; and mad with fear the Wa ziris turned to themouth of the defile . But the wall was here , and the

guns of the soldiers withered them as with a blastOf fire

,so that they turned again and made in despe ra

tion for the other end of the valley . The jin ns wereready

,and again the balls fell from the sky , blowing

men to fragments, Te nding them limb from limb

,

so that the Va lley wa s strewn with their pieces .Shrieking

,they ran like rats about the valley,

and ever the jinns and devils pursued. The Sideswere too steep to climb

,and at either end was death .

At last a remnant collected , and with a desperaterush broke through the rain of balls the j inns let fall .Escaping up the defile by which they had come

,

they scattered over the hills far and wide , heedlesswhere they went

,their only thought to escape those

terrible j inns and a frits .

Asaf Khan wa s not with them . He knew more ofthe English th an the Wa ziris did ; and when thewall wa s built across the mouth of the valley

,he

knew it was not built for naught . The wall had bee nbuilt to prevent the escape of the Wa ziris in that

direction,and the English would not have troubled

to build it had they n ot been certain the Wa ziris

would be un able to escape by the way they had come .

How it was to be done , Asaf Khan could n ot guess ,but done it would be ; and long before the comingof the j inns he went back up the defile , and climbingthe side

,returned a nd concealed himse lf in a bush

where he could overlook the valley . Then camethe j inns

,and the slaughter began .


Asaf Khan lay hid in his bush . Never had he dreamed

of such a thing . So the English by their magicsummoned the j inns to fight their battles for them .

His thoughts turned to the Englishman he had calledfriend in Peshawar, and for some strange rea son hefelt sadat heart . When he had spoken to the Englishman of magic

,the Englishman laughed

,declaring

that magic was foolishness,and that tales of j inns

and afrits were oldwomen ’s tales to frighten childrenwith . But here were the English usin g magic andj inns, so the Englishman must have deceived him .

All is fair in wa r,and Asaf Khan never hesitated

to deceive an enemy ; but that the Englishman coulddo so made him feel sad. He had believed all theEn glishmm had said

,though some of his words were

hard to believe but in this the Englishman had dece ived him . Must he then ca st from his mind a ll

the Englishman had said ? Also the Englishmanhad called him friend

,and friend does not deceive

friend . But so it wa s The En glishmm had saidthat magic was foolishness

,and here were the English

using magic . The Englishman had said the j inns

and a frits existed on ly in oldwomen ’s tales,and here

were j inns and afrits destroying the Wa ziris.

Hid safely in his bush he watched the Wa ziris

being hunted like rats in the valley be low ; and inspite of the demons that hovered overhead , a grimsmile passed over his features as he thought of the waythe Wa ziris had talked of conquering Hindustan .

Once a j inn passed near him,and he felt half inclined

to put a bullet through the afrit seated on its backbut he restrained himself . How could he harm a


spirit The bullet would pass through, and the afritwould not even know of its passage but the repor tmight attract the attention of the devil ! AsafKhan Shuddered at the thought .At last a llwa s over . Only the desperate ly woundedand the dead lay in the valley and then, such is thestrange way of the English, through a gap in the wallcame coolies and doctors who sought out the wounded

,

a nd bandaging their hurts , carried them away tobe cured of their wounds . Asaf Khan thoughtof the fate of the English had the Wa ziris been vic

torious, and he wondered anew, a s he never cease d towonder, at the strange ways of the English . He stilllay hid ; for though most of the jinns had returnedto the English camp

,on e remained circling over

the valley and it was not till n ight fell that he dared

move from his bush .

In the dark he could not go far ; but he madeshift to climb over the crest of the range , and at dawnhe wa s up and away .

Where should he go now ? He could remain inWaziristan ; but would the English be content withtheir victory Would they be satisfied with keepingthe Wa ziris out of Hindustan , or would they themselves invade Waziristan If they did

,he would ha ve

to leave ; he might as well leave now. He wouldclimb the mountains and go whither fate directed

By noon he was twelve miles from the valley,

and sat down in the shade of a bush to rest . Not thathe was tired but he had n ot eaten since the previousday, and when a man

’s stomach is empty and he


devour him . Those others had return ed to the

English camp when their work was don e ; but the ywere near the English and under their comma n d .

This afrit was fa r from the English and would do

as his nature comma nded an d the nature of an a frit

is to eat men .

For some moments he lay,scarce darin g to breathe

but as the afrit did n ot molest him , Asa f Kha n’s

courage returned presently in a measure .

But what was this strange sound that struck upon

his ear ? Many white men had he se en when hedwelt as a rifle thief at Ambala and though he kn ewnot their language , he wa s familiar with the soundof it . It was this sound he now heard , the sound of

words the English use when they are a ngry . Puzzled ,he peered through the leaves ; a nd his eyes opened

in a wide stare of amazement .

The j inn rested close enough for him to see its everypart , and the afrit stood on the ground beside it .The afrit ! Asaf Khan stroked his beard and softlycalled himself seventy kinds of fools . The afritThe j inn , too What sort of a j in n was this

,that was

made of wood and metal , and painted ? A j inn that

had Wheels under it And the afrit He,Asaf Khan

,

had fled and hid in terror from a man-made machineand a man ! A man ? Nay

,a boy ! For the cap

and goggles thrown aside, above the rough, thick ,airman

’

s suit showed the head of an English youth .

Without a sound , Asaf Khan brought his rifle tohis shoulder but even as his finger was on the triggerhe

’

pa used. Something about the youth caught hiseye, recalling a memory . The youth hadgolden hair


and blue eyes even a s Asaf Khan ’ s son had ; but itwa s not of his son that thi s English youth made himthink . It was somethin g more e lusive . Somewherehe had seen someone Whom this youth resembled ;and for the sake of this resemblance he could notpress the trigger . It might be a friend it might bean enemy but Asa f Khan knew he could n ot slay thisyouth . He would stay hidden till the youth hadm ended his machine an dflown away. What wonderful people these English were I They could even makemachines that fleW For now he scorned the idea of

magic . It must be some engine that drove thismachine through the air , even as an engine hurled

the fire carriages along the iron way in Hindustan .

For many minutes the youth busied himself with

the machine—Asaf Khan smiled grimly at finding

himself calling it the j inn—but appar ently the damagewas beyond repair, or else he was in want of something

for he searched every part of the machine, and atlength stood apart regarding it moodily .

An dthen With cat-like tread Asaf Khan stole from

the bush . The youth’

s back wa s turned,and the

first he knew of Asaf'

Kha n’

s presence was when hefelt the muzzle of a rifle pressed between his shoulderblades .

Asaf Khan smiled approval . He had expected theyouth to start—perhaps to leap in the air at the um

contact but the youth did neither . With amovemen t he turned, knocking aside the rifle

barrel as he did so, and the next moment he had Asaf

Khan by the throat .

This youth had the spirit of a man but with ther

1 58 EXPLOITS or ASAF KHAN

spirit of a man this youth also possessed almost thestrength of one

,and his hands pressed hard on Asaf

Khan ’s throat . Asaf Khan had wrists of steel, andin a few seconds he had released himself and casthis opponent to the ground , snatching the revolverfrom the youth ’s belt as he did so.

The youth sat up but levelling the revolver at hishead

,Asa f Khan bade him be still . He was n ot

afraid,Asaf Khan saw that, but to rise in the face

of the revolver was madn ess ; and for a little Whilethe two stared at each other . Then the youth tooka cigarette from his pouch and lit it . Asaf Khangrunted . Truly this was no ordinary youth . He

appeared not to know the meamn g of fear ; andsomething tempted Asaf Khan to try himfurther .He spoke in Pusto, but the youth shook his head.

He spoke in Hindustani , an d this the youth understood , though he spoke it badly .

You are my prisoner, said Asaf Khan .

The youth nodded .

Know you what we do with our prisonersKill them,

” replied the youth laconica lly .

let me finish this cigarette first .”

Asaf Khan passed his hand across his mouth tohide a smile .

Art not afraid of death ?The youth pointed to the aeroplane . If this

flat had not been here, I and that would have be en

smashed to pieces . I go up in it every day . Do

you still wish to know if I fear deathAsaf Khan nodded . Of a truth this youth hadcoup


would be alive with men . To break through this

cordon would be impossible, to steal through it nuperceived would be almost as impossible . Alone

he might have succeeded,but this En glish youth

could n ot tread a s he trod , nor move in the darknessas he moved .

But he was hungry, and the English youth hadtake nfood from the machine . After he had eaten the ywould think out awayof escape . There was n ot much

,

for the youth had taken with him merely a few sa n dwiches in case he wa s hungry be fore returning to thecamp, but after eating , Asaf Khan tackled the problemwith more con fidence .He didnot know exactly where he wa s,

but he knewhe had n ot wandere d far from the frontier . The sunhad set , but if they started at once , they could go some

distance before dark . This part could be passed ove r

by daylight,but a fterwards they must make their

way in the dark ; and by day he would go over the

ground they must cover by night . They dra nk at arunning stream and started ; but before they left ,the youth asked Asaf Khan how long it would ta ke

them to reach the English camp .

We may never reach it ,” replied Asa f Khan

,

grimly .

But if we do ?We may take two days , or three n ot more .

If we are not in the English camp on the third day,

it will be because we a re dead .

Three days,

” muttered the youth,and on e day

to return .

” Taking from the machine an instrumentlike a clock

,he wound and set it . If I do n ot

HOW ASAF KHAN PAID A DEBT 1 6 1

return by the fourth day,this will explode , he ex ~

pla ined to Asa f Khan, and it will destroy the aeroplane . He smashed a Lewis gun and a few in struments, and then declared himself ready tostart .Asaf Khan led the way . With the long swinging

stride of the Pathan he set out,and it was not until

they had walked for an hour that he thought of theyouth who followed . This youth was English

,and

could not climb hills as he , Asaf Khan, did ; and he

halted with a smile . To his surprise the youth wasbreathing easily

,and looked as if he had just started .

Asaf Khan did n ot know the youth came from Wa les,a ndthat he had spent the year before the war mounta in e e ring among the Rockies . He nodded gravelyat this extraordinary English youth, and resumed hisstride .A little before dark they found a cave ; andas the

youth must lie hidnext day while Asaf Khan soughta route to safety,

they ha lted , and making a fire ,prepared to rest for the night . There wa s nothing toeat for though men were near, a s could be seen bythe fires that burned on the hills, Asa f Khan wouldnot

'

seek them . Food he could have obtained for

himse lf but he could not bring food for his companionwithout exciting suspicion . His friend rather, for

’ he had ea ten this youth ’s salt ; and Asaf Khan

smiled at the thought . He whose friendship all mensought

,mostly in vain

,had given it unasked to this

youth he had known but a few hours . The fire wa sa bright on e

,for with so many fires starring the

hills no on e would notice theirs and by the light of the


flames he studied his companion ’s face , wonderingat the memories it evoked .

And then he knew. The flickering light sharpenedthe youth ’s features

,making him appear a score of

yea rs older,and Asaf Khan kn ew .

Who is thy father ? ” he asked abruptly ; andwhen the answer came

,it was even as he had expected .

My father ? My father is in the army . He isMaj or Markham . He used to be in Peshawar

,but

now he is in camp with the force to which I be long .

I wa s in England ; but when the war broke out Ij oined the flying corps and came out to India . Have

you ever met my father Do you know himAsaf Khan smiled at the question . Major Mark

ham had saved his life when they would have hangedhim for a Ghazi and Maj or Markham ’s son asked himif he knew his father And then his blood ran cold .

Almost had he slain this youth He threw his handsaloft .Thanks be to Allah who has had mercy on his

servant ! Thy father saved my life ; and but forthe mercy of Allah I would have slain thee Greatis Allah

,and wrapped in mystery are his ways

Good ! ” and the youth drew a sigh of relief .Of a truth, though I seemed to trust thee ,

I neverthe le ss doubted ; and always have I been on mygua rd . Now I know thou speakest the truth and Ihave naught to fear . Art offendedOffended Asaf Khan chuckled wrth delight

wa s no raw youth . His years might be few,but in

all else he was a man,a warrior He knew n ot fear

he kept his head , however great the surprise he


would be the most difficult to traverse at night . To

omit this portion was to foredoom the attempt .

With grim set j aw he strode on , pa rrying the questionsput to him and returning scowl for scowl, till, hiswork done, he turned and retraced his steps to thecave where he had left the English youth .

Not openly did he return , for he soon knew thatmen dogged his footsteps . They doubted him,

andtherefore followed to se e where he would go . Butthis troubled Asaf Khan little . If these men wouldfollow him , they must be men as good as he , and thishe doubted . Sitting beside a stream , he ate hea rtilyof the food he had be en given, and then , a fter a drink,

he started . Uphill he went , and downhill. No pathdidhe follow, nor wa s any hill too steep nor any chasmtoo deep . Climbing up the sheer face of cliffs wherea goat could scarce find foothold . Sliding down tothe brink of precipices , and saving himself only atthe last moment by grasping a bush . No ordinaryman could sta nd the strain ,

and on e by on e thepursuers gave up till none were left . Then went Asa fKhan to the cave , and found the English youth sittin goutside .

The youth greeted him with a smile , and settingthe food before him

,Asaf Khan expla ined the route

and told the youth what must be done if they wouldwin through to safety . With hismouth full , the youthnodded understandin g, and when the sun set theystarted .

Asaf Kha n led , the youth followed closely, and for

some time they travelled swiftly ; but soon the darkness grew, and they had to proceed more warily .


The way was rough, and moreover they were now nearmen whose ears were sharp to catch the slightestsound ; they must move in perfect silence . Asa f

Kha n stole onward like a shadow, but not so theEnglish youth . More than once he

‘made a false step

,

and the rattle of pebbles down the hillside soundedlike thunder in their stra ined ears . Always theywould pause on such occa sions till they were certa inthe sound had not been heard .

They pa ssed over three-quarters of their journeywithout misha p, a nd then, misjudging his step , theEnglish youth fell with a crash . The noise wa s tooloud to pass unnotice d , and immediately a voicehailed them to know who they were . The questionerwas hidden in the gloom , and guessing the manhad judged their direction from the sound, Asaf Khanturned sharply to the right , and hurrying a shortdistance , sank down behind a great boulde r, pullingthe youth down beside him .

Breathlessly they waited . Footsteps approachedthe place where they had been, and prese ntly theyhea rd the voices of men who searched in the darkn essfor the on e who had made the noise . To their reliefthe voices passed on and were presently lost in thedistance . They were reprieved and, lea ding the wayback to the path , Asaf Khan resumed his

j ourney .

But now they must be doubly wary . Here weremany men, and they must.ha ve heard the commotion .

They would now be on the alert, and the slightestnoise would betra

’

y the fugitives . Asaf Khan turnedon his companion impatiently.


Thou tre ade st like an elephant ! Canst not stepmore softly ?The English youth shrugged his shoulders . I

am not used to walkin g in darkness . But we willget through . I wish I could smoke, but I suppose itwould not be safe .

Asaf Khan snorted . It was all very well for thisyouth to be cool

,but he sought only to save himself

were he seeking to save a friend , a s Asaf Khan was

doing, he would not be so cool . They had proceededbarely a dozen yards, when the youth kicked a stone ,which went rolling and clattering down the hill .With a groan , Asaf Khan dragged the youth fromthe path . That they would escape detection a secondtime wa s hardly possible ; and he thought rapidly .

At all costs the son of his friend must be saved , buthow There was only on e way .

Stay thou here,” he whispe red . I shall go forth

and meet them .

”

But they will seize you.

What of it Am I not a Pathan as they areThe youth shook his head . You are not a Waziri .

Already they suspect you— you told me so on your

return this evening . They would call you traitorand would slay you .

Asaf Khan shrugged his shoulders . Both cannotescape . I am no child , n or am I unknown . Theydare n ot condemn me without fair trial, for I am anAfridi ; and ere they could bring me before theirj irgah I would escape . He smiled as he thought of

the j irgah . Little chance would he have of bein gbrought before a j irgah but the youth would believe,


wa s impossible, but he would save the son of his frien d .

The youth would recover presently, and knowin ghe could do nothing to help Asaf Khan, would esca peto British ground . Thus would Asaf Khan pay thedebt he owed the man who saved his life atPeshawa r .For an hour he ran

,but ever they closed upon him

and at last came the end . Ever had he kept parallel

to the path so as to draw the men from it and n ow

he must collect them in on e place . He bran ched off

to the left , and a fter turning for a while, turned and

faced his pursuers . He must have hidden, and inthe da rkness they ma y have passed him ; but thensome would return to the path . He would keep themin on e place till the youth had passed to safety .

Seating himself on a rock, he called to his pursuers .Here I am ! he called

,I,Asaf Khan Come ,

friends who se ek my company so ea gerly, Asaf Khanawaits thee

In another moment he wa s surrounded by a ring ofmen with fierce, scowling faces, a ndon e lit a torch .

Asaf Khan the traitor ! ” growled on e .

“ Whatdoes Asaf Khan here ?

”

That is my business, friend, replied Asaf Khanblandly . The youth must have recovered by now .

He would parley with the men, and so keep theirattention distracted from suspicious sounds . Whois thy leader ? I talk not with common men

A great burly ruflia n pushed through the crowd ;and he was a cousin of the Orakza i ma iden Asaf Khanhad left with an oldshoe . Asaf Khan laughed aloud

,

for he recognized the man .


What news ? ” he cried .

‘What news of Asaf

Khan’s would-be bride ? ”

The man looked at him darkly . The womanhas never wed . She will wed only the man who

will come and tell her Asaf Khan is dead .

”

It is well,

” replied Asaf Khan It is thou and I .This man and I ,

” and he turned to the crowd, will

fight , he choosing the weapons ; and the victor shallgo his way.

”

But this did not suit the man . Asaf Khan was agreat warrior, and his fame wa s in all men ’s mouths .It would be great honour to slay Asaf Khan

,but

suppose Asaf Khan slew him ? The woman saidshe would wed the one who brought her news of AsafKhan ’s death . He could take this news withouthaving himself to slay Asaf Khan . He smiled

,

maliciously .

I am of Orakzai, he said , and though I havecome to help the Waziris against their enemy

,I am

not a Waziri . Let the Wa ziris deal with the traitorwho would betray them .

”

Now, though no on e had voiced it, this thoughtwas in the minds of many men and at the words ofthe man, a sullen murmur arose .

Asaf Khan laughed lightly . He played a desperategame , a well-nigh hopeless on e , but he did n ot yetdespair . It was time he wanted ; time to think .

He had been SO intent on drawing the guard from thepath and in wondering if the youth had yet escaped .

that he had no time to think of himself . If he couldde layi the end till mornin g, in the interval he mightthink

!

of a plan . His face grew da rk .


Do as ye will,he said harshly . I would have

told ye the reason for my comin g, but ye call me traitorNow I will not speak . Till morning shall ye waitfor the good news I bring

The men crowded round him curiously .

What news they asked . We called thee n ottraitor. What news ?

Asaf Khan shook his head . In the morningwill I tell

,not before .

Thema n of the Orakzai laughed . He has naught to

tell . It is but an excuse to make ye forget what hewould have don e . If he has news, why told he notthis news during the day ? What does he here now,

in the darkness ? Was he see king ye, or sought heto escape over the border ? Good news !

” and theman laughed loudly.

It was true, and again black looks were turned onAsaf Khan .

He was with the lashkar that went out aga instthe English ? muttered on e .

“ He was ! He was ! echoed others . Whatnews of the lashkar

,Asaf Khan

Asaf Khan knew not what to reply . He dared n otsay the lashkar was defeated . He could not say

it had been victorious,else had all the hills long sin ce

been lit with bonfires of joy.

It is of the lashkar I bring news — he hesitatedThey have not ye t left the hills, for they havechanged their plans . It is of this I bring word .

but I will not speak till morning . I , Asa f Khanhave bee n called traitor ! Dogs ! I will speak only


morning he would have nothing to tell , and he wouldbe slain . What of it Was he not a warrior Buthe was sleepy

,and rolling on his side , he was soon

fast asleep .

At dawn came a messe nger and for a while AsafKhan was forgotten by all except the Orakzai, whomoved not , nor eve r took his eyes off the prisoner .From the lashkar came the ma n ,

from the laskha rthe English had destroyed and the news he broughtblanched every cheek and made men tremble . Jinnsand afrits fought on the side of the English ! TheTribes were lost ! Men they could fight , but who

can fight against j inns and afritsAnd then on e thought of Asaf Khan . Asaf Khanhad been with the lashkar . Asaf Khan must haveknown of this thing . Why did he n ot speak of i tlast night ? He said he had good news ! Surgingto where Asaf Khan lay bound, they dragged himroughly to his feet and questioned him .

I know naught,

” he growled . For I left thelashkar three days ago . What foolish talk is thisof j inns that fly through the a ir with a droning sound,dropping death and destruction on those below !Ha and the messenger sprang forward . How

knowest thou, Asaf Khan , that they make a dron ing

sound as they fly through the air For this I had notmentioned !Asaf Khan bit his lips with vexa tion . But the

mischief was done,and he read his doom in the face s

of those a round him .

How do I know ? and he laughed aloud . l

wa s there ! Yea , hidden safely on the hillside I

HOW ASAF KHAN PAID A DEBT 1 7 3

saw theWaziris hunted like rats in the valley belowIt was a merry sight Like rats they squeaked andscuttled from place to place , hunted by the j inns andafrits I saw it all More it was to help an Englishman escape I led ye from the path last night Wewere together, and his foot struck against a stone .

Then did I lead ye away while he escaped to hisfriends . I did this ! I , Asaf Khan ! For I had adebt to pay, and I have paid it ! Now do a s ye

A score of hands were raised to slay him even Whilehe mocked but others came between . For AsafKhan, traitor though he be , was yet a warrior . Hemust not be slain like a dog . Also his death Shouldbe a warning to other would-b e traitors . Let himbe taken to the centre of the valley , and there let himbe slain openly in the sight of all men . Some saidhe should be burnt, and this it was that made AsafKhan anger them so that they should slay him out

right but others thought of the Afridis . If they slewhim as a traitor

,the Afridis would say naught

but should they burn an Afridi , they might be calledto a reckon ing by the tribe .

The latter prevailed,and in a few minutes Asaf

Khan stood in the centre of the valley while the mencast lots who should slay him . And then there came adronin g sound from the east , a droning moan that eachmoment grew louder . The messe nger was the firstto hear it

,for he had heard it before ; and with a

scream he fled . On it came,the j inn and seeing it ,

the Waziris fled , leaving Asaf Khan alone .

The Orakzai fled with the rest , but presently he


remembered Asaf Khan . If he could take wordthat Asaf Khan wa s dead, the woman would be hisbride, and she had great wealth . His rifle he hadgiven to another to hold while he drew the lot, but hisknife he had with him . With long bounds he racedtowards Asaf Khan .

Asa f Khan gnashed his teeth with fury . Must hebe slain by this common man ? Yet what could hedo His hands were bound, a nd to flee he scorned .

On came the ma n ,and on came the j inn . The man

saw it , and for a moment he faltered in his stride ;but the thought of the woman and her wealth spurred

him on afresh . Asaf Khan ,seeing and un derstandin g ,

cursed all women . Always had women been his bane .

Had it not been for a woman,this man had fled with

the rest .The man wa s no more than a dozen yards away

,

when a sharp report rang out from the j inn and the

ma n collapsed, a crumpled heap on the ground . A

moment later the aeroplane alighted on a grassyflat a hundred yards away

,and leaping from his

machine, the airman ran to Asaf Khan ,snatching

off his goggles as he ran . It was the youth Asaf Khanhad saved .

Just in time,he said with a laugh , untying Asaf

Khan ’ s hands . Come along, and he raced back

to the aeroplane .

Asaf Khan followed withmanymisgivings . He knewit was n o j inn He knew it was only a machine .

But the thought of flying aloft , miles in the air,

appalled him . The airman gave him little time for

thought . Swinging himself into the machin e . he

CHAPTER VIII

HOW ASAF KHAN RETU RNED TO KAI

SAF KHAN,Pathan

,Afridi, sat outside the

tent and thought . He was now n ot farfrom Kai, n ot more than twenty mile s ,

and to Kai,his home

,he wished to return . Not to

stay—after the Defence of the House that might not be—but he had a few accounts to settle in Kai , and hewould that he might visit that Village if only for ali ttle while . He had heard that thirty men diedthat day. Thirty men . They would j ust pay for thelife of his youngest brother . What of his other twobrothers, and his father He must take payment inblood for those also .

He looked at the hills around,and he looked at the

camp . This camp was not such as the British campshe hadseen from afar in his younger days . Then , ea ch

English officer had a fin e large tent , with perhaps asmaller one for his servant . More large tents for the

soldiers . Tents for oflice rs,for shops

,for followers .

Tents apparently for nothing at all. Now,it was all

diffe rent . But few tents , and those small . No tents

for servants, none for followers—barely any followers1 7 3

HOW ASAF KHAN RETURNED TO KAI 1 7 7

in fact—and the soldiers made for themselves tents oftheir blankets . Small

'

te n ts for the oflice rs,and two

officers in each tent . The English were altering theirways . Perhaps the great wa r in Europe had taughtthem that wa r was not

’

a holiday excursion,but a

business . The English had fought well in the oldday ; now

It was not a large expedition . The Tribes on thispar t of the Border had remained quiet for the Afridis,the greatest and most powerful tribe, bided their timeas did the Amir of Kabul . There wa s much news ,news strange and conflicting . Daily they heard of

nations that had j oined in the great wa r but on whichside they ha d j oined, whether with the English or

against them, it wa s hard to say. Some said on e

thing,some another . Some said England was fighting

alone against the world,some said England had more

friends than enemies . Fighting wa s good, but all

men liked to be on the winning side . They would wait .Evidently the English were not yet beaten , for they hadstill many troops gua rding the Frontier . When thesetroops were Withdrawn, then would men know thetruth; then would the Afridis arise in their might andsweep down over Hindustan . But now it were wiser

to wait .But other tribes were not so cautious , theMohma nds

,

the Waziris, and had paid for their haste . Also even

among the tribes that wished to wait were men who

grew impatient . Among the Z akka Khel, though they

were a branch of the Afridis , were many whomurmuredand would have had the tribe throw in their lot with

the Mohma nds. Word of this had been sent to the

1 7 8 EXPLOITS or ASAF KHAN

English by well-wishers ; and it was to show thes emurmurers that the English were still strong , that theyfeared none of the tribes

,that the expedition had been

sent in the Z akka Khel cormtry.

It was a small expedition,only a few battalions, and

they fought not n or entered into any of the villagesbut they sent word that they would come

,and they

came . They sent word that they wished not warwith the Tribe s , but that as men said there were noEn glish left in Hindustan , they would show the Z akkaKhel that there wer e not only enough English left to

guard Hindustan,there were even men to sparch

men who could be sent to the land of the Tribes . Theycame in peace, but they gave fair warnin g that theywould destroy any village that fired upon them .

Then the doubters believed,and the Z akka Khel

fought n ot with the English but brought them provisions and food so that the tribe was the richerinstead of the poorer by this visit of the English .

Colonel Markham wa s with the expedition, andthus it was that Asaf Khan was ther e . The ordercame three days after that awful day when Asaf Khanrode through the air on the back of a j inn and AsafKhan begged to be allowed to accompany his friend .

He would not tell his real reason,that Kai was not far

from the country of the Z akka Khel,and that he hoped

to find or make an opportun ity to visit Kai still less

would he tell the reason why he would make that visit .He said that in Hindustan he had but on e friend, a nd

he would that he might remain with that friend .

When the Colonel pointed out that he was n ot on

the strength,he offered to go as the Colonel

’

s orderly .


e lse with what face would he mee t them in ParadiseFor the first few days his curses were many and deep

but on e day a soldier abused him and threatened tobeat him for being late with the water .Now this boywas a mere youth, a boy of nine teen

or thereabouts. He was on e of the many who at the

beginning of the war overstated their age,and he was

not more than sixte en when he wa s sent out to India .

And as he looked at this youth,Asaf Khan was of a

sudden filled with admiration for on e who, thus young,was yet a seasoned warrior fighting his country ’ s

battles in a far land . Also he knew these were notordinary soldiers . They were men who had given upa ll and had left their homes to serve their country inher ne ed . They were men after his own heart , true

warriors and after that he no more cursed when theywere angry with him—but sometimes he smiled grimlyat Asaf Khan the water-carrier .

And as Asaf Khan sat outside the tent and thought ,a man passed by . Now Asaf Khan had noticed thisman before

,and had noticed also that he looked

curiously at all things as he passed . And his face wasfamiliar

,though Asaf Khan could n ot put a name to

it . The man , from his uniform , was a mule driver ;but Asaf Khan kn ew him as a man of the Border also ,and a man of the Border who walks about an Englishcamp with curious eyes , will bear watching . Asaf

Khan rose and followed the man .

Now Asaf Khan wore his turban low , with the end

passe d across his mouth . It is the custom of manywhen on the ma rch, for so the dust does n ot enter in

their throats ; but Asa f Khan wore his turban thus

HOW ASAF KHAN RETURNED TO KAI 1 81

always . This he.

did for two reasons that none

should now know in the water-carrier,Asaf Khan the

Warrior and that in the days to come none should

know in Asaf Khan the Warrior, the bhisti of the

expedition . And so he always wore his turban low,

with the end across his mouth .

Because he wore his turban thus,he could approach

closely the man he followed and it was n ot long ere heknew him for who he was . He was of Kai, Asaf Khanknew his name and family ; but what didhe in theEnglish camp Why walked he wi th curious eyes ?It wa s still early, later would he return and watch thisman . Each night would he do so ; for this wa s not

only an enemy of the English, this wa s his own enemy,a man of Kai and all men of Kai werehis enemies. He returned to the Colonel ’s

tent .

Now in the 001 a gun the like ofwhichAsaf Khan had seen oul e fore , and then for buta short time a ndat this gun Asaf Khan loved to look .

It was much bigger and heavier than an ordinary rifle,

but yet not too heavy for a strong ma n to carry on

his shoulder and it seemed that the cartridges werenot put in separately, not even in clips, for the cartridges were in a band even a s were the cartridges ofthe small rifle cannon (machine guns)with which AsafKhan was n ow familiar .It was a Lewis gun . There are but few in India

,for

they are not ofmuch use in Border warfar e,where men

must climb hills and travel light but the Colonel hadgot one up, for he wished to study the mechanism with

a view to possible improvement . He approached as


Asaf Kha n gazed at the gun,and with a smile explained

the workin g of it .Art n ot afraid of rifle thieves P asked Asaf

Khan .

The Colonel smiled . Asaf Khan had told him of therifles of Ambala .

“Would ’st again adventure P Was

the gain so great last timeAsa f Khan stroked his beard an d shook his head .

Of a truth, that once will suffice for a lifetime 1Then I fear no other,

” laughed the Colonel .Asaf Khan smiled in return but as he walked away

his head sank , and he walked in deep thought .

The soft thud of the mule ’s hoofs on the turf by theroad was the only sound that broke the stillness

, an d

the ma n ceased to glance back . He was safe frompursuit ; and if he could only get over yonder highrange by morning, he would win through . He wasconfident he would succeed for the mule wouldcarry

him far ere dawn broke , and before reachin g the footof the range he would dismount , an dwould slip throughthe cordon of pickets on foot .Great would be his fame in Kai . Alone he had been

into the camp of the English , and now he returnedwith news of their numbers and armsexactly good news for this which the English calleda small expedition consisted of a s many men a s anyone of the smaller tribes could muster

,even if they were

to call out every man of the tribe . Still, he had done

what many dared not do , and great would be his fame .

Would his fame ever rival the fame of Asaf Khan


The man began an evasive reply ; but Asaf Khanj erked the damaged arm

,wringing a shriek from the

poor wretch

Speak the truth,he said

,or I wille ve n dislocate

thy other shoulder . I know much —he really knewnothing and if thy words are false

,I shall know .

”

How can a man fight against fate P The man told

a ll. There wa s a German in Kai , a German who camewith great tales of victory over the English . The

Indian troops who went against the Turks were a ll

destroyed . Nothing was left to England , but India ;and if the Tribes would only rise, even India would belost to the English . India would be the spoil of thosewho had the courage to take it .But the Tribes had heard these tales before , and

would make sure of their truth . Even now English

trooos were in the country of the Z akka Khel, and

how could this be if the words of the German wer e true

words ? Still, it was a dazzling prospect ; and thisman was a white man

,even as the English were .

The word of a white man wa s to be trusted. That is.

it used to be so but men said.

the Germans,though

they had white skins,were n ot as other white me n .

It wa s whispered that they would tell a lie, or make

a promise which they could n ot fulfil—which they hadno intention of fulfilling .

And so this man had been sent to learn the strengthof the English . When he returned the Tribes woulddecide whether to follow the advice of the German ,

or to wait a little longer.He was due ba ck on Friday and after the mid-day

prayer there would be a meeting on the flat outside


the village ; when he would give his news, and theGerman would address the people .

Asaf Khan nodded his head . He knew the man

spoke the truth, an d wondered if he could turn thematter to his own advantage . For half an hour hesat silent

,his busy brain at work, and then , with a

satisfied smile,he rose to his feet . There wa s but on e

thing he regretted he must not slay the man , he musttake him to the camp . He looked longingly at theman ’s neck—how easy it would be to break ! Andwhen his hand brushed against the handle of his

knife he could hardly forbear to draw it .Tying the mule to a tree well back from the road

,

Asaf Khan drove the man before him to the camp .

They were nearly shot by a nervous sentry, that is, theman wa s nearly shot—Asaf Khan kept behind himand the report roused the camp . But it wa s soonknown to be a false alarm and

,grumbling , the soldiers

went to sleep again .

Asaf Khan and his prisoner were taken to ColonelMarkham ’

s tent , for Asaf Khan claimed to be working

under the orders of the Colonel , and there the spy

repeated his tale . He was in great agony, and a s soonas he had finished , he wa s sent to the field hospital to

be attended to . As nothing further could be done that

night,Asaf Khan wa s dismissed with the assurance

that his services of the night would n ot be forgotten,

and the camp was soon quiet .

Next day Asaf Khan wa smissing . So was the mule .

So was the Lewis gun together with a quantity of

ammunition . But Asaf Khan ’s water-skin remained .


Asaf Khan lay hidin a clump of bushes at the e dgeof the flat

,waiting for the people to assemble . He

had arrived the previous night , and taking shelter ina copse

,the copse in which he hadavenged his honour

on the son of Hafiz Ali, he waited till the call of theMullah summoned the Fa i thful to the Friday mid-dayprayer .Spreading his carpet in an open space, Asa f Khan

hastily repeated the prayers for the day . He knew hehad ample time, for the prayers this day would be

longer than usual . It wa s no light matter the peoplewere about to discuss , and at the conclusion of theusual prayers , the Mullah would certainly repeat somespe cial ones . If he were inclined to favour the rising ,he would repeat the promises made to those of theFaithful who should slay the infidel and that wouldtake lon g.

His prayers finished , Asaf Khan removed the Lewisgun and ammunition from the mule, and made his waycautiously to that edge of the flat furthest removedfrom the village . He had little fear of being seen .

This wa s no ordinary day . Every ma n of Kai would

be at the masj id (mosque), even the women would bethere

,standing afar . The children too, except those

who had driven cattle to the higher mountains,would

out of curiosity be at the masj id . Still , it is as well tobe careful .Choosing a suitable spot he lay down and train ing

his gun on a mound , which from the fresh appearance

of the earth had evidently been hastily thrown up toprovide a platform for the speakers at the day ’ sdoings, he waited the comin g of the people.


moved to pity, many of the En glish had given himtheir custom . They had he lped him

,buying dear

from him when they could have bought cheap fromothers , so that he and his children should not wantand this was his gratitude Asa f Khan spat on the

ground , and wished the German’

s fa ce were closer . Amonth before the war the German left P eshawar withhis family, now he wa s here . A pity his family alsowa s not here .

The German spoke well . His words were persuasiveand full of guile but the people to whom he spoke hadtheir own share of guile and would not be ea silydeceived

,Still , his words had great effect , especially

among the young and hot-blooded ; but the eldershesitated . Again he spoke, and now he persuadedmore .

What would you he cried . The English areweak . Their a rmies are defeated by the men of mygreat Emperor, tha n whom is no greater emperor !Their armie s in Iran are utterly destroyed by theTurks . Everywhere a r e they defeated, only in Hindustan is there none to stand against them

.Arise

,

then,in your might

, ye people of the Border ! Yede scen dants of the mighty heroes who of oldwere theconquerors of Hindustan Pour down upon them inyour strength for they are weak and will fle e befor eye ! Great will be your reward ; for the spoil of

Hindustan will be yours , and the land yours to possess I

Would ye serve the Faith ? Go, flie n , and slay theinfidel ! Would ye serve your pockets ? Go , then ,to a land yellow with gold , where be many a man with

more gold in his chests than ye have in the whole

HOWASAF KHAN RETURNED To KAI 1 89

Border 1 Drive these English from Hindustan thenshall ye rest in fair gardens by runn ing waters whilethe maidens of Hindustan , soft and clinging, andbeautiful as the houris of Paradise, minister to yourwants IThis speech produced a decided impression but

before any could reply, a voice rang out across the flat .It wa s Asaf Khan , who,pla cin g his mouth close to thegroun d so that the sound should be dispersed and noneknow the direction from which it came, called to thepeople ofKai.

Ay, go and fight the English , ye men of Kai , yebrave warriors who fear a single man 1 Hide, rather, inyour village for know that Asaf Khan lives 1 Evenin yourvillage ye shall not be safe from his vengea nce lAsaf Khan has said he will return , a ndreturn he will 1Now was great confusion among the people . Each

asked the other whence the voice came, but none couldsay. Was it a spirit ? Was it the spirit of KadirShah, the father of Asaf Khan , warn ing them of whatwa s ~ to come ? The German believed not in spirits,and urged them to search . It wa s good , and eachurged the other to search, though none would himselfleave the crowd . In the midst of the confusion

,Asaf

Khan ’s voice was again heard .

Lo How they huddle togethe r like sheep whenthe wolf is near ! Ye do well to tremble, for many

shall not live to see another sun ] I, Asaf Khan, sayit I

This time he raised his head and shouted across to

them , so that they should both se e and hear him andit happened as he wished .

G


This was no Spirit . This was a man, the man AsafKhan and though he was a great warrior

,he was on e

and they were many . Closing up,they made a rush in

his direction . He might kill on e or two but th edistance was not great , and he could not fire more thantwo or three times ere they reached him . Then theywould slay him, and the village would have no more tofear from this deadly enemy . He would have a knife ,but what would on e knife avail against hundredsAsaf Khan lay still

,a pleased smile playing about

hi s lips ; and when they came within fifty yards of

where he lay, he opened fire with the Lewis gun .

The leading men went down like rice when the sickleis laid to its roots . In dismay they recoiled . Wha tdevil ’s weapon wa s that Asaf Khan possessed, tha tslew men in such numbers Or were others hidin gnear, whom they could not see Still they fell, and

in terror the crowd turned to flee . The dreadful blastof death pursued them , mowing them down in swaths,till they scattered , an d running to the edge of thefla t, plunged in mad terror down the ste ephillside .Asaf Khan ceased firing, and patted his gun . It

was a glorious weapon , and had served him well this

day . But all was not yet done he would more .Hurrying towards the edge of the flat nearest the villagehe again opened fire . The gate was ope n, an d thebullets sang merrily down the village street . He firedmore slowly now, for he would not use up all his

ammunition but the firin g did its work . Soon at thefurther en d of the village was a grea t clamour, andpresently fleeing figures , men , women an d children,


death I came . Thou art a friend of the white men—his eyes had fallen on Asaf Khan

’s mili tary bootsand I also am a white man . I came to tempt thesemen ,

so that they should attack the English and beutterly destroyed for who can fight against the English ,the most powerful race on earth

Asaf Khan stooped and spat in the man ’s face .

Come ,” he said

,dragging the German to his fe et .

Come where there be others to whom thou can ’sttell this tale .”

Two days later, Asaf Khan arrived at the camp .

He brought with him the Lewis gun , the mule, and theGerman . Because he came openly by daylight,none stopped him and he made his way to the OrderlyTent of his regiment . Colonel Markham sat at a tableoutside the tent

,and before him Asaf Khan placed the

Lewis gun . The German he left as he was , lyingacross the mule .

4

Behold the gun that was stolen the other night ,said Asaf Khan I followed the thief for two days

,

and at last overpowered him while he slept . All the

ammunition I have not brought , for he had lost some .

This German I found in a village tempting the people

and because they were angered with him for the words

he spake, they gave him to me to brin g to thee . There

will be no more trouble on the Border, for these menwere of the Afridis .”

The Colonel pulled at his moustache . He knewAsaf Khan wa s n ot speaking the truth , that Asaf Kha n


knew a great dealmore than he chose to tell of the disappearance oi the gun . But Asaf Khan wa s faithfulto his salt, of that he wa s sure, and the gun wa s back .

Also in some way Asaf Khan had captured this vileGerman Spy,

and for this he deserved the thanks of allgood men .

It is well,he said , an d he grasped Asaf Khan

warmly by the hand . For this receive my thanksand also word of that which thou hast done will be sentto the great Comman der-in -Chief, who will himselfthank thee for this day ’s work . But of this German ,is he dead

Of fear percha nce,and Asaf Khan smiled grimly,

but he still breathes .Colonel Markham learned a little from the German

while the man lay 1 1 1 the field hospital , and he made a

shrewd guess at most of the rest , but never would theGerman Speak of the journey from Kai to the En glishcamp . Always a look of great fear came into his eyes,and he Shuddered . Wha tpa ssedin those two days isknown only to himself, to Asa f Khan , _

and to God .

CHAPTER IX

How ASAF KHAN BECAME A HOLY PIR

NGE, for a space , was Asaf Khan a HolyPir, revered of all men ; and how thisstrange thing came to pass Shall now be

It was before the time of the great trouble , whenthe nations of Europe fought to the death , and theminds of all men turned towa r . Free then were themen of the Border to enter Hindustan , and it cha nce dthat in idle mood Asaf Khan turned his steps thither.To the Swat valley had he gone to see a man ; butthe man was on a j ourney

,and twenty days would

pass ere he returned .

Now, the men of Swat a re the cowards of theBorder and to dwell among cowards for full twen tydays or more was not to Asaf Khan ’s likin g . Hewould cross the Indus ; and in the city of Hazro

would he take up his abode till such time as the manshould return to his home . At Hazro he wouldsee the wares of Hindustan

,and it might be purchase

some if he saw aught that he liked .

To the ferry a t Khabbal therefore went Asaf Khan ,

1 94


bedste ad). There he laid Asaf Khan, takin g himpresently within the hut, a nd for many days tended

him till the fever wa s gone and Asaf Khan well . 1

Full se ven days didAsa f Khan lie upon the bedstead within the hut

,and had not his frame bee n

of the strongest , he would surely have died . Not

of the fever would he have died . The fever wasnaught, and had the old man n ot tended him , inthree days would he have been well

,for thus

'

lon gand n o longer does this fever last . But this old

man was a lover of mankind, always se eking to dowhat lay in his power to help and befriend othe r s ;and therefore had he spent many years in the studyof Yun a n i medicines . Before he came to this placehe had been a Hakim (Mahomeda n doctor) famedfar a nd wide for the wisdom he had in the a rt of

healing . Many remedies had be for fever andsuch wa s the goodness of his heart that to this poorma n , who came to him friendless and ill and fromwhom he looked for no reward

,he gave all these

remedies ; not on e or two , but a ll. Therefore wasAsaf Khan ill for a week and wa s like to have die d .

On the seventh day Asa f Khan refused to take anymore medicine ; and in two days wa s he well .But n ow to Asaf Khan ’s mind came a new thought .In Hazro he would n ot dwell ; with this old ma n

would he dwell till the time -came when he mustreturn . Hazro lay but

‘

four miles across the plain,

he could go and se e if there wa s afiught he care d topurchase . But with the old man would he dwell ;for ma n such a s this man hadAsaf Khan never seen

before , a nd he would se e more of him.

HOWASAF KHAN BECAME AHOLY PIR 1 97

Simple“

as a child was this holy ma n . For holyhe wa s, learned in the Koran and all the Holy books .Not a s the Mullahs taught wa s his teaching alwayshe spoke a s if all men were good . Evil was butthe Sickness of a good man’s mind cure this sickness,and the ma n would again be good . Little had he ofwea lth

,and cared less ; the offerings brought by

the people of the village were sufficient for his need .

But on e day he received a letter .‘

That day wa s his face Sad,and in the evening he

spoke to Asaf Khan . The letter was from his sonand because he could not do a s his son wished, hisheart wa s sad.

This son was in Rawalpindi . He had studiedthe wisdom of the English in their schools ; nowhe would learn their medicines and be a great doctor.

But much money would be needed for this, a nd of

money the Old Pir had none . All he had was Spenton the lea rning of his son

,and nothing had he left .

Then was Asaf Khan wroth with the good old man .

Much is due from father to son , he said butthat a father Should Spend the savings of a lifetimeon his son is foolishnessNay,

” corrected the ‘

old man mildly . Notthe savings of a lifetime , for I had saved enough toeducate three sons .

’

But now I have it not .”

Though Asaf Khan pressed him, for long wouldthe OldPir not say what had become of this money ;but when Asa f Khan threatened to leave him and goto live in Hazro

,and no longer dwell in the house of

one who put so little trust in a friend, the old mantold his tale .


Much money had he when he decided to give upthe world and spend the remainder of his daysin

devotion a nd prayer . Coming to this place , he

had built him a hut a nd hidden the money underthe floor .But in this world there be men who revere n ot

the things that are most holy . Little would thesemen reck that the money was that of a Pit ; andshould they by chance find out where his wealthwas hid , they would take it . Not for itself did hevalue this wealth , nor for his own sake ; but withit he could give his son all the lea rnin g he wishe d ,and have something over to help the youn g manwhen he should begin in life .

Fearing therefore for his money, he .

. ca st aboutin his mind for a way to preserve it from the handsof evil men ; and at last he thought of the villa geba n n iah (grocer and moneylender). This man hadmoney and knew how to keep it safely to the ba n niahwould he make over the care of his money, and takeit when he had need . And so

,keeping by him a

fair sum , he gave the rest to the ba n n ia h. Withj oy the ba n n iah took the money

,giving a receipt

for it, and with his mind at peace the old Pir return edto his hut .But the heart of the ba n n iah wa s wicked

, and

his thoughts were evil . A week afte r he got themoney he came to the Pir ’s hut

, a nd in much con.

trition confessed to the holy man that he had beentempted, an d had done evil . The receipt was noreceipt, for it was not stamped . This he had done .intending to keep the money for himself ; but n ow


was callin g him a thief and with threats would forcemoneyfrom him .

Then was the oldPir ashamed for this man ; andreturning to his hut

,sat him down with a sigh . He

had no receipt to Show unless the ban n iah recoveredfrom this evil sickness , the money wa s gone .

Asaf Khan listene d in grim silence to the tale .

Naught did he say, neither words of pity for the

Pir,nor words of blame for the ban niah . It wa s

the way of the world , he Said ,and many men suffered

from the sickness with which the ban n iah wa s afflicted .

But that evening he sa t apart and thought de eplyhow the ba n n iah might be cured of his illness .And a fter those who had come to learn of the

holy Pir of the farash grove had departed , Asa f Khantold that to the Fir which filled the worthy man with

wonder .He

,Asaf Khan , had deceived the Pir Sahib . He

wa s a learned man . Not in the Koran and the HolyBooks was he learned ; but from a pious ascetic inTurkestan had he learnt much of the wisdom of

healing,not by medicines but by Spells . This illness

which afflicted the ba nmah wa s not of the body ;it was of the mind, and by spells only could it becured .

But to perform these spells , Asaf Khan must bealone . In Hazro must the Fir Sahib dwell for a space

or he could go see his son in Rawalpindi but he mustnot return till Asaf Khan gave the word .

'

And beforegoing he must tell all men who Asa f Khan reallywas , saying that Asaf Khan would remain in his place

for a time .

HOW ASAF KHAN BECAME A HOLY PIR 20 1

Though the Pir Sahib himself dealt not in spe lls ,fearing that in them lay evil , when Asaf Khan pointedout that the Holy Prophet Sulieman‘ himself dealtin spells and commanded the spirits of the four elements

,he consented . Next day he told all men

that Asaf Khan was a holy and learned man , who

would be their friend and guide while he went tose e his son in Rawalpindi and the following morninghe left .For thr ee days did Asaf Khan sit be fore the but

under the farash trees talking to those who cameto learn of him but on the fourth day he went tothe village , for he would se e this ba n n iah he wasabout to cure .The b a n n iah sa t in his shop , his small son by his

side ,'

a nd his eyes narrowed and grew furtive whenhe saw Asaf Khan coming up the village street . Allstrangers to the village he welcomed

,for they meant

more custom ; but in this stranger he saw on e who

might prove a foe . This man had dwelt with theFir

, and the Old Pir may have spoken of the moneyand the receipt . But the man could do naught .This wa s not the Border

,this wa s British ground .

If this man used threats,the police were the good

friends of the ba n n iah,to whom they owed much

money, and they would soon send this Pathan packing,

whence he came . If he came at night , the doorsand windows were strong

, of thick wood strengthenedwith iron . More than one had tried to enter theba n n iah

’

s house at night and had failed .

But the new Pir ’s'

look wa s mild , and in his voice

was no anger . The Old Pir had said naught of the


money, and the ban niah’

s heart was at ease . Awhilethey talked , Asaf Khan asking the pr ice of the variouscommodities in the ba n n iah's shop, the ghee, the da l

(pulse) the ata, and the oil ; and then Asaf Khanasked If any other Hindus res ided in the village .Now

,this question gave the ba n niah food for

much thought ; and after he had replied that he

was the only Hindu, and the Pir had gone his way,the ban n iah pondered long on this matter. Pirsare Mussulmans, and Show little interest in Hindus ;what meant this question ?Two days passed ; and then men began to talk

of a strange thing . Many years ago, in the dayswhen the Sikhs ruled the land, a ba n n iah dwelt inthis village . Rich was he ; and as in those daysthere were no banks, he hid his money in the ground ,but where

,no man save himself knew . The Sikh

Raj passe d away, the Mussulman s again ruled the

land ,"

a nd one night the ban n iah was slain for hiswealth . But though the whole of his house andcourtyard was dug up to a depth of many feet , n omoney was found .

Stran ge as the tale was , stranger was it tha t noman of the village had heard this tale before . Inthe time of their grandfathers had the Sikh rule cometo an end, and in their time must the bann ia h havebeen slain ; yet n o man

’

s father had talked of theban n iah and his lost wealth . But when men hearof gold or hidden treasure, greed clouds their minds,and the wisest are but fools .

~ Thus was it in the village . None asked whencecame the tale, none questioned its truth ; all we re


of greed and extortion and was in the care of de n ion sand Spirits of evil . Then did the men of the villa gegive over the search

,and return

,each man to his

labour .Only to a Hindu would the hiding place of this

treasure be divulged by the demons who guarded it ,the Pir had said . This news sounded good in the

e ars of the ban n iah,for he was the only Hindu in

the village ; and at nightfall , when none would bewith the Pir

,the ba n n iah went to the small but in

the farash grove . Now he knew the meanin g of

the question the Pir asked at their fir st meetin g .

The Pir knew of this treasure,and from the beginning

had known that only to a Hindu would i t be render edup by those who held it in charge .

The Pit sat without the door of his hut, and withmany humble sa la a rn s did the ban n iah approach .

In this man ’s hands lay his fate . If this Pir wouldbut help him, he would be rich . He could give uphis shop , and go to his home in Amritsar, there tobecome a Rai Bahadur , and a Member of the Municipality ! Then could he return a hundredfold thescorn of those who before had scorned him .

With trembling hands clasped before himhe prayedthe Pit Sahib to tell him where . this treasure layhid . The Pir Sahib was a holy man , and to himwere revealed all things . And the fame of the PirSahib ’s goodne ss of heart was known far and wide.Even on vile Hindus he had pity . Would the HolyPir Sahib take pity on this vile Hindu and tell him

where the treasure lay hid ? He had heard thatonly to a Hindu would the hiding place be disclosed .

HOW ASAF KHAN BECAME A HOLY PIR 205

At first the Fir would not . It wa s ill work meddlingwith evil spirits, and he would none of it but‘ theba n n ia h pressed him ,

promising him a quarter, ahalf

,threequarters of the treasure, and at last the

Pir consented . But first he would know if the b a n n ia h

was pure of heart . To such a man, and to suchalone would the treasure be given . If the ba n n iahhad wronged any man , let him first -make reparation .

By all his gods and by Gange Mai (Mother Gan ges)did the bann iah swear that never had any man sufferedwrong at his hands . Again the Pir pressed him,

warning him that ill would befall them both if buton e little Speck of evil rested on his soul and againthe ban n iah swore that his soul wa s pure as the soul

of a little child . Then did the Pir bid him comeon the following night , when the hiding place of thetreasure would be disclosed .

The ba n n iah went his way rej oicing . Much wealthwould be his, and he would be a gre a t

'

ma n.in his

home in Amritsar . He had promised the Pir ashare ; but Pirs

'

know little of the things of thisworld , it would be a small matter for him to devi sea plan whereby to posse SS

‘

himself of the whole .Naught did the ba n n iah sell that day . Who were

these rude villagers that they Should demand gheeand dal from him He wa s a great man , a Ra iBahadur Let them go to some common ba n n ia h for theirghee ! At nightfall he hurried to the farash groveand found the Pir ready .

Five lamps had the Pir,

five small earthen lampsin which mustard Oil is burned with an open wick,and also he had a small book and a white cock.


i First did the Pir trace upon the ground with astick the magic Sign known to the English as thepentacle, at each com er placing on e of the lampshe had lighted and in the centre he laid the whitecock, its legs and wings bound . Then taking thenow trembling ban n iah by the hand , he led himwithin the in ner pentagon and began t o mutter wordswhich he read from the small book .

Then was the soul of the ba n n ia h filled with fear ,and he wished in his he art he had not come . Butpre sently he thought of the treasure, an d again wascalm .

For a spa ce did the Pir continue to read fromthe book words the ba n n ia h knew not the meaningof, a ndat the sound of which he trembled . Presentlythe Pir ceased reading , and seiz ing the white cockcut its throat , scattering to the four points of thecompass the blood which gushed forth . Suddenly

he caught the ba n n iah by the arm .

Down ! he said harshly . That comes, to

look on which is to die t Down ! and hide thineeye s lest the sight strike thee dead IWith a stifled wail of terror the ban n iah colla psed

in a huddled heap at the Pir’s fe et , muflling his hea d

in his lohi (mantle). Not only did he wish to se e

naught,he wished not even to hear ; and he placed

his hands over his ears .What dread spiri ts appeared to the Holy Pir,

he knew not,nor did he hear aught .

‘

Pressed to theearth he cowered till the Fir Sahib touched him

on the shoulder and bade him rise.I t is finished,

” said the Pir in a hollow voice .


doubtless, and he was a dead man Recoveringfrom the first paralysing fear, he strove to withdrawhis hand . Like a madm an he strove ; but striveas he might

,his hand came not forth from the ground .

In great alarm the Pir bent over him , asking him

the cause of his disorder.“ The Devil has me by the hand ! wailed the

unhappy ba n n iah . I am a dead man I What deviltempted me to this quest Only free my hand, mostreverend Pir Sahib

,and all the treasure shall be thine

not a pice of this accursed money do I want I

The Pir shook his head gravely ;Thou hast lied

,he said severely . Someone

hast thou wronged,and therefore has this come to

pass . Thy soul is not pure, therefore has this evilcome upon thee . Yet again will I consult the demonsand learn their will .For a time the Pir pored over his book , muttering

to himself and presently he walked to a place apart .

Sinking to his knees,he placed his ear to the ground

and appeared to listen .

The b a n n iah watched him with starting eyes . Itwa s true ; he had told a lie . He had wronged aman for he had wronged the Old Pir . The demonsknew it, and they would not release him till he hadundone tha t

'

wron g. Alas To give up that moneywould indeed break his heart . Again he struggledto release his hand

,but in vain .

The Pir rose'

from the ground,and comin g to the

ba n n iah , stood over him .

“Thou hast wronged a man, he said accusingly.

The demons have told me and they have also told

HOWASAF KHAN BEOAME A HOLY PIR 209

me the name ’ of the man thou hast wronged . It isthe Old Pir who once dwelt in the but where I nowlive .

”

Who ca n strive against fate ; and who can fightaga inst demons ? With many sighs the ba n n iahconfessed his fault and promised restitution . Butif he thought promises would avail, his disappointmentwa s great, for still his hand was held fast.The Pir Sahib stroked his beard . How much was

this money ? he asked ; a nd when he was told thesum, he nodded . The ba n n ia h Spoke the truth now,

for it was even the sum the Old Pir had mentioned .

This money must be‘

made good , said the Fir Sahibn ot afterwards, but n ow else would not the demonsrelease their hold .

Then was the ba n n iah sore afflicted . Almostrather would he part with his hand than with hismoney . But would the demons rest content withhis hand ? If he did n ot as they commanded, theymight drag him bodily to regions below ! In hastehe promised to do as the Fir Sahib might think fit.Then did the Pir Sahib bring paper and pen to

the ba n n iah, and bade him write to his son to giveto the Pir Sahib a sum of money and also a receipthe would find in a certain drawer .The sum the Pir named wa s twice the amount the

ba n n ia h owed the old Pir, a nd at first he refused towrite . Why twice the amount ? he quavered . Afair rate of interest he was willing to give but twicethe amoun t ! Ce nt per cent ! But whe n the PitSahib threatened to leave him to the demons, hegave way . About the rece ipt, for long he wouldnot


write . There was no receipt . There never hadbe en a receipt . But in the en d he wrote this also ;and with the writing in his hand the Pir Sahib leftthe pla ce, bidding the ba n n iah he of good cheer .

As soon as he received the money the ba n n iah's

hand would be released,and he could then dig up

the treasure and be richer a hundred times thanhe had been before .

This thought comforted the ba n n iah,and he lay

patiently waiting the moment when he would be

free to take that for which he had dared so much .

But time passed,and still was his hand fast in the

grip of the demon . Nor did the Pir Sahib return .

An hour passed thus,two hours

,and then the ba n n ia h

began to wonder if all the wrongs he had done inthe past must be undone ere he was released . Then

was he indeed lost ! It would take two lifetimes to

undo the wrong he had done in on e , and never wouldhe be released from the grip of the demon .

But when the third hour passed, and still the FirSahib came not

,another thought came to the ban nia h.

Pushing into the earth his left hand, which he hadnot dar ed before lest it be seized also , he felt downto his right wrist .

This the grasp of a demon ! Alas ! Alas ! Thedemon that grasped his hand was a contrivance of

wood and string !

The grove resounded with his cries of despair

but none came to his aid—all within the village wereasleep . One indeed heard, on e who dwelt on the

outskirts of the village ; but shudde ring he pulledthe bedclothes over his head and closed his ears . It


The mone y was gone . This false Pir was fromacross the Border

,and had doubtless returned whence

he came , taking the money with him . But he wouldhave his revenge ! He would get his cousin

’s wife ,who lived in Hazro, to put a charm upon the thiefso that his bones should rot and his body burn witha consuming fire . As for the old Pir, who had bee nthe cause of all this woe in that he left in his placethis villain, let him but come backBut the old Pir returned no more to the hut beneaththe farash trees . To him came the friend he hadleft in his place , b ringing news that made glad hishea rt . The ban n iah wa s cured of the evil sickness and was another man . In proof of this curehe had sent the Pir his money, and an extra thousandrupees as interest . Also he begged the Pir Sahibto kee p the receipt in case the evil sickness cameupon him again and he sought to take back the moneyhe n ow so willingly sent . In return he asked buton e favour ; that the Fir Sahib should come no moreto that village

,else would he

,the ba n n iah, be shamed

in the sight of a ll men .

Gladly did the oldPir promise .

’

Who was he thathe should put a good man to shame ! He wouldlive with his son in Rawalpindi, and

‘

DO more re turnto the hut in the farash grove by the graveyard .

Kn owing the ba n n iah would n ot dare anythingagainst on e who held his receipt, and who might,should he go to law

,compel him to pay the money

over aga in , Asaf Khan returned to Swat a far richerman than he left it . Also , before leaving Rawalpin di ,he told to the son

“

of the old Pir the whole tale .

CHAPTER X

How ASAF KHAN WENT TO JELALABAD

SAF KHAN , Pathan , Afridi, sat without hisdoor in the camel serai of Peshawa r City .

The evening sun cast slanting rays acrossthe Open square as if it sought in wonder the thingswhich should have be en there but

'

were n ot. Fdr

the great square lay deserted . The Square that,large as it wa s, had proven in times that were pasttoo small sometimes to hold the vast concourse thatsought Shelter within its walls, was now desolate andsilent . A stray street dog , its bones showing throughits filthy skin, grubbed in a corner in a vain searchfor the food which had once been plentiful but whichwas no longer there . The ubiquitous Sparrow hadlong since departed to the bazaars where grain mightstill be picked up, though n ot as in the days whenthe loads Of rich caravans lay about in the serai , thefat grain bags waiting to be loaded on the camelswhich would presently take them to hungry landsbeyond the Khyber ; The sparrow was gone , andnow the timid bulbul, pluckmg _

up courage , haddared invade this deserted square which he and hiswife had seen often as they flew across from ga rden

21 3


to garden, but which they had feared to visit before .NOW they came together and hopped about

,flirtin g

their tails to Show the scarlet under-feathers, the

occasional warble of the male sending Asaf Khanin thought back to his own land, to the land of thepeach, the walnut, and the pomegranate ; wherethe mountain stream rippled down with musical trill,and the soft call of the wood pigeon alternated withthe song of the bulbul swinging free in the mountain

air on the blooms of a pomegranate spray .

But only for a time do the thoughts of Asaf Khanwander thus afar . Only for a moment do his thoughtsturn to the home he will never se e again . A womancomes out of another room and throws a bucket

of dirty water into the square . The bulbuls flee

in alarm , and Asaf Khan is recalled to the present ,to the heat , to the flies and dust , to the empty serai,to the incomprehensibility of all things .

Then his thoughts turn to Russia, that vast lan dbeyond Afghanistan .

And while Asaf Khan ponders on this theme , another,an Englishman

,sits in a bungalow on the other side

of cantonmen ts, and Asaf Khan is in his thoughts .

This is the Wise One, whose duty it is to kn owall things on the Border, the man with a thousandeyes and ears , the man from whom none of the secrets

of the Border are hid , even he whom the Englishcall the Political Oflice r . That day had he receiveda letter from his friend Colonel Markham , Who was

on special duty in Gilgit away on the borders of

Kashmir and in the letter had the colonel told him

where. Asaf Khan might be found if he 51 1 1 1 dwelt in


peace and fear n ot, for he would see that Asaf Khandid him no harm .

Asa f Khan in the sera i, spat after the departingform of the Gorgeous One . But what did the WiseOn e want with him He had refused before to ha vedealings with the Wise

,One . He was a warrior ;

not a spy Why sent the Wise One for him nowHe returned to the thoughts the advent of the

Gorgeous One had so rudely disturbed . Strangerumours came from Russia in these days . Russia

had ceased to fight , and was no longer at war withthe Germans . He

°

had heard that they had killedtheir king , his wife and his children ; and were nowfighting among themselves . Now he heard thatthe men who had done this evil thing were allp owerful

in Russia, and immsed their will on a ll men .

And what of this new faith these men professed ?They sa id all me n were equal and that each manshould possess a n equal Share of this world

’s goods .A babu told him that this wa s called Bolshevism ,

and that those who professe d this fa ith were calledBolsheviks .Asaf Khan could sympathise with these Bolsheviks .

Bolshevism appealed to him,Strongly . It was only

fair that all men should Share alike and if Bolshevismcame to Peshawar, he also would be a Bolshevik.

In Peshawar were many rich Hindus . Was itright that these Kafirs should have so much wealth

while he , a good Mussulman, had barely the wherewithal to live ? Decidedly it could not be right .He would be a Bolshevik and make these men sharetheir wea lth with him the n, as a pun ishment foi

HOWASAF KHAN WENT TO JELALABAD 2 1 7

their selfish greed, he would take the rest from themand give it to good Mussulmans . If they refuse dto deliver up their wealth, they would prove themselves the enemies oi mankind

,in that they kept to

themselves the wea lth that of right belonged to all,

and he would cut their throats .Asaf Khan came to the bungalow of the Wise Oneat noon next day . He knew the Wise One wouldunderstand and would be waiting for him, SO hewalked to the office door . A Gorgeous One squattedwithout the door, not the GorgeousOne of the previousday, but another . This on e had received his orders,and also he had seen the woeful state in which hisfriend returned after delivering a message to thisferocious savage . In haste he darted within ,n oun ced the Pathan ’s arrival, and threw up theckz

’

k (bamboo screen) that Asaf Khan might enter .Asaf Khan looked at the Wise One curiously . He

had seen him from afar, and had heard from himthrough others, but the two had never met . Hehad heard that this wa s a Man ; he would now seefor himself . For a space the two gazed into eachother ’s eyes in Silence , and Asaf Khan wa s satisfied .

This man ’s look was straight, he would not a sk anotherto do what he would himself scorn to do . His facewas mild ; but it was not weak ; the firm purposewas there that enabled this man to bend other mento his will. And he was calm . He did not rush intospeech

,neither did he fidge t. He was a Man .

“ Thy servant came with a message . I am here .

It is good . Be seated,”a ndthe Wise One indi

ca ted a chair .


Asaf Khan grunted . SO it wa s something of im

portance this man wanted from him . Else why thechair . He seated himself .Knowest thou whom people mean when they

talk of Bolsheviks ?The question took Asaf Khan completely by sur

prise . He had expected something relative to theBorder, somethin g which he as a man of the Border

was likely to know ; and 10 ! he was asked if he

knew who the Bolsheviks were ! The Englishmanawaited an answer . Asaf Khan nodded his headThey are folk who believe that all things should

be held in common . This is good; an d I, also, am

a Bolshevik, for this is my belief.”

Nay, thou art wise an d can’

st read the thoughtsof men ; why ask ? I am not on e who shares with

others ; I am of those who make others share with

them .

”

The Wise One smiled in turn .

Thou a rt a true Bolshevik, even as those othersin Russia . They also are of those who would tha tothers should share with them and now that there

are none left in Russia whose goods they ca n share ,they turn their eyes to other countrie s. They wouldcome to Hindustan and share in the we alth of thiscountry . But this they will not find easy, a nd itmay be they will never come . Those who wait forwealth till the Bolshev iks come will die poor . Therea re other and quicker ways of becoming rich.

Asaf Khan rose to his fe et.


Asaf Khan smiled Slightly the heat of the Englishman amused him .

“What sayest thou of these Bolsheviks ? hereturned .

“ They are thieves and robbers ! replied the

En glishman forcibly .

“ They are not even love rsof their country ; for it was German gold that firstcorrupted them and made them hamper their fighting

that they could no lon ger fight , having neitherguns n or ammunition, having n ot even food ! Whilethe brave sons of Russia were at war with the enemiesof their country, these traitors betrayed them ! ”

The English are n ow at war with the Bolsheviks,said Asaf Khan dryly.

The Englishman recovered the poise he had in

the heat of the moment lost . He smiled .

And so I speak ill of them Nay, thou knowestit is not that

,for thou knowest the English . But

to return to the Bolsheviks . When these Russiantraitors made peace with Germany

,they became

our en emies , and they now seek to inj ure us . Theyhave destroyed their own country till there is nothingleft to destroy . They have taken the wea lth of the

country,and with it purchased arms and mun i tions

with which to fight each other. Now there is nothin gleft , neither money nor arms, and they turn theireyes to Hindustan .

Hindustan is not my country .

That is true, acknowledged the Englishma n .

Neither is it mine . But dost thou owe nothingto Hindustan for the shelter she hath given thee

in thy need ? As for me, Hindustan is in the han ds

HOWASAF KHAN WENT TO JELALABAD 22 1

of the English -and we are making of it a good countrywe will not se e it spoilt and destroyed by these men .

What is it thou would ’

st of me ?It is this . The Englishman dropped his voice

an d leaned across the desk . These Russian s wouldhave the Afghans combine with them to invade andloot Hindustan . They have approached the Amir,but with what result we know n ot: He has beena steadfast friend and a faithful ally throughout thiswar ; but men

’ s minds change, a ndwe would knowwhat face he n ow turns to these men . The on e

who goe s on this mission must be one whose courageis beyond questionMore ghee ? queried Asaf Khan .

The Englishman shook his head . It is the truth .

This man must be a Pathan , and thou ar t . a Pathan .

Thou art no Afghan , so the Amir is naught to thee .

Even if he were, we seek him no harm , rather do wewish him good . Nor is this the

'

work of a spy. Iask thee but to go to Jelalabad Where the Amir nowdwells

,an d keep thine ears open to What men sa y.

On thy return,tell me what thou wilt .

Asaf Khan looked shrewdly at the other .Where is the danger ? Any man of the Border

could do this for thee .

”

The Englishm an smiled . Then thou shalt havedahi (sour milk)with thy ghee . I chose thee becausethou art as crafty and cunning a s brave . It is saidtha t n o man of the Border is thine equal in craft .Where is the dahi asked Asaf Khan . This

is more ghe e .‘

hlf that be ghee, there is no more to be said,


and the Englishman laughed shortly. All thycra ft will be needed . The Russian spy system hadnot its equal in the world ; an d these Spies

,trained

,

and the best of their kind, are n ow Bolsheviks inthe service of the Bolshevik leaders . These leadersseized by force the power they now have and theymust be in hourly dread les t others in turn seizethe power from them . He who would escape thenotice of these spies must be crafty inde ed. I awaitthine answer .”

Asaf Khan pondered over the matter for some

w e before replying . The Amir Of Afghanistan was

naught to him, neither were the Bolsheviks . Ifthey attempted to come to Hindustan , they would

assuredly fa il. He wa s tired of roaming ; to have

a home of his own would be pleasant . To his old

home he could never return ; he would make forhimself a new home in Peshawar .

He w ill do as the Englishman asks . In returnhe will ask for land . On it he will build a house,and round the house shall be a garden with pomegran ates and a fountain . Bulbuls will come there,and doves ; and in the morning he can sit near thefountain listening to the song Of the birds, and in

his thoughts be again in his mountain home . His

son had taken the uniform of the English ,and was

n ow in a place the English called Mespot , servingwith a friend of Colonel Markham ; ther e would be

a home in Peshawar to which his son could return

when the fighting was done .

“ I will do this,” he said , but I will not take

money for my reward . Land will I ha ve , as much


emerald and gold in the rays of the ea rly mornzmgsun . There dwelt the man whose thoughts he mustread , whose likes and dislikes he must study ; butto that place he may not yet go . Removed a distan celay the barracks . The soldiers lived there, thesoldiers who waited the decision of the One whodwelt in the palace, the soldiers who perchance intheir impatience would some day force that decision .

But neither to the barracks might Asaf Khan go .

Still further removed lay the city, a heap of squalidhuts relieved by but few high buildings . It wasthere Asaf Khan must go and there would he dwelluntil his mission be accomplished . Across the plainlay the graveyard ; but there Asaf Khan did n ot

wish to go . He hoped he would n ot be taken there .

But surely this . is not Asaf Khan ! This manwith the black garments , with high black kulla andturban

,with long straggling beard , with earrings

in his ears a nd long strings of beads round his neck,

surely this man is not Asaf Khan ! Some HolyMullah is this man

,some holy man who has given

himself up to the service of Allah , whose sole missionin life is to wander from place to place reading andexpounding the Holy Scriptures , living on the dolesof the Faithful, his only delight to call the names

of Allah hourly .

And yet a closer scrutiny would revea l that theears are newly pierced , that the strin gs of shells hangawkwardly as on on e unaccustomed to their wear ;that the black garments, though far from clean , arenew . And though Mullahs are fierce a nd intolerant

in their looks,surely no Mullah ever had gaze as ih

HOWASAF KHAN WENT TO JELALABAD 225

tolerant a s cam e from beneath those low brows,n o

Mullah ever walked with so assured a stride .

In truth it was no Mullah . But in some suchguise must Asaf Khan come for when men questionedhim

, what tale would he tell ? How could he, astranger, account for his presence in Jelalabad ?What wa s he doing far from his home when all menkept to their homes ? But a Mullah may go anywhere an d none question his goings and comings .A Mullah ha s no home ; the Whole of Allah

’ s ear this his home ; therefore as a Mullah had Asaf Khancome to Je lalabad .

To the city then did Asaf Kha n take his way ;and going to a mosque

,laid his small roll of bedding,

his iron drinking vessel,and his other scanty belongings

in a small room in the side wall of the mosque . TheMullah of the mosque, a venerable but exceedinglydirty old man ,

bade him welcome and gave him

to eat . He showed little curiosity in the stranger,but much in what the stranger could tell him of

the outer world ; for Asa'

f Khan did n ot disgu isethe fact that he wa s from parts far removed . Hecould not , for on the Border men and their kin areknown for twenty miles around their homes , evento the fourteenth and fifteenth generation . Buthe said not that he came last from Peshawar . Fromthe country of the Mahsuds he claimed to have comefor that place was far and none from there wouldbe in Jelalabad to question him .

Many tales did Asaf Khan tell the Mullah of themosque

,tales of holiness

,tales of worldliness , and

even tales that brought a shocked look to the old


Mullah’

s face, though his eyes twinkled behindtheir shrive lled lids

,and he eagerly asked for

more.

Many things did the Mullah in turn relate. How

the Faithful gave each year less to the mosque . How

they remembered n ot Allah in works of charity andthe giving of alms as their fathers did, when a Mullahhad more food than he could eat and that of thebest quality, and more clothes than a dozen Mullahscould wear . Now they gave little, and that littlenot of the best . The food was ordinary, a nd n ot

much ; and the clothes The poor old mannearly choked with indignation .

So they talked,telling of many things ; and

pre sently the Mullah spoke of the Amir . The Amirwas a good man

,giving largely in charity . Once

he had be en inclined to evil . In his early manhoodhe had gone to Hindustan, and the men who wentwith him told many strange tales of his doings in

that land . It was said that he neglected hi s own‘

people, and wen t always with the English . Heleft Kabul as a great king should, with man y reta in e rs, with boxes of treasure to pay his expensesin the strange lan d , with troops to guard him . Hewent as a king, demanding from the English theland that was rightft his, even the land of Hindust an as far as the Jhelum river, refusin g the yearlybribe they would have given him to forego his claim ,

the bribe his father,the avaricious on e , hadaccepted .

Thus he went ; but he returned the vassal of theEnglish

,willing to accept their money, selling for

a sum the poor wretches of Hindustan who called


the craf ty, but according to thine own sayin g hehad eaten salt with the English .

”

The Mullah gave him a pitying look . Are theyof the Faith ? Do they revere our Holy Prophe t ?Or do they revile him ? Amon g Mussulmans the

eating of salt together is holy and bindin g ; butwho keeps faith with the Infidel even if salt be eatentogether ? In former days me n read n ot the wordsof our Holy Prophet aright , a nd thought the eatingof salt together binding in a ll cases ; but n ow inRoum (Turkey) hath the true meaning of the wordsbeen discovered , and the eating of salt with theInfidel is n ot binding on the Faithful . Thou art

young , my son ; age will brin g thee reason .

”

“Do the people of Hindustan indeed call on the

Amir of Afghan istan to rescue them from the harshrule of the English ? ventured Asaf Khan .

“ The y do indeed ,” replied the Old man .

“ Hundreds of letters have come in years past from allparts of Hindustan praying him to come . Ma nyescaped from that land of tyranny when the grea t

Wa r began , and fleeing to Afghanistan begged the

Amir to come and save the ir country from the ruleof these Infide ls. But he would not . He leavesme n of the Faith under the yoke of the Infidel andwill n ot go to their rescueAsaf Khan ’s brows kn itted in thought . That

the people of Hindusta n reviled the English in spiteof all the English had done for them,

he knew ; butbe little thought that in their folly they had goneto such suicidal lengths . The y had known Mussulman

rule were they mad enough to desire it again !


“ The Hindus of Hindustan know not when Allahis merciful,

” he remarked .

The old Mullah gazed at him in surprise .

The Hindus ? Who speaks of those Kafirs ?and he Spat . “ It is Of the Faithful I speak . It istrue that, deceived by the spe cious lwords and promisesof our brethren in Hindustan some of the Kafirs haveopenly said they would prefer the rule of our Amir ;but they are fools ! The Hindus ! ” again he spat .

The Hindus shall be Once more the slaves of theFaithful, even as they were in the days before theEnglish came

Asaf Khan ’s brows cleared . He knew the classOf man who had been sending me ssages to the Amirfor he had hea rd of on e or two indiscree t utteranceson the part of the Amir while in Hindustan .

SO the Amir will n ot break friendship with theEnglishThe Mullah nodded his head mysteriously .

He will not ; but Allah alone knows what thefuture holds in store . There he strangers who comefrom Russe, and it is said that a ll press the Amirto give ear to them .

”

Many things learnt Asaf Khan from the ba bblingoldman ; and a fter he had listened for a space hewent forth into the bazaar to learn. what other men

In all places did he hear the same .

.

The'

wordshe had heard spoken on the Border years ago, he

n ow heard in Afghan istan . The English Spoke falsely.

They were n ot victorious , and the fighting had but

ceased for a time . Presently would Russia a nd


Ge rmany combine , for the German s were the friends

Of the Russia ns , selling them guns a nd powder ;a nd when Germany and Russia united, who couldwithstand their might ! Few British soldiers wereleft in Hindustan ; all had been called back to the ir

country to help her in her desperate need . The

Indian troops were half Sikh and half Mussulman ;the Afghans had but to advance , and the Mussulmanswould come over to their side a s on e man . Even theSikhs would welcome them with open arms . AsafKhan smiled to himself at this last , for he had known

An d the One who had but to march down to

Hindustan to be the master of that rich coun trywould n ot a ct ! Daily was he importuned ; by his

relations, for they would be governors of this n ew

country ; by his soldiers, for there each man wouldbe a Khan with the wealth of many Khans ; byhis wive s , for the riches of Delhi and Lucknow wouldbe theirs

,and there would be no stint of j ewels and

rich dresses in the harem . But always the Amirturned a dea f ear to their entreaties .

This wa s goodhe a rmg to Asat a n ; if the Amir

stood firm, all was well. But other whispers, dark

a nd Sinister, did he also hear . With bated breathmen hin ted at wha t might be if the Amir would n ot

liste n to their counsel . The Amir was weak ; hehad shown it in his dealings with his own people .

Men the re we re who had spoke n openly against him,

a nd the se men went unpunished even to that day .

What could me n expect of a ruler who could n ot keeporder in his own house ? There was Another—but


face and spee ch, short men with red faces, who spokePusto with the harsh accent of the Northern foreigner .

But Asaf Khan went n ot nea r these men . Naughtcould he learn from them ; and he feare d lest hisanger betray him when they Spoke the ir lies to the

people .

And so Asaf Khan dwelt in Jelalabad in the mosquewith the oldMullah . Money he had by him, mone ythat was given him , so he said , as a thank-offeringby a man who in his old age had be come the fathe rof a son ; and for a sum the old Mullah consen ted

to feed Asaf Khan till the time when the word todepa rt should come to him in a dream ; for it isthus a Mullah knows when his work in on e placeis done and Allah would have him go elsewhe re .

The old man showed his toothless gums in a grinwhen Asaf Khan gave the reason for the tha n koffering ; for he also was a Mullah, and in the dayswhen he was youn g Allah had often gra nted his prayerwhen he prayed that the young wife of an oldmanmight have a son .

And yet such is the blindness of man , that theyoung wife of the oldMullah cooked for Asa f Khanand prepared for him his hookah . Perchance theold Mulla h watched Asaf Khan for the first few

days , and seeing that this man wa s a hater of women ,

thought all was well . But he did n ot watch his wife .

AS to Asa f Khan he thought no more of the womanthan he would of a servant who ministered to hiswants . His thoughts were on other things ; and heknew n ot whethe

'

r the woma n were young or Old,fa ir or ill-favoured .


And it chanced that a fter Asaf Khan had dweltsome days in Jela la bad , he walked on the road leadingtowards Kabul, the fair road the Amir had ca use dto be made when he brought from Hindustan thestrange carriages that filled the people with wonderand forebodings . For these carriages were not drawnby horses , nor did they go as the fire engines of theEnglish went, with steam and smoke and a loud noise .

These moved silently over the roads, swift as a birdcan fly, and were surely the work of the Evil One .

Many vowed that a fter these carriages passed thescent of Hell lingered in the air . 1 1 1 would comeof it ; for these ca rriages were works of magic andwere evil .

Now, as Asaf Khan returned from walking uponthe road , while he wa s yet a mile from the palace ,on e of these carriages came rushing from the hills .

Asaf Khan had seen many in Hindustan , and knewthere was n o magic in them ; therefore, though hestepped aside to let it pass, he did not flee . As hemoved Off the road, the carriage stopped .

There were two in the carriage , the man who satin front and drove, another, who sat behind . Couldhe believe his eyes The Amir !Something had happened to the car, somethingthe man could not put right for after a few minutesthe Amir ordered him to go fetch another . Theman left ; and the Amir, drawing from his pocketa copy of the Koran, prepared to read . But beforehe read he cast his eyes around to see that n o dangerthreatened ; for always was his life in danger ashe well knew, and his eyes fell on Asaf Khan .


This man was a Mullah ; he would pass the timein conversation with this holy man till such timeas his servant returned . There would be no dangerin conversing with a Mullah ; nevertheless he drewfrom his pocket a pistol that fired many shots andplaced it on the sea t beside him . He beckoned tothe Mullah .

Asaf Khan approached the car and salaamedhumbly . He saw the pistol lying ready to the Amir

’shand, and a grim smile crossed his lips for he hadseen the motion that placed it there before the Amirbeckoned him .

“ Thou art a Mullah, said the Amir . WithMullahs am I always happy to converse ; for they speaknot of this world, but of the next .

”

Asaf Khan pointed to the pistol . And beforecalling this Mullah thou did

’st prepare thyself , lesthe not only talk to thee of the next world, but alsose nd thee thither .”

The Amir smiled gravely. The humour of thisstrange Mullah whom he had not se en before in Jelalebad pleased him . Also he wa s a student of men

,

reading the characters of all around him exce ptthose whose characters he should have studied most .

But in those cases his he art was blinded by loveand it was fate . He was pleased by what he sawin the face before him . This was a man, he wouldtalk with him a space .

Know, 0 Mullah,” he said, that all are n ot

holy who wear the guise of holiness .”

And know, 0 Amir,” returned Asaf Khan , thatall are n ot safe who wear an appearance of safety .

”


be . Thou callest me Great One ; but only Allahis great . I am but the servant of my pe ople ; forthus , an d not as thou sayest , should a great kingrule . I love my people, they are my children ; can

a man be harsh with his childr en Death I fear n ot.

Allah will protect his servant till the day comes whenit is written I shall go to enj oy the delights of Paradise .”

“ And that day will be soon ! said Asaf Khangrimly . But though Asaf Khan was wroth, hisheart was filled with pity for this man who was indeedon e of Alla h ’s chosen ; this man who would havebeen a saint, revered of all , his memory han ded downto the veneration of generations yet unborn , hadhe been other than what he wa s, a king . AndAsafKhan swore in his heart that if aught he could dowould save this man from the death that hover ed

so near , that he would do, even to the giving up of

his own life .

But of his thoughts he said naught to the Amir ;and when the other asked him when ce he came, hesaid from the Mahsud country . Once he had propertyand land ; but being fond of the society of Mullahs ,he Spent a ll his time with them , listening while theyexpounded the meaning of some hidden passage of

the Koran . But while he passed his time thus , hisrelations conspired together and deprived him of

his land. Also they would have Slain him had he

not received timely warning an d departed fromtha t place . Now he was a Mullah and had n o home .The world is thy home, said the Amir gravely .

Allah ’s wide,beautiful earth is all thine. How


blest is now thy lot ! To spend thy days in prayer,to rea d and expound the Holy Koran to those whocannot read and are therefore denied the bliss of

reading for themselves the Holy Words of our SaintedProphet What happiness is thineThen was Asa f Khan ashamed with a great Shame .This man wa s greater than any king he wa sa saintAnd he lied to this man ! But the thought thatit wa s for this man ’s good he lied , comforted him ;

and again he vowed‘

tha t he would do his utmost tosave this man from the death that threatened so darkly .

And so for a Space they talked, till presently acar came up the road and bidding Asa f Khan cometo the palace on the morrow that they might conversefurther

,the Amir departed .

Slowly and in deep thought did Asaf Khan wendhis way back to the mosque . How could he convincethis man of his danger ? How persuade him to

gua rd himself ? All his craft was of no avail, forit was not for him to say what should be done

,it

was for the other. He knew how to compel, forhe had compelled many . He knew how to deceive,for he had deceived even more than he had com

pelled. But persuasion was foreign to his nature,and of the a rt he knew naught . He wa s a warrior ;persuasion was for women . For women ? Therewas a woman at the mosque

,the woman who prepared

his food and hookah it might be that woman ’ s witwould se e a way out of this tangle .

Then didAsaf Khan the most foolish act ofhis lifefor he sought the aid of a woman, he whose bane

wa s woman .


The oldMullah was from home that evening andwhen the woman brought him his food, Asaf Khanspoke to her

,asking of her father and he r

House .

Now,this woman was young and was married to

an old man,and as is the way of women, She lon ged

for a child . Two full years She waited ; and whenno child came to bless her, she sought to removethe reproach of childlessness by taking a lover. Yetwas she a good woman

,and ha d it n ot been for this

matter of a child , she would never have done thisevil . But a child she must have ; and after muchthought she chose a young man who cam e da ily to

the mosque . Full well she knew why he came . Oftenhad she marked his eye wandering to where shesat plying her needle for she was a cunning needlewoman and worked embroideries for the ladies of

the harem , who often sent for her to teach them’

anew stitch .

But even after She had chose n the young manto be the father of her child , it wa s long ere she gaveany Sign . The modesty of a woman is not lightlycast aside, an d to this time the woman had beenmodest .

At last one day She let her eyes mee t his and lingerin the

'

glance . It was enough . In the East thelanguage of the eye s is as easily read as the writtenword ; and that night came the young man an d

waited without the wall of the mosque . But thoughhe waited long, and coughed Often ,

the woman camenot . Filled with shame for what she had done

, She

lay with her head buried in the blan kets and would


On the night of the day Asaf Khan met the Amir ,for the first time he spoke to the woman ; and she ,

thinkn he had at last marked her fairness, wa s

filled with j oy . But she hid this j oy and answeredhim in a seemly manner

, so that Asaf Khan thoughtno harm .

Then did he put her a question .

“ Tell me, O woman , he said There is oneI would bend to my will . I may not use force , Imust persuade

,and of persuasion I know n aught .

How Shall I pe rsuade that on e to do my will Thouart a woman

,and to woman is given the art of per

suadin g others to do their will . Tell me, then,how I shall do this thing !Crafty was Asaf Khan , guarded and well-chosen

were his words , that the woman might not knowof whom he spoke but in his craft he over-reached

himself, for the woman put another mean ing to hiswords .He loves a woman ,

she thought , an d I amthat woman ! and she pressed her hand to herbreast to still the beating of her heart . But AsafKhan saw not the movement , for her han d was hiddenin the folds of her garment .Yet such is the heart of woman

,that again did

this woman falter, even a s she had faltered whenShe would have given herself to the youn g man .

For a space she stood with lowered head,her veiled

eyes on the ground,and Asaf Khan thought She

pondered over the question .

Pres ently the woman raised her head .

I go to the palace to-morrow,

” she said, to


teach embroidery to the ladies of the harem . Onthe fourth day will I return and give thee thineanswer.”

Four days ! Many things might happe n in fourdays and Asaf Khan pressed her for an answer thatnight . But the more he urged,

the more She drewback and pre sently She passed swiftly to the roomin which she and her husband dwelt . Scarce couldshe breathe for the beating of her heart and if Shestayed , she knew she must throw herself at the feetof this simple man who thought she needed persuasion, when for many days past she had but tobe asked .

Asaf Khan was angered that the woman gave himno an swer ; but he would have been more angeredhad he known the meaning the woman had putto his words. He would have been more than angeredhad he known that on e crouched near in hiding,watching and listening .

‘

Now at last the young man had something to

tell ; and stealing softly away, for he feared AsafKhan and his wrath

,he met the old man outside

the mosque and told him all . Not a ll, for he spoke

n ot of himself a nd the woman before the day thatAsaf Khan came but he told the husband What Asaf

Khan had said to the woman , tellin g him also muchthat Asa f Khan had not said .

Then wa s the Old Mullah wroth, and he would haveupbraided Asaf Khan with his hypocrisy and treacheryto his host but the youn g man res

‘

trained him . Not

so,he urged

,for they would deny all . The woman

must go to the palace for four days ; on her return

242 EXPLOITS or ASAF KHAN

they would both watch, and would take the guiltypair in their guilt .At last the old man consented . But after thathe spoke no more with Asaf Khan , burying himselfin the Koran when the other approached ; and asAsaf Khan had now to go outside for his food

,and

had many things to fill his mind, they spoke no moreto each other.

Next day went Asaf Khan , Mullah , to the palace .

He was a Mullah , and the Holy Ones go where theylist, none daring to say them nay. Also the Amirhad borne him in mind and had spoken of the Mullahwho would come to have speech with him on themor row. SO was the way made clear and en tering

the palace, Asaf Khan passed to the chamber wherethe Amir sat .The Great One sat alone on a rug, a Silver hookahto his hand ; and around him were grouped menof his court , his brother, his two elder sons, an dsomeof the officials who were also his friends—or calledthemselves his friends

,though Allah knows what

was in their hearts .Now, Asaf Khan knew naught of the ways of courts

and kings so there were no prostrations , n o touchingOf the sacred carpet with the forehead a low salaamwas all Asaf Khan gave the great Amir, and steppingaside

,he seated himself in a corner and began to

te ll his beads .Many frowned but most Shrugged their shoulders .It was not their business , and the Amir had broughtit upon himself . If he were angered, let him turnthe insolent Mullah out


would succeed ; it was for some deep reason of hisown , perchance the hope that his brother woulddestroy himself against the English

,and make way

for one, to his thinking, more worthy . Himself he

would not lead an army to what he must know wouldbe his and their certain destruction . Of this AsafKhan wa s assured . He was n ot the Other of whommen spoke .

On In aya tulla Khan , the eldest son of the Amir ,did Asaf Khan ’s gaze next turn .

Then was the heart of Asaf Khan filled with greatsorrow for the Amir ; for this his eldest son was afool . He sat in a rich dress

,lolling negligently back

on some cushions,the weak lines of his mouth, the

puffy eyelids,the depe nding cheeks , all telling the

same tale—a tale of selfish indulgence and sloth . Asaf

Khan aver ted his gaze . This was not that Other,he must look elsewhere . His gaze wandered to the

second son .

This might be that Other, this man with the keeneyes and firm lips . This man had seen naught of

the world a s had his brother and his uncle he kn ewonly what others told him . He was ignorant , andknew not truth from falsehood when men spoke of

other lands and peoples . Maybe he had listened

to the words of the men of the North and believedthem . This man he must watch .

Courtiers are tra ined to hide the ir feelings ; elseare they no courtiers

,nor will they long retain their

posts near their ruler and well Asaf Khan knew theuselessness of studying the fa cae of those of the court

who sat before the Amir . But he watched them

HOWASAF KHANWENTTO JELALABAD 245

keenly on that and othe r days ; for a man canno tbe always on his guard, and a glance ca n betray asclearly as the spoken word . Even the movementof a finger may sometimes betray .

And after Asaf Khan had sat for a while thus,

telling his beads, he raised his head and let the stringsslip from his fingers .At thy command have I come , 0 Great On e .

For long did the Amir talk with Asaf Khan on

many points of the Faith . Asa f'

Kha n wa s no trainedMullah ; but with many Mullahs had he talked, hismemory was good , and of late he had talked muchwith the old Mullah of the mosque . Also everyMussulman ha s the tenets of the Faith instilled intohim from his earliest year s , and can ever after . talkthereon

,quoting texts from the Koran , with chapter

and verse .

Lon g they talked ; till with gracious words theAmir dismisse d Asaf Khan , biddin g him come on themorrow and Asaf Khan left the chamber .Now it chanced that the man who should have

been standing at the door had left on some errand,

so that Asaf Khan had to find his way to the entrancealone . And as he walked , he passed a woman .

Though he kn ew it n ot, for her face was closelyveiled , this wa s the young wife of the oldMullah of

the mosque ; and seeing him , the woman’s heart

beat fast . He had followed her even here, here tothe palace of the Amir I But n ot yet could she give

him the answer he craved, and she hurried past withlowered head .

Each day she watched,marking Asaf Khan as he


came and went and once she stood in the passa geso that his clothes brushed hers as he passed . Butshe spoke no word

,for another was in the passage ;

and also she would wait , as she had said , till thefourth day. But now was she of on e mind . Thiswas the man of her choice ; this man should be thefather of her child .

Little thought Asaf Khan that the woma n Wa snear, for he thought n ot of her at all greater matterswere toward . Still less did he think two watche dhis comings and goings day and night , an old manand a young

,the husband and the lover of the woman

of the mosque .On the first day

, his eye s quickened by jea lousy ,had the young man marked Asaf Khan goin g to thepalace ; and running to the Mullah had told himwhat he had seen . Each day thereafter did theywatch Asaf Khan going to the palace to meet thewoman who had be trayed her husband thus vile ly,and each evening did they watch him return fromthe guilty meeting . But the time was n ot yet , an dthey held their peace . Asaf Khan must have a friendat the palace who admitted him . This friend woulddeny that Asaf Khan had met the woma n

,and would

be their enemy from that day . Also such thingsmust not be said of the palace of the Amir, whereno evil can come . They would wait till the woma nreturne d to her home, and then ta ke vengeance on

the guilty pair .Daily went Asaf Khan to the bazaar to hear of

what men spoke , and daily went he to the palace towatch the faces of those who sat before the Amir .


At last it ha s come, were the first words Asa fKhan heard, and to-morrow

’

s sun will see a newAmir, a Man 1It is t ime, said the other . Too long have

we tarried . Our friends from the North have bee nhere many da ys with offers of their help ; yet here

we still bide in idleness . Now all shall be changed.Now shall a Ma n lead us ; and we shall go to Hindustan where each shall be a wealthy Khan with landsand slaves . Pray Allah the plan miscarry n ot ! YetI think the matter is in good hands . This 1 8 thehour, is i t not

It is, replied the first speaker . Even n ow

the deed may be done . Even n ow the palace maybe in confusion while men run wildly from roomto room an d women wail , and the Amir lies silentin his chamber

,his soul in Paradise . For though

he was a bad ldn g, he was in truth a good man, andfrom Allah will he receive his reward . Let us returnto the barracks that we may be prepared when thenews comes .”

They moved away ; and rising to his feet , AsafKhan sped swiftly into the darkness . Yah Allah !If he be too late Little dr eamt he that the dan gerwas so close ! Even now the Amir, the on e he hadsworn to save, might be lying dead !Presently the palace loomed through the darkness.All was silmlt. A few lights twinkled from thewindows but there was no noise, no con fusion . He

wa s then in time ! In time to warn a ndsave ! Buthow could he gain admittance to the pala ce at tha thour ? He might n ot even enter the grounds ! A

HOWASAF KHANWENTTO JELALABAD 249

Mullah has many privileges,but even a Mullah may

not enter the palace groun ds at night without pe rmission .

To a sk permission would be to put on their guardthose whose works were evil ; for they would guesswhy he sought the Amir at that hour , and woulda ct at once . He must enter secretly . He slacken edhis pace, an dsought for a spot where he might enterthe palace grounds .Enter by the gate he dared not, for 'there were

men who guarded it n ight and day he must climbthe wall . Once inside

,he could return to the road

from the gate to the palace,for none would be on

it at that hour . If an y came, he could hide till theypassed ; but by the road he must go, for he knewnot the palace grounds and might lose precious time .The wall wa s low, and presently he came to a placewhere a tree overhun g the wall . In a moment hewa s over , and in the palace grounds .Now it chanced that the woman had been unableto leave the palace in the afternoon , and it wa s lateere the ladies of the harem gave her permission toleave . But late as it was, she would n ot stay inthe palace that night . This was the fourth day,and on the fourth day she had promised Asaf Khan ananswer to his question . He might be aslee p, butshe thought not . What mattered if he were , theanswer she would give would wake him . Withher arms and her lips she would give the answer,and he would not sleep long .

Perchance he waited for her at the palace gate !She had said she would return from the palace on


the fourth day ; what more likely than that he , impatient at her la te return , awaited her without thepalace gate ! For he was impatient ; else had he

not come daily to the palace in the hope of seeingher .

And as she passed down the road to the grea t gate ,

a form slipped from the road and hid behind a bush .

But the woman feared not . The eyes of love a re

sharp, and in the form She recognized on e she knew .

Such wa s tthe impa tience of Asaf Khan to hear he ranswer, tha t he had even ventured into the pala cegrounds ! Softly she stepped till she rea ched thebush , an d the n she breathed his name .

" ‘Asaf Khan ! O . ASa f Khan ! See kest thou ad

mission to the palace ? I will Show the e the way .

”

For She sought to play with him a while , pretending

she knew not why he came .

Then was Asaf Khan filled with grea t ama zeme rit.

He recognized the voice as that of the wife of theold Mullah of the mosque , and here wa s this womanOffering him entrance to the palace ! But how

knew She that he desired admittance ? That couldwait . In a few minutes he would be within the

palace , for this woman would take him there , andthe Amir would be saved . He stepped from behindthe bush .

Little as the man and woman knew it, anothe rwitnessed this meeting. When the woma n camen ot in the evenin g , the young man went to the e atinghouse to watch Asaf Khan ; and when Asa f Khansped to the pa lace , h e followed . The mosque layon the way ; and da rtin g in at the open door he


the blood which poured from her thr oa t and chokedher. And as he stepped back, there came a shrillcry from the palace .

He wa s too la te ! The de edhadbe en done ! Hadit n ot been for this wretche d woman and this madman , he might have been in time to save . But he

might yet be in time to avenge ! Asa f Kha n ‘

sped

towards the palace .

The great door opened as he approached ; anddashing aside the on e who opened it, Asa f Khandarted down the passage to where he knew the Amir ’sbedchamber lay ; for the Amir had taken him the reon e day to show him a book .

The whole palace was alive with light and noisefor ill news travels faster than the wind, and ma nythere were who wa ited for this news, knowing itwould come . The shr ill screams Of women echoed

through the corridors and passages , the harsh shoutsof men calling to each other . Lamps blazed in everyroom , many of them ready trimmed for the lightin g .

Asaf Khan plun ged on through the crowd ; andburstin g into the chamber he sought, beheld a sighthe had hoped never to see . There lay the Amir onhis bed , on his face a look of great peace and aroun dhim stood courtiers and attendants gazing on theirdead lord . Nasirulla Khan was standing at the

head ; and with a cry of rage Asaf Khan spra n g at

Thou a rt the ma n ! a ndhe seiZedNasirulla Kha n

But help was near . Many hands seized Asa f Khanand dragged him off struggling and fighting, and

HOWASAF KHAN WENTTO JELALABAD 253

Na sirulla Khan rose from the ground where he hadfallen . He gazed for a spa ce at Asaf Khan, and acun ning look leapt up in his eyes .

“ Yah Allah ! Had I been in my room I hadn ow been dead, even a s my poor brother is dead !He would ha ve slain both ! Ye seek the murdererOf our belove d Amir ; behold him before ye ! Thispretended Mullah is the man For this did he gainthe favour of the Amir ; that he might know theways of the palace when the time came ! Beholdthe blood on his clothes ! The blood of my poorbrother ! What other has blood upon his clothes ?None ! This is the man ! He is the murderer !Then did Asaf Khan se e the danger in which hestood . All men knew or guessed who had done thisdeed , but all would shield the culprit . But a murderer must be produced . The blood of the womanwas still wet upon his clothes ; he would be the on e

produced . Death he feared not ; but the death hewould die at the hands of these men was a deathno man would wish to die .

With a savage wrench he tore himself free, andinstantly wa s through the open door . Escape bythe great entrance he could not , and towards theharem he turned his steps . Women would be there ,and they would scream ; but they could not detainhim . He would seek a low window and drop into

the palace grounds .On he tore

,followed by those who poured from

the chamber of death , j ostling and hindering eachother in their eagerness . Down a corridor, up aflight of steps . He had out-distanced his pursuers, but


had not shaken them off. They guessed which wayhe would go ; and the cries of the women wouldsoon guide them . But he must go on . Into thefirst sacred chamber of the ha rem he burst , slammingthe door behind him, and the pursuers hesitated .

But Na sirulla Khan urged them on . At such a

time women’s feelings must n ot be con sidered . Eventhe sacred precincts of the harem must not be re

Spe cted. The door wa s bolted from the other side ;but they brought benches and burst it open a nd

rushed in . The room was empty, and they ra oed

through into the n ext . But though they searchedevery room, and questioned the women, no traceof Asa f Khan did they find .

The women could tell little , for a ll had huddledin corners with hidden face s when they heard thedoor assailed ; yet still, they would have

'

he ard ifon e passed . They had heard nothing . At last ,in the front room , the on e with the broken door,they found In aya tulla Khan lying in a corner, boundhand and foot, and gagged .

It was there Asaf Khan had found him, tremblingand pale ; and Springing upon him, in an instantAsaf Khan had bound and gagged him . To push

In aya tulla Khan behind a curtain, and to throwthe long embroidered robe over his own garments,wa s the work of an instant . The turban he tiedeven as the door was being burst from its hingesfor In aya tulla wore a turban , n ot a cap as his father

the Amir did—and drawing on the gold slippers,Asaf Khan stepped behind a curtain as the door fell.None thought of sea rching the first room . All

CHAPTER XI

HOW ASAF KHAN LOST HIS HORSE , AND GAINED SEVENRINGS

HOUGH Asaf Khan saw not the fairnessof the Mullah ’s wife , not always had heshunned women ; in his young manhood

he was always ready to meet the fair on e half way .

For it is not in the East a sin theWest . In a land whereall women are guarded jea lously, n or even permittedto leave the sacred zenana apa rtments save

,veiled and

in the company of others, allwomen a man meets arealike in his sight . The boorkha may cover the charmsof a houri, it may hide a hag . Therefore is it the womanwho makes her choice .

Handsome was Asaf Khan , and of a goodly presence , and many a message did he receive from fairones who saw him once and would see him again .

Always was he ready, and many a joyous adventurehad he but one was like to have proved his last .It was in the days between the day when he escaped

from the house of the Mahsud maiden , and the day

on which he left the bridal gift of a shoe with a womanthat this befell . Not yet had he met the on e real love

of his life , the love that was to be the last he shouldever feel for woman .

HOW ASAF KHAN LOST HIS HORSE 257

The j ourney had been long and Asaf Khan ’s framewa s not yet the iron and steel it was afterwards tobe come . He wa s weary, and the good steed hebestrode wa s still more weary for they had j ourneyedfar that day, and the road was hard . He rode in theAfghan country, and in that land there is but oneroad, the great highway by which the caravan s passall others a re mere stony hill—tracks .

But he must push on, for the place to which he wouldgo wa s still far . In the Afghan country a man of theBorder maynot dwell where he lists ; for there heis a stranger . Place s the re are where he may stay,where the men of many lands rest on their journeythrough Afghanistan but in other places, to stay is todie . Robbers are the people of those pa rts, robbersand Slayers of men ; therefore will not travellers passthrough those parts .But Asaf Khan feared no man ; that way was theshorter, and tha t way he went . Hard would it gowith the man who meddled with him by day . Butman must rest man must sleep and when the frameis wearied and the eyelids droop, heavy with sleep,how ca n a man guard against a foe who wa tches andhide s his time ? Therefore did Asaf Khan press hishorse forward that day for this was bad country, andhe would reach a place where he might rest in peace .

In a few moments the sun would se t, but the placefor which Asa f Khan sought came not in view . Was hegoing aright ? In these parts had he never beenbefore ; but at the last stopping place he had beendirected to j ourney due east till he saw two high peaks,and between the peaks must he pass . He had seen,not two high peaks, but six . Choosing the two highest,


he had passed between , and should be now at’

themussa fir khana he sought . But no serai , n o village ,no Sign of life whatever could he see he must havechosen the wrong two peaks to pass between .

Now did Asaf Khan repent him of his haste . Manyhad warned him to go by the longer way, but he hadtaken no heed . Perchance he might have listened ;but one spoke of this road sa ying it was the shorter ,

but a road by which only a brave man could pass . It

was enough . By this road would Asaf Khan go , andby no other .

And then, even a s he wondered if he must pa ss thenight in the Open

,perched on the hillside he sa w a

village , a strong, stone-walled village , and beside thevillage a house that was also a fort .This was not the place to which he would have gone

,

for the village wa s small but rest he must have , for,

his horse if not for himself the animal was spe nt and a

storm was brewing on the hills . Already great massesof clouds from which came the low muttering roll ofdistant thunder were gathering in the west . Hehastened on , and presently stood before the villagegates . They were closed ; and then did Asaf Khan

know that he wa s in bad country indeed for the gates

to be closed thus early .

Dismounting, he picked up a stone and with ithammered on the gate . A face appeared at on e of theflankin g towers, a face that scowled and mouthedcurses . A cold welcome , thought Asaf Khan ; butthe storm was near, and dissembling his anger, AsafKhan spoke the man fair, asking shelte r for himselfand horse within the village for one night .The man in the tower Shook his head .


fled . The man turned to replace his gun , and receiveda violent blow from a stone in the back .

With a snarl of rage he spun round , but still no mancould he see . The vile on e who smote people in the

back with stones must be in hiding . Also the hidingplace must be close he would go down and te ach thesaucy on e a lesson . He descended the ladder whichwas what Asa f Khan had desired and hoped for whe nhe angered the man .

As the man pushed open the village gate , on e sprangupon him. His arms were seized in a grip of iron, hewa s cast violently to the ground his face to the earthand ere he could raise an alarm ,

he wa s gagged . Then ,

despite his struggles, he was securely bound, lifted highin the air a s he had bee n but a child, and carried tothe top of the tower .Thron the man to the ground , Asaf Khan drew

his great Afghan kn ife, and removed the gag from the

man ’s mouth .

Utter a sound, he said harshly, and thatmoment shalt thou dieIn truth the man wa s a coward . One call would

have alarmed the village but he shook his head andpressed his lips hard to signify that he was dumb.

Asaf Khan smiled scorn ft upon the man , for theyoung judge harshly ; and he kicked the man withhis foot .Answer my questions, he said but answer in a

low voice . How many watchmen be there in chargeOf this gateThree there be

,brave stranger

,answered the

watchman hastily, for he liked not the look in AsafKhan

’

s eye but one hath gone to another village to

HOW ASAF KHAN LOST HIS HORSE 26 1

be married, and the other is sick . Till to-morrow midday will no one come to the tower if I answer the call . ”

H’

m . Thou shalt answer the call with my knifeat thy side . What is the name of thy KhanKhan Mirza Ali Mahomed Daud Khan

,

”wa s the

reply but we call him Daud Khan the fat when heis not nigh . Spare my life

,brave stranger and when

thy frie nds come I will even Show them the houses inwhich most wealth lies hid .

”

Then wa s Asaf Khan exceeding wroth . A watchman who Spoke thus In his wrath he smote the manupon the mon th, so that his lips were cut and the bloodran down on his beard . And that he should be silentand not again poison the air with such words, AsafKhan bound a cloth again over the man ’s mouth .

But who would answer the call He again removedthe cloth from the man ’s mouth but swore that if theman Spoke again , that moment he should die . Alsohe asked the man no more questions .

And after the man had answered the first call , AsafKhan

,knowing that all wa swell for a time , gagged the

man ; and going without the village brought in hishorse and tethered it at the foot of the tower, giving itgrass

, ofwhich he found a bundle in a small room below.

SO they sa t till dawn . When the call wa s given thewatchman answered ; and because the point of AsafKhan ’s knife pricked his ribs even while he called , heanswered faithfully .

The storm came and went , sudden and short as arestorms at that time of the year ; and when the Skywa s golden with the rising sun , Asaf Khan gagged theman and desce nded from the tower .First he sought a room near by, and finding one,


led his horse therein that it might not be seen by menwho passed . A strange horse tethered at the foot ofthe watchtower would cause men to wonder . Theymight call to the watchman

,and Asaf Khan

‘

would n ot

be there to undo the gag and with his knife make himanswer aright , for it wa s in the mind of Asaf Khan toenter the village .

Few people walked thus early ; but prese ntly AsafKhan met on e who went on a j ourney and thereforerOSe betimes . The man started back at the sight of astranger in the village at that hour ; but Asaf Khanbade him have n o fear .I come in peace ,” he said . Lead me to thy Khan ,

Khan Mirza Ali Mahomed Daud Khan . I have that

to tell him which must be told at once .

At this hour he will be abed ,” obj ected the man .

He will rise when he hears that I have come ,replied Asaf Khan confidently .

Asaf Khan ’s air of command overawed the man ;and in silence he led the way through the villa ge tothe house , or rather fort , where dwelt the Khan .

But here the man at the gate would not admit themnor would he take a message inside till Asaf Khanthreatened to hammer at the gate till not only all thehouse

,but all the village besides should come to a sk

the meaning of the disturbance . At length, with much

grumbling the man consented to take the messageAsaf Khan sent .

Go , tell the y Khan, said Asaf Khan , that whilehe sleeps his village is in danger . When the Khancomes, I will tell him what more I have to say .

”

The man departed . After a Space he returned to theate but he would not Ope n it .


by,none went to see whyhe answered not . All night

had he watched while they slept ; now the day had

come , he rested .

The watchmm was lying bound as Asaf Kha n had

left him but when he saw the Khan he struggled intoa Sittin g position and strove to Speak . But AsafKhan meant to spe ak first .Behold he said, pointing to the watchma n .

Last night did I come to this village seeking shelter .The way wa s long, and it was midnight ere I reachedthis place . I called , but none answered ; and goingto the gate of the village , I saw that it was Open .

Entering, I ascended into the tower, and the re lay thewatchman , aslee p ! Before I wakened him, I bound

him ; and then did this false traitor, thinking otherswere of my company, Offer to betray to us those in thevillage who possessed most Wealth . I bound clothson his mouth ; and this night hath thy village beenguarded by a stranger

Now, a ll that Asaf Khan spoke was not the truth,for he had not found the man asleep, but had overcomehim by a trick but the rest , that the watchman hadOffered to betray to him the richer men of the village

,

wa s true and therefore was the watchman a traitordeserving of any fate . Also a watchman should con

sider his life as naught to the safety of the village heguards, and this watchman could have called whenAsaf Khan first removed the cloth from his mouth ;therefore was he doubly a traitor .Khan Mirza Ali Mahomed Daud Khan was a man

hasty in his anger. Always didhe act first and thinka fterwards . With a mighty blow of his sword hestruck off the wa tchm&1 ’s head at the neck . The body


fell forward, and the Kha n had to step back from theblood which poured forth .

The men who hadaccompanied Asaf Khan and theKhan to the tower drew back in fear, for the fury of theKhan was known to all . Blind wa s this fury ; andOfttimes with the guilty on e had suffered others who

had done no wrong . But Asaf Khan feared no Khan,much less this fat man he had sheltered for the night,both he and his horse ,

and he would begone . That theKhanwa swroth troubled him not at all . He moved toleave the tower but the Khan seized him by thesleeve and turned upon him eyes that were red, andglared with a fierce light .Who art thou ?I am a traveller who passes this way.

It is not enough -Whence comest thouWhither goest thou ?Now, it wa s not in Asaf Khan to allow any man toquestion him thus ; with a look of disdain he turnedand left the tower .Bellowing with ra ge the Khan followed him downthe steps and bursting out of the door, aimed a blowat Asaf Khan that

.

would surely have cut him in half .But Asaf Khan stepped aside, and seizing the wrist ofthe Khan, wrested the sword from his grasp . Theothers fled from the scene

,not knowing upon whom the

Khan ’s fury might next turn, and the two stoodalone .

For a moment the Khan glared in Speechless rageat this man who defied him thus, this ma n whose beard

wa s of but a few years ’ growth and then he sprang .

But the days of youth and activity were past . He wa s

now grown stout, and his limbs were stiff . Asaf Khan


moved swiftly aside,seized the infuriated man by the

shoulder, and cast him heavily to the earth .

The Khan rose and for a moment gazed in silenceat the on e who had served him thus . But though hewa s prone to anger

,the Khan was a brave man, and

knew a man when he saw on e . This before him was avery man, and the red left his eyes .

Of a truth thy grasp isof iron he said rubbinghis shoulder ruefully but thou didst an ger me .

”

Thou didst anger me ,” retorted Asaf Khan .

The Khan chuckled at this reply, and the last of hisanger left him .

I would know more of thee , he said cordially .

If thy business be not pressing, dwell here with mea space . Thou art a man after mine own he art . Inthe days of my youth were many men such a s thou,but now they are few .

It mattered little to Asaf Khan whither he went orwhere he stayed ; he but travelled to see the worldwithout his village- and also because his father pressedhim to wed . As well stay here a few days and to thewonder of those who had fled, and who now stoodbehind their closed doors peeping through cracks in thewood, Asaf Khan and Kha n Mirza Ali Mahomed DaudKhan walked in friendship down the village street andto the house of the Khan .

The house was not large but it wa s strong, a s a nyhouse must be in those parts if those who dwelt thereinwould live long . Of two storeys was the house , in theupper storey the zenana apartments and the roomsof the Khan . A small courtyard stood before , that inwhich were the gate , and the wicket through which theKhan had squeezed and on this side were windows in


n ot even to his closest friend may a man spe ak of the

women of his House and when he passed on e evening beneath the balcony and a Spray of yasmin (Persianlilac) fell at his feet , Asaf Khan thought it had fa llenby chance . But because he ever liked the scent of

flowers , he picked it up and smelled Of it as he wenton his way.

Always Asaf Khan loved to watch the sunset . In ithe saw the fire of battle , the red of blood . And it wa s

as he stood the same evening outside the courtyardwall , watching the glow of the sunset in the westernsky , that there came an Oldwoman behind and pluckedhis sleeve .

To Asaf Khan had many messages been deliveredin this way . He turned not round , making as thoughhe knew not of the Oldwoman behin d . She was now

gathering herbs and presently she spoke , though she

looked not up from her task .

Sweet is the scent of the yasmin but sweeter thebreath of her who dropped it .”

“ I have eaten Salt with the Khan, replied Asaf Khan .

Round a s the moon is her face,

” pursued the oldwoman . Fair as the snow on the mountains is her

brow,her cheeks have the tint that is found only in the

heart of the rose . Two pillars of alabaster a re herbreasts, and her lips are twin pomegranate blossoms .

I have eaten salt with the Khan .

”

The Old woman made a grimace behind his back.

What man thought of salt when love called ! Thiswould be a cold lover and she returned to her mistress .Bitte rly and with harsh words did her mistressupbraid her . Had age dulled her wits ? To thinksuch a ma n as Asaf Khan, for she hadlearnt his name

HOW ASAF KHAN LOST HIS HORSE 2 69

and much about him, would be a cold lover ! Andtru th was a sma ll matter when it came in the way oflove . And so she scolded, till the Oldwoman consentedto do her will .

But for many days the old woman sought speech invain with Asaf Khan . He feared to be tempted, sonever stood apart from others ; and though the old

woman often passed him,and with a glance told him

she bore a message , no heed did he take . Daily thelove in the breast of the Khan ’s wife burnt fie rce r, fordaily She saw Asaf Khan ride out and return . Dailydid She upbraid the old woman for not bringing Asa fKhan the first day, threatenin g to have her slain ;and at last the old woman found a way.

Meetin g Asaf Khan and the Khan as they returned

on e day from the chase , she began to wail and cast dustupon her head . A man had dishonoured her House

,

and she claimed the aidof the Khan , she being in hisservice . In her daughter ’s house in the village dwelta guest, a woman friend from another village . Thehusband of her daughter had a friend, and this man hadeaten salt in their house nevertheless he had soughtthe love of her daughter ’s friend and had gained it .The Khan shook his head .

Naught ca n I do in this matter, he said Theman ate salt in the house but the woman was n ot ofthy House, She wa s a guest . Send the woman back toher home , and let her pe ople deal with the man .

Though the Khan thought the old woman indeed

spoke of her own House,Asaf Khan knew otherwise . It

wa s of the Khan ’s house she spoke . The on e who hadle t fall the yasmin at his feet wa s not of the Khan

’sHouse ; she wa s a visitor, and the bond of salt was


naught in her case . The Khan himself had j ust sa idit . That evening Asa f Khan lingered without the

courtyard to watch the sunset .To him came the oldwoman , and as she gathered

herbs,told him i t was even as he thought . The

woman was not of the Khan ’s house . If he wouldbe in the same place the following evening she wouldlead him to paradise now she must go within to tell

her mistress the glad news . As she passed, she slipped

into Asaf Khan ’s hand a gold ring .

Above all love gifts did Asaf Khan value a ring.

Flowers fade and die rich clothes are troublesome tocarry

,yet can they not be made into clothes in that

place lest the pattern be seen and known but a ringslips on the finger or into the pocket of the belt , and

can be sold at the first large city . And the first ringwa s not always the last . Often a woman gave on ering for Asaf Khan to come

,who gave a dozen to have

him stay when he would be gone .

The next evening came the old woman to Asaf Khan ,

and bade him be below the balcony that night andthough she said no more

,Asaf Khan wa s at the ap

pointed Spot , for he knew what would follow .

A sigh floated down from above ; and lookin g up ,Asaf Khan saw a face smiling down upon him . The

face was withdrawn , and presently a rope ladder

dropped softly .

Asaf Khan wa s no laggard in ldye . Swiftly he

ascended the ladder, hoping with allhis heart he wouldn ot find the fair one ill-favoured , a s had more thanonce been his lot , and stepped on to the balcony. No

on e was there ; but a sigh guided him to an openwindow, an dhe entered .


makes strange changes in a man . Calling to him histwo brothers and their sons , who dwelt in the samevilla ge but in another house, he told them what hehad heard from the woman .

These men also knew Asaf Khan ; and though hetreated them with scanty courtesy, and not as shouldbe treated the relations of the Khan , even they agreedthat it was not in Asaf Khan to do this thing . Thewoman must have a grudge a gainst her husband, andtherefore had she told this tale .But the Khan would make sure ; and he bade his

brothers come to him again after dark . The womanhad said Asaf Khan climbed the balcony each nightwithout fail they would go to Asaf Khan

’s room , andif he be not found therein , then would they go to theroom of the Khan ’s wife and take the false traitors in

their sin .

And SO it came to pass that after Asaf Khan hadclimbed the ladder that night , on e of the young men

who hadwatched from afar went and told the Khanit was even as the woman had said . A man had

climbed to his wife ’s balcony , and the form was the formof Asaf Khan . Then went the Khan and his brethrento the room of Asaf Khan , and Asaf Khan wa s not .Great was the fury of the Khan , and he swore by his

beard and the beard of the Holy Prophet,that with his

own hand he would slay this Asaf Khan and biddin g his

brethren go softly up the staircase a ndbreak open thedoor of his wife

’

s room , he went to the foot of the ladder .By that way would Asaf Khan seek to escape, and hewould slay him .

Now, it chanced that the old woman was about to

de scen d the stairs , when she saw the men talking below .


Their presence there at that hour could have but on emean ing, all wa s discovered Run ning to the door ofher mistress

’

s chamber, she scratched upon it till it wa sopened to her .

Then did the wife of the Khan fear greatly,and repent

her of the evil She had done but Asaf Khan , knowingnot the whole truth , drew her to him and would havecomforted her . Let the Khan come it would take agreater than Daud Khan the fat to harm her when AsafKhan wa s by . There wa s no bond of salt when theKhan knew the truth

,his anger would burn less fierce .

But the woman pushed him Off ; and drawing herwoman into a corner, promised her great riches if Shewould but think of a way to save her . Some momentsthey talked in whispers and then steps were heard onthe stairs . Suddenly the two women began to scream .

Help ! Help ! they cried . A man has comeup a rope and entered the room for thus they haddecided between them to say. They would sayAsafKhan came unknown to them . Some one had told theKhan they would say that that on e had sent the manup the rope out of enmity to the Khan ’s wife . TheKhan would believe

,and would spare his Wife thinking

the fault not hers . And then the Old woman saw alook in Asaf Khan ’s eyes that she liked not at all, forAsaf Khan was angered .

Hasten she screamed , forgetting all exceptthe present fear. Hasten

,or the man will Slay the wife

of the Khan !

Then did Asaf Khan know to the full the wickednessof this woman who had been unfaithful to her husbandwith on e who ate that husband

’

s salt .

At first he would have slain her for t he evil she had


wrought and the Shame She had brought upon his namebut the oldwoman threw herself betwe en , with manytears entreating him to spare her mistress . The Khanwould believe the tale they told and they would saythe man was a stranger . Thus would the life of hermistress be spared, and no shame come to Asaf Khan .

The woman ’s tears prevailed , and Asaf Khan passedswiftly into the balcony, for a knocking at the door toldhim that the time wa s short .

But Asaf Khan was not one to act blindly,else had

he not lived to be in this balcony . First he lookeddown and seein g the Khan at the foot of the ladder,returned to the room . Snatching a quilt from the bed ,

he went again into the balcony and throwing the quilt

over his shoulder, descended the rope ladder.

The Khan awaited him below, sure of his revenge

but while he wa s still out of reach , Asaf Khan paused

and removed the quilt from hi s shoulder . With a quickmovement he cast the quilt over the head of the manbelow

,and before the Khan could remove it

,Asaf Khan

leaped,full upon the Khan he leaped

,striking him to

the ground and the next moment he wa s away .

But there wa sno need for haste . When the brethren

of the Khan looked from the balcony, they beheld theKhan lying prostrate under the quilt , and hastened tohis aid. He was sore hurt, and for a full hour knew

not where he was n or who tended him . Even then hecould not rise from the couch on which they had laidhim and a s none knew which way Asaf Khan had gone

,

nor wished much to overtake him , none followed .

By morning Asaf Khan wa s far away . His horse

he had lost but he had seven rings, and with on e he


for men’s minds were still disturbed by this great wa rthe white races had been wagin g among themselves .The war was now Over , but still men feared to le avetheir homes . Men had suffered much in this war, menwho had taken no part in it , who belonged n ot to thenations that warred . Many had been driven fromtheir homes others had seen their a ll destroyed , andn ow wandered in search of food . The land wa s full ofthose who wanted and would not hesitate to take ifoccasion Offered, and a man who still hada home of hisown was sa fest there .

Even Hindustan had caught the prevailin g madne ss .

Was it not in a ll men ’s mouths but a few wee ks backthat the people of Hindustan had risen, a nd the

English were all driven out of the coun try or killedAt first Asaf Khan would not believe . Too many taleshad already come from that land of falsehood andintrigue from that land where men would always thatothers fought their battles and bore the burden, whilethey lay secure and filchedfrom those who saved them .

But at last he learnt that in part it was indeed so thatin the Punj ab the people had risen and attacked theEnglish in many places . Not the armed men

,it is

dangerous work meddling with armed me n ; but sixunarmed Englishmen had they killed in Amritsar

, on e

Englishman had they beaten as they thought to death,

and four Englishmen had they killed in Kasur .In other places would they have killed also

.

but n owthe English were on their guard a nd were gatheredtogether in centres with guns in their hands . For acrowd to attack and Slay a man , unarmed and alone ,is sa fe but to attack men prepared, me n with guns intheir hands , is not safe . Therefore were there no moreEnglish killed at that time .

HOWASAF KHAN KEPT THE FORT 27 7

But still men talked . Crowds assembled daily inmany places, threatening always that they wouldpresently Show the English their strength . Daily wa sthe railway line cut in fresh places and the telegraphwires

,

cut. Railway stations were burnt , and ever theexcitement burst forth in new places as the weakness ofthe English seemed more apparent .Asaf Khan cursed the English for fools . Had they

no sense ? Would they let this thing go on till theblood of thousands must be Shed ere order be oncemore restored ? Let him but ha ve the ordering of

affairs for one short week, and there wouldbe no moreunrest in Hindustan . He smiled grimly a s he thoughtof the measures he would take .

At last the English moved . Troops were sent outinto the district , the roads and railways were patrolled,and all gathe rings outside the great cities of Lahoreand Amritsar were forbidden . Proclamation wa smadethroughout the streets of each city, warning all menthat , as they defied the law, and the police no longersufficed to keep the peace , any gathering in defianceof this order would be fired on by the troops .But the day was past for orders and proclamationsto have effect . Even a s the man with the drum walkedthrough the streets of Amritsar city calling the order,another walked through other streets announcing ameeting to be held in a garden without the city .

With boasting and with many thr eats was thisme eting held . Fools got up and talked ; cowardswho urged other and Simpler men to brave what theydared not themse lves . Poems were recited, andevery means in the power of these enemies of theEnglish were used to excite the people to defy theirrulers and destroy them .


Then , accordin g to the order that wa s given camesoldiers who fir ed on the crowd, so that many wereSlain and others fled in fea r . Gone wa s their vaun tedcourage . Their leaders hid in se cret places . Far andwide spread the news of the doings of that day, andmen ’s hearts failed them . There was a pause

,and

in the pause came thought .Why were they behaving thus ? Had the Englishdone ha rm to their country, or had they done it goodIf they turned the English out, who would be theirrulers ? The men who had urged them to this evil .The men who slunk away and hid whe n dan ger wasnigh . To whom would they appeal against the in justice and Oppression of the Zaildar and Tehsildar

(min e r revenue and police officials) when there wasno more an English Deputy Commissioner To whomshould they appea l against police tyranny and zulmwhen the Superintendent of Police was an Indian ?Who would give them the j ustice denied them in thelower Courts when the j udges of the higher Courts wereperchance of the same caste and family as the oppositeside P And so, after many days , men took up theirabandoned work and there was peace .

To Peshawar also had the unrest spread ; but inPeshawar were many troops , and the people wa lkedcircumspectly . In a few villages did the people givetrouble but these men were soon taught the error oftheir ways , the leaders in Peshawar were se nt away fromthe city, and in a few days the trouble was a thin g ofthe past .And now came the news that the Afghans would

invade Hindustan , that their troops were even nowmassed on the Border, in some places were across theBorder . De ceived by the tales from Hindustan , the


I earned it not, said Asaf Kha n curtly . Whatwould ’st thou of meA message . A message to one afar . By word of

mouth must this me ssage he delivered, and the on e

who takes the message carries his life in his hand .

”

To what place must this message be takenTo Kaum , a sma ll fort , a military post beyond

Thall .”

Asaf Khan pursed up his lips . The Afghans comethat way .

”

It is so. Those in the fort know it n ot thereforewould I warn them . There be two English oflice rs,

five Sikh sowars (cavalrymen) and the Levies . TheLevies will not fight for us, they will prove unfaithfulto their salt ; I would wa rn the others to retire whilethere is yet time .

”

Asa f Khan had heard of this matter of the Levies,the men of the Border enrolle d and armed by theEnglish to keep peace on the Border ; and his heartwas filled with Shame tha t this vile thing Should be .

Men of the Border unfaithful to the bond of salt !Never had such a thing been before But theirminds had been poisoned by the new teaching, that theeatin g of salt was n ot binding as be tween the Faithfuland those n ot of the Faith .

And this mission to a place be yond Thall was n ot tohis likin g . Also he was sore at the failure of his lastmission . He answered harshly that he had eaten n o

salt of the English and would not go .

Thou shalt go ,” said the Wise One confidently,

and this is the message thou sha lt bear . The Englishmen and the Sikhs must take horse at once and ridefrom Kaum . They must warn those in the other posts,and all will retire together . As much ammunition

HOW ASAF KHAN KEPT THE FORT 28 1

as they can they must destroy before they leave,and

this they must do in each place . This message shaltthou bear to Kaum . GO now, for the time is short .

”

I will not go,” repeated Asaf Khan . This is n o

quarrel of mine . I have said before , I will fight onlythe men of the Border who are mine own enemies ;others I will n ot fight . They are ofmy race and blood .

If I take this message , I will surely have to shed bloodeither going or coming ; and the blood of men of myrace I will not Shed save in mine own quarrel .”

Thou shalt go for,” the Wise One raised his hand

as Asaf Khan was about to interrupt ,“ for one of

the Englishmen in Kaum is Colonel Markham .

Asaf Khan rose to his feet . I go , he said . Sendthou a man to lock the door of my room in the serai

,

and he strode from the room .

Two ways lead to Thall, on e by the railway throughCampbellpore and Kohat , the other straight across .The first is the longer way, but in time of pe ace it isthe quicker . Now few trains ran, and it might provethe lon ge r in time a s indistance ; Asa f Khan went direct .He was a man inured to hardship buying a little

food as he passed through the bazaar, he turned hissteps in the direction of Kohat .Many perils had he by the way, for the whole Border

was ablaze . At on e place he had to lie hid for an hourwhile a party passed back from a raid into Britishterritory . Cattle they had with them, and captiveswhom they would hold to ransom ; and coming to asmooth stretch of grass , they rested for a space .

Close be tween two rocks , barely hidden by a bushthat grew upon them, Asaf Khan lay, scarce daring tobreathe till they had rested and gone their way.

Kohat he passed the next morn ing and now came


the pa rt of his j ourney where it behoved him to takeevery care if he would win through and not be slainere hismessage be delivered .

Beyond Kohat he rested till even , eating sparin glyof the food he had brought and when the sun wa s lowin the west , he again set out . Night drew on

,and

now he stepped warily for if he be but seen or heardit would go hard with him . A stranger unable toaccount for his presence, he would be taken for a spyand would receive short Shrift from whomever he met .Parti es were out he knew, not small parties , but gan gsof fifty an d a hundred ; to be discovered by on e of

these would spell failure and death .

Swiftly he moved through the darkness , swiftly yetcautiously, his ears alert to catch the slightest sound ,

his eyes peering into the darkness . For man y miles hewalked thus , hearing and seeing naught and then hecam e to a great plain . Upon this plain was the postto which he must take hismessage and he gave thanksto Allah that his task was done . In a few hours hewould be in Kaum , his me ssage delivered , and byeven in g the defenders would be safe on their way to

But it is not safe to say beforehand what will be,

lest the fates be angered and say it shall not be andthus it was with Asaf Khan .

The first grey streaks of dawn wer e creepin g up inthe sky

,when he marked on the edge of the plain a

dark mass movin g towards him . In an instant hedropped between two rocks . Swift was his movemen t ,swift as the fall of the falcon on its way, but not swiftenough to escape the keen eye of the Pathan raider . Ashout a sound of running fee t and he knew he hadbeen seen .


pursuers could he find a refuge now,he could enter it

unseen . The ground was much broken,and many

rocks thrust their sharp edge s from the earth ; butalways round their bases and between them was solidground . A j ackal ’s hole , a cleft between two rockswould serve his need but though j ackals had howledthroughout the night , and many of the rocks wereshattered, he found nor hole nor cleft deep enough tohide him .

He mounted another rise and now,though he could

see far behind , he saw no man . The pursuers hadgiven up the chase and he wa s safe he could take hismessage to the fort . He threw himself down to rest .It wa s little rest his iron frame needed

,and within a

few minutes he was again upon his way . Direct to thefort he must not go

,for those who so lately had

pursued him would see and would cuthim off. Furthe ralong the edge of the plain must he go ere he couldcross it.

And now he began to recognize some of the hills hesaw in the distan ce . In thi s part of the country he hadbeen before

,and knew of an oldtower that lay a mile

away . From the top of the tower he could see formany miles around , and could mark the safest way tothe fort . He hurried on , and presently the tower camein view . Near by there stood a house which had n ot

been there when Asaf Khan was here before an dheprayed that n o on e dwelt therein . Haply In thesedisturbed times it would be empty, the owner fearingto dwell in such a lonely place .

Cautiously he approached . Nothing stirred withoutthe house . Not a dog barked , the door and windowswere closed and Asaf Khan breathed a sigh of relief .

The place was deserted . He could climb the tower.

HOW ASAF KHAN KEPT THE FORT 285

Nevertheless he beat at the door of the house,craving

food and shelter in the name of Allah but nonean swered . One window there wa s near the groundbut this was closed with Shutters of heavywood

,and the

other windows we re high, as is the custom in those parts .And now that he had made sure none dwelt withinthe house

,Asaf Khan went to the tower . From the

top he would se e those who had lately pursued him,

and could shape his course so as to avoid them . Alsohe would se e if other bands lay hidden near .The door wa s still strong though the hinges were

rusted and some of the panels were cracked . Pushingopen the door, Asaf Khan ascended the narrow,

spiralstone staircase and presently came to the top . Forthese towers have no rooms . They are look-out posts ,and there is naught but the spiral staircase within thesolid mass . A few have a small room within ,

that thetower may serve as a place of refuge and defence

,but

in this part such towers are few, most have but thestaircase .

Cautiously Asaf Khan peered through the embrasuresround the top. The house lay below him beyond theOpen country . Nothing stirred on that side , nofigure showed on the distant plain and he moved tothe other side . There rose the fort on a mound in themidst of the plain he must presently cross and there,in the broken ground he had lately passed, lay thosewho had pursued him . In a hollow they lay, so thatthey Should not be seen by those who kept watch atthe fort and Asaf Khan ’ s brows met in a frown a s

he marked their numbers .Full one thousand men lay hid in the hollow and

in the fort were two Englishmen and five Sikhs . Therewere men of the Levies but better had they not beenK


there, for they were traitors . Perchance even n ow

on e from the fort mingled with the band below,

betrayin g to them the weak places of the fort . His waythen was clear . He had but to go a short distancebe yond the house ,

and he could then cross the plain insa fety .

Asaf Khan O Asaf Khan One waits here whohath sought thee long .

”

Then was the soul of Asaf Khan filled with dreadand his liver turned to water ; for he knew it was aspirit that called . None were near this tower savehimself

,and yet a voice called A female voice , and

all men know that of all evil spirits the female spiritis the most evil . He clutched the charm at his neck .

The hair on his scalp rose , and he crouched low . Menhe feared not but an evil spirit was a thing accursed .

O Asaf Khan came again in a long-drawnwail . Wilt thou n ot look again upon thine own

true love Long have I waited for this day .

”

And now wa s Asaf Khan torn between two minds .

The spirit was that of a woman could it be the soulof his dear , dead love ? But evil spirits take manyshapes when they tempt men . If he lost his life , helos t what be valued little and gained a grea ter blissbut to lose his immortal soul— l

Begone foul fiend he shouted hoarsely .

Know that round my neck hangs a talisman givenme by the Holy Mullah of Khost and roun d my armis a potent charm given me by a Holy Pir in Hindusta n .

A burst of shrill laughter greeted his words .

Nay,but I am no spirit

,came the reply . Come

but to this side Of the tower and look down ; thoushalt see thine own true love


enemy was near , alone and she cast about in her mindhow she might best get him into her power . Butfirst she commanded her man to follow swiftly

,while

she followed more slowly with the other thr ee .

For many miles was this man behind Asaf Khan ,though Asaf Khan knew it not but the night was dark

,

the way rough, and the man had to walk cautiouslyfor Asaf Khan oft looked behind . And so it came topass that the man lost Asaf Khan in the darkness .Then was the woman wroth with her man , and

upbraided him with bitter words,saying that be

valued her honour n ot at all in that he had let this manescape . Naught answered the man . Words of reasonare wasted on a woman when she is pleased ; howmuch more are they wasted when she is ange red !And after she had reproached him for a space

,the

woman turned her steps towards her home .

Now it wa s that the woman ’s way led past the housenear the tower and as day was at hand , she and hermen took refuge therein till night should again fall .And that no man should know they were in the house

,

they closed the door fast and made no fire, eating of

the food they had with them .

And while they ate , on e beat upon the door andcalled . Nothing answered they but the woman wentto the window, a nd looking through a crack in theshutter

,saw Asaf Khan .

Then did the eyes of the woman again glitte r withcruel j oy . Though she had lost her enemy for a time ,again was he delivered into her han d . This time heshould not escape . With her face pressed to thewindow she saw Asaf Khan enter the tower .The woman sat silen t for a space

,thin king how she

might de stroy her enemy . Openly she dared not


attack him for She had with her but four men,and

Asaf Khan she thought a match for ten . Sometimesshe frown ed, and her looks we re fierce when She thoughtof the shoe and the shame and sometimes she sighedand her eyes grew soft as she thought what a veryman thi s Asaf Khan wa s.

But the wrath that had burned in her heart thismany years would not be denied, a nd at last she

thought of a plan . In on e of the rooms she had seena gr eat heap of fir ewood piled high to the roof withthis would she take her revenge upon the scorner .Calling to her men , she disclosed her plan .

At first they would n ot for they also were brave,

and there are some thin gsa bra ve man will n ot but thewoman prevailed , and presently the men did her will .Then called she to Asaf Khan as he stood on thetower looking across to the fort and she mocked him ,

telling what she had done. All the firewood had she

and her men piled in the passage an d the door of thetower

,mixing wi th it straw she had also found in the

house . Even n ow one of the men was putting fire tothe heap

,and presently Asaf Khan would die, choked

by the smoke that came up the staircase, for much ofthe wood wa s yet green .

Asaf Khan gnashed his teeth with rage . He , awarrior noted far and wide for his craft , to be trappedand Slain thus by a woman And to die like a hornetthat is smoked in its hole in the wallwhere it has madeits nest .He started towards the staircase ; but even as hedid so a cloud of smoke came forth and drove himback to the edge .The woman laughed whe n '

she saw him again .

Once I almost worshipped thee, O Asaf Khan


she cried . Now I worship thee indeed . I offer incenseto thee even as the in fide ls offer incense to their godsThe smoke was in Asaf Khan ’s throat

,and he

answered her hoar sely.

Black Shall be thy face in Paradise , thou childlesswoman ; but Asaf Khan fears not death , for to himshall be a place of honour

Bihist is not for thee , O Asaf Khan for to-morrowwhen the fire Shall have died down , I and my men willcome up and burn thy body to ashes How thenshalt thou rise again on the Last Day, having n or bodyn or bone s , thy ashes cast to the four winds of the

Then was Asaf Khan fille d with rage as never beforein his life. And he foamed at the mouth as he calleddown the curse of Allah an dHis Holy Prophet on thiswoman who would treat a man thus . But the womansmiled, showing the beautiful teeth Asaf Khan hadonce praised .

Asaf Khan drew back from the edge . He would nottha t he should die with this woman ’ s gaze upon him ,

and die soon he must . The smoke came forth in everincreas ing volume

,and as there was n o bree ze to blow

it aside it rose straight in the air but before risin g , itsprea d about the top,

so that presently there would beno place where Asaf Khan might breathe, and he wouldchoke . Had the towe r be en lower, he would have casthimself down upon the woman and in dyin g slain herbut the tower was high

,she would se e him coming

and would move aside .Now wa s the smoke over all the top of the tower

and Asaf Khan cast himself down on the floor, forthere he might still get a little air ; an dhis face was


screamed with joy when she saw the hand, for itclenched an dunclenched as the hand of a man dyingin agony .

Asaf Khan was now silent but still the hand moved .

Sometimes it clenched , and sometimes it straightenedand remain ed stiff for a space . And the womanlaughed and threw stones at the hand

,so that the men

moved from that place lest they be hit,for the aim of a

woman is known to all men .

And as the woman gazed and laughed and threwstones

,the hand stiffened with a great spasm

,the

fingers working as if they sought to grasp the air .

Then the fingers grew slack , the hand grew limp , the armslipped from the edge, and the woman knew tha t herenemy was dead . She ceased to throw stones

,and

her men drew dear .Stranger than a ll other things in Heaven or on

Earth is the heart of a woman . For a spacethe woman stood silent , and then she shrieked .

Dreadfully she shr ieked, so that her men shuddered at the sound and gazed at her in amazement .Seizing her hair in her han ds, she tore itlout in handfuls

,while scream after scream burst from lips tha t

were livid as th e lips of the dead . And as the mengazed In wonder, the woman turned to them a face ofhorror and de spair .He is dead ! she screamed in a terrible voice .

Asaf Khan is dead and I have sla in him But theremay yet be time to save and rushing to the opendoor she strove with her naked hands to tear out thefire that burnt fiercely within . Seizing the burn in gbrands, she hurled them forth but the fierce flamesdrove her back again and again , her hands burnt andcharred , her clothes on fire . Her men seized her and


strove to he a r her away but she fought with themscratching the ir faces till the blood ran down

,tearing

the hairs from the beards,and biting to the bone

,till

they were fain to release he r and let her have her will .Again she rushed to the door but this time a

measure of reason had returned,and she saw the hope

lessness of that she would have done . Asaf Khan wasdoomed , wa s dead, a nd naught tha t she could dowould bring him again to life . Aga in the womanscreamed and running to the side where She had seenthe arm , held her maimed hands to the heavens .Asaf Khan she crIed and the men shuddering

stopped their ears at the sound . Asaf KhanBeloved ForgiveFor a moment she stood with upraised arms then

running to the door,she cast herself headlong into the

furnace that raged within .

Then did her men flee in terror from that awful place .Hearing all, Asaf Khan raised his head from the hole

for a moment,and through the smoke saw the men

fleeing from the spot . He wa s saved but what of hismessage He looked around.

The smoke wa sless , in time it would cease but thefire would continue to burn for many hours . Helooked over the side . He had but his turban to lowerhimself with

,and that was far too short but what

other way wa s there Could he fight his way downthe passage and through the fire to the door Therewa s no other way , and his message must be deliveredsoon . He could do nothing till the smoke ceased ,and he lay praying silently to Allah that he might yetbe in time to save his friend .

At last the smoke ceased to rise, an d Asaf Khanapproached the opening. It wa s even as the mouth


of a furnace and Asaf Khan ’s face grew stern a s hethought of what he must suffer ere he won throughFor win through he would , else his me ssage would n otbe delivered

,and his friend would die .

Another hour he waited, and then again approachedthe Opening . The heat wa s not so great as before ;but still it wa s enough to make the brave st draw backin fea r if naught but thought of self urged that one .

But Asa f Khan thought not of self it was of anothe rhe thought . Swathing his face and neck in his turba nso that only his eyes showed through the folds , hebound pieces torn from his clothes round his feet an dhan ds . His leather coat would protect his body; and thusprepared

,he approached the opening for the third time .

It was a terrible j ourney . His lungs were burstingere he reached the bottom and here he had to leapover an dstruggle through the fire

,sometimes with his

hands tearing down a heap over which he could notpass . The body of the woman lay near the entrance

,

burnt and twisted an dAsaf Khan smiled at the sightof the foolish woman who would have destroyed he renemy, yet only destroyed herself.With staring eyeballs he burst through the door andcast himself down , gasping for breath , an d beat outthe fire from his clothes . His hands were blistered andraw

,his clothes scorched an dburnt but he was safe

,

and would be in time with his message .Not long did Asaf Khan re st . In spite of the cloth

the Skin wa s burnt from his hands in man y pla ces,an dhis legs had many burns and his feet had escape d

,

protected by the sandals and the cloth he had bormdround them and it is with his fe et that a man walks .His face too was n ot burned , nor his beard singed , forwhich he gave thanks to Allah . He could walk, the


j ourney hither nor did the colone l see his burnt hands,

for Asaf Khan kept them hidden in his long sleeve s .Then did the colonel call to him the other English

ofl‘ice r and the Sikh Havildar and he told them

of the messa ge Asaf Khan had brought . Long theytalked over this matter of gi ving up the fort for it wa sto the liking of none

,they being brave men and

warriors but orders had come , and orders must beobeyed . N0 ammunition could they destroy inKaum , n or guns ; for the Levies had spoken beforeAsaf Khan of these things , saying that with arms andammunition they were sure of a warm welcome from theAfghans . The Levies would allow nothing to bedestroyed they must leave all things in Kaum . Elsewhere it might be that the ammun ition could be destroyed but they must hasten

,for if once news of the

Afghan host reached other places, it would be thereas here .

The party was soon mounted, a spare horse of thecolonel ’s bein g given to Asaf Khan an dthey rode outof the gate of the fort , the two Englishmen leading,Asaf Khan a n dthe Ha vildar next, the other four Sikhs

Naught said the colonel a s he passed through thegate of the fort , and naught said the Levies . Theyknewwhyhe went , he had heard of their treachery fromthe stranger, and though they hardened their hearts ,they were ashamed and would not look him in the face .The Sikhs looked neither to the right nor to the left

,

lest their eyes be offended with the sight of thesetraitors and the Levies , knowin g their thoughts ,ground their teeth with rage . Still they sa id naught .Presently they would follow, and these five men wouldthey seek out for their own . Only Asaf Khan spoke .


I will return, he said . In a little while I willreturn .

”

At his words the Levies wondered . This man hadwarned the Englishmen at Kaum, now he went doubtless to warn others and yet he spoke of returningLet him return they would deal with him Or wa sit that he led the Englishmen into an ambushStiflly erect, as on parade, rode the small party

down the slope till they reached the foot of the moundon which stood the fort then putting spurs to theirhorses

,they rode away .

Hard they rode and fast they rode, nor did they sparetheir horses

,for the time was short . Many must be

warned, and much ammunition destroyed ere theAfghans came .

On they galloped, their horses’ hoofs ringing clear

on the hard,stony ground . Sometimes the English

men talked , and sometimes the Sikh sowars talkedto each other but Asaf Khan and the Sikh Havildarspake never a word . Asaf Khan was busy with histhoughts

,which were now taking shape and Havildar

Tek Singh thought of his home in the Doab , wonderingif he would ever se e it again . Near the Beas river wa sHavildar Tek Singh ’ s home, nestling in a grove of

she e sham trees , with a mango near the door, and plumtrees about the well at the back . Fields of corn he had ,tilled by his hired men and before his door played foursons

,who were yet young but who would some day

wear the un iform of the Sircar even as their father did .

He sighed .

Asaf Khan glanced round when he heard the sigh .

Was this man soft of heart If so, he might not fallin with the plan that wa s forming in Asaf Khan

’

smind . But the face at which he looked grew stern


again , the lips set tight , and he knew this man for awarrior who j oyed in a warrior

’s life, perchance wouldj oy in a warrior’ s death Asaf Khan would offer him .

Asaf Khan return ed to his thoughts .At mid-day they had left Kaum . Three hours

’

hard riding would take them to the next post . Anhour after , they could leave tha t place for another .

So much for them . The Afghans would advance on

Kaum at nightfall. Finding the English gone , theywould follow immediately

,reinforce d by the Levies

of Kaum . It would take the Afghans longer to dothe j ourney

, say five hours . The En glish would thenhave a start of about eight or nine hours . Nine hours isnot much . The Pathan travels fast , and the retiringforce would be overtaken ere it reached a place of

safety . If the Afghans could be detained at Kaum ,

those who retired would have a better chan ce of

getting away.

He did n ot think the Afghan s would advance on

Kaum before night . The Le vies would fear a trap ,and would warn the Afghan s to be on their guard .

The parting words of Asaf Khan moreover wouldpuzzle them , and to this end he had spoken . Heglanced again at Havildar Tek Singh , and then at theother four Sikhs . They were all warriors , for theywere of the Khalsa but to do what he asked of themthey must be more than warriors . He turned in hissaddle, and for the first time spoke to Havildar TekSin gh .

I am a Pathan,an dthou ar t a Sikh . Between the

Pathan 'and the Sikh has ever been enmity yet forgetnow tha t I am a Pathan , a s I shall forget that thou arta Sikh , an d let us be friends and brothers . Thouwould

’

st be faithful to thy salt, for no man of the


Asaf Khan marked the doubt,and smiled . He raised

his voice so as to reach those in front .Colonel Sah ib

,am I to be trusted

To the death,

” replied Colonel Markham withoutturn ing round .

It is enough, said the Havildar . There be sixBritish officers and fifty Sikhs, infantry . Leviesthere be ; but thou sayest the Levies are pigs andtraitors he Spat contemptuously . How manyAfghans come this wayA full thousand men will presently be in Kaum .

When they find us gone, they will come straight on ,for

they will know whither we have gone .”

But we shall have left for another post , sa id theHavildar .

“,

Ou foot, Asaf Khan reminded him . The Sikhsin the post to which we go are foot soldiers, a ndtherewill not be spare horses to mount so man y . Nor canwe leave a t once, for the guns and powder must bedestroyed . The Afghans will be there almost a s weleave perchance before .

The Havildar shrugged his shoulders . We can

but die . Art afraid he asked carelessly .

For a moment Asaf Khan ’ s eyes glowed dangerouslybut presently he smiled.

I am afra id,” he said, for an other . One there

rides before us,even the Colonel Sahib , to whom I

would that no hurt should come . Could the Afghan she stayed in Kaum but for on e short hour, he wouldbe safe .

The Havildar shrugged his Shoulders again .

What is written must be . They cannot he stayed .

Asaf Khan seized him by the shoulder.They can be stayed I he sa id hoarsely .

HOWASAF KHAN KEPT THEFORT 30 1

must be stayed ! and he turned to the other fourSikhs . They had pushed their horses near but hadlistened to the stran ge words of Asaf Khan In Silence .Their Havildar would saywhat wa s needed .

Ye are of the Khalsa,said Asaf Khan and the

Sikhs of the other posts are also of the Khalsa, yourbrothers . Ever have the men of the Khalsa beenfaithful to their salt but will ye be faithful a s few haveever been Will ye win for yourselves a name on theBorder that shall endure while men have tongues tospeak of these things ?Thefightin gbloodof the Sikhs answered to the call a sdoes the willing horse to the spur. Their eyes flashedand each man ’ s hand dropped to thehilt ofhis tulwar .

How ? asked the Havildar curtly .

Thus,and Asaf Khan dropped his voice again .

In ten minutes shall we se e the lights of the post .Let us drop further behind, and when we se e the lights,let us turn our horses and gallop back to Kaum . Ourhorses are far spent , but they may do it if not , wecan finish on foot . 1 shall call to the Colonel Sahibwhat we do . He knows me, — a grim

,

smile playedabout his lips he knows when Asaf Khan says hewill do a thing , that thing will Asaf Khan do. Hecannot follow us, for his duty calls him elsewhere, towarn and to save . Even then he may not return , forhe must lead those others to a place of safety . Say,will ye comeBrave were the Sikhs

,brave as a man ca n be but

this wa s almost certain death .

And your forefather went even to Kabul

scoffed Asaf Khan . Ride then to safety, and inyour homes tell your children how ye betrayed todeath the comrades ye could have saved


The Havildar ’s eyes fla shed fir e ,an dbe grasped the hiltof his tulwar till the muscles ofhis hand showed as cordsTell us thy plan ,

” he said briefly .

It is this ,” and the joy which Asaf Khan felt in

his heart Showed in his voice these men would helphim Let us to Kaum with all speed . We Shall getthere at nightfall, but I think before the Afghans .

Then Shall we steal silently into the fort where theLevies will be busy choosing wha t they shall take fortheir own before the Afghans come . We sha ll be uponthem ere they know of our coming and though theyare thirty, we six shall prevail. Thou hast a revolver ,even as I have ,

” showing the butt of on e hidden in hisbelt

,an d thy men have guns . We will shoot down

as many as we can , and finish with knife and tulwar .

Say,will ye do this ?

The question n e eded no answer . Each of the Sikhsheld his naked tulwar in his han d . Five pa irs of eyesflashed fire . Five pairs of lips were drawn back in asnarling grin a s the j oy of battle raged in their hearts .We will do this, said Havildar Tek Singh . But

by doing this how shall we help the others This willnot delay the Afghans .

”

Not by doing this alone shall we help the others ,replied Asaf Khan , but by doing more .

” He Spokewith more confidence now, for he hoped greatly. AsI have said , so shall we do and then will we bar thegate s of the fort , placing rocks and bags of earthagainst them so that the enemy may n ot burn a wayin . Then shall we defend the fort while our comradesescape to safetyHis voice rose triumphant on the last note

,and he

half-turned his horse as if he would leave at once butthe Havildar placed a restrain ing hand upon his bridle .


not , but make all spe ed . As for me and these bravesons of the Khalsa , we have a mission ; we return toKaum . Good-bye , my friend, my brother, Allah andHisHoly Prophet have thee in his keeping . Good-byeThere was a sound of galloping, and the two Englishmen were alone .

The fight a t Kaum was short and sha rp . Surprised,

unarmed , for they had laid aside their we apons whilethey sought for booty, the Le vies were an easy prey .

Like rabbits we re they shot down as they ra n forshelter, and those who escaped the bullets were slainwith tulwar and knife .

Feverishly the six worked to barricade the gate ;bags they filled with ea rth ; great rocks the y rolle da nd piled on the heap ; till the sweat poured downin streams did they work ; and at last the gate wassafe . Only from within could the gate be now opene d ,and the men reste d .

“ It is enough, said Asaf Khan . Le t us n ow

place ammun ition and guns in ple nty round the

walls . The rest of the guns will we de stroy, andthe ammunition we need not we will gather togetherin on e place . When they attack we will destroythe ammunition ; but not before , lest they hearthe sound and come to learn the reason . The laterthey come , the better for our friends .

”

At nightfall the Afghans came . A few led the

way, their feet muffled in cloths but the sharp earsof Asaf Khan heard . Approaching the gate , themen ga ve the signal that should have gained themadmittance had the Levie s still bee n there .

For the Faith !None answered for those from whom the y expe ctedanswer lay dead in the fort .


For the Faith ! and on e rapped loudly on the gate .

Still no answer . And then a spurt of flame leapedfrom the towers that flanked the gate

, six spurtsof flame . Six dark forms fell to the earth

,for the

Afghans stood close and in a body . With a yellof dismay the others fled, sped by another volleythat brought three more to the groun d , and AsafKhan laughed aloud .

“ Go ! he shouted . Say that save those whocame to ye by stealth in the day, none in this fortare traitors . All are faithful to their salt and Shalldefend the fort w hile one rema ins aliveThis he said , for he would the Afghans should thinkthe Levies had changed their mind and would notbetray the fort . Then would the Afghans not attackat once , and more time would be gained . Withthe ir plans gone thus astray, they would make othersere the y advanced upon the fort . It wa s so muchtime gained , so much more chan ce for his friendto escape to safety.

An hour passed, and again his ke en ear caughtthe sound of approachin g footsteps . But two mencame , and the y stood afar .

“What means this treachery ? " came a voicefrom the da rkness . Are we not brothers ? Wouldye fight against me n of your own blood and Faith ?Your word wa s pledged that ye would open thegates ; but n ow, when we would enter ye slay us !

Two of your comr ades are with us, and we knowhow few ye be why the n do ye this foolish thingWe will surely take this fort

,for to take it we have

sworn what the n will be your fate ! Nine of us

have ye slain, and two are sorely wounded ; yetshall we say naught of this if ye will Open the gate .

”

3 6 6 EXPLOITS OF ASAF KHAN g ,

Asaf Khan smiled broadly . Even had they beenmen of the Levies

,as those without thought , short

Shrift had been theirs at the hands of the kindre dof those they had slain . He answered n o word,but fired at the voice , and a yell told him his bullethad found a resting place in one of the men .

After this there was silence for the space of halfan hour

,and then came the attack .

In a body the Afghans rushed forward and thoughmany fell

,they came on till they reached the walls

of the fort . But they had thought to enter bytreachery

,and hadwith them neither scaling ladders

n or ropes . But some had poles on which they carrie dtheir banners ; and placing these against the wall,they strove to climb . Others mounted on each other ’sshoulders

,and so tried to scale the wall .

All was in vain . The defenders were but Sixthey might well have been a hundr ed . The fortwas small, the whole extent of wall they had to guardnot 300 yards drunk with the lust of battle , Khalsaand Pathan alike

,they were everywhere , smiting at

an arm or head , throwing back a pole with its clingingburden

,firing point-blank into a face and shattering

it into hideousness here one moment , there the next ,their battle cries rrngin g above the din, the Khalsa

ji ki Jai of the Sikhs, the famous“ La ’la ’la 1

of Asaf Khan .

For an hour the enemy strove ; but at the endhad to retire discomfited, leaving a full two hundredof their dead lying without the fort. Three of theSikhs were slightly wounded ; but the Afghans hadlittle ammunition , and also feared to slay their ownmen who strove to climb the wall .Then was the he art of Asaf Khan filled with a grea t


Asaf Kha n said . Plainly on the night came thesound of digging, of iron tools striking against rock ,

but though they looked from many places, from nowhere could they se e the me n who dug . On e por tionof the base of the wall was not commande d fromabove , and the besieged were helpless .

For two hours the work continued . Often AsafKhan thought of sallying out. But more would belurking n e ar to support those who dug ; and in theopen wha t chance would six have against hundredsFor two hours the work continue d, and then therewas a rush of scurrying feet . Asaf Khan got on e ,

the Havilda r and on e of his men got on e each ; butthe other thr ee missed , or only wounded their men .

Now was the time to destroy the ammunition ,which they had collected and piled in a greathe ap in an open place . Loose powder was scatteredover the heap, and above a ll were piled great logsof wood , the whole saturated with oil. A trail ofpowder led from the heap, and putting a match tothe end of the train , Asaf Khan and the Sikhs tookshelter on the opposite side of the fort behind theoffice rs

’ quarters .For a few minutes it was as if a battle raged . She lls

exploded, cartridges burst in thousands, and in themidst of the turmoil there came a de afening crashthat shook the fort to its foundations . The Afghan shad exploded the mine , and the wall was down .

Asaf Khan ’s face was grave a s he looked at thehavoc wrought in the wall. Full Sixteen fee t hadfallen , and there were but six me n to defend the gap .

He looked around . Opposite the breach stood theguard—house , a solid structure of stone ; it wa s therethey must make their last stand . The y would be

HOWASAF KHAN KEPT THE FORT 309

under cover , and could Slay many ere they werethemselves slain . The Havildar was of the same mindand collecting all the ammunition and guns theyhad not destroyed, the six entered the guard-house .

It had but two windows, high in the wall ; andfrom these they had nothing to fear, for they werebarred with iron bars se t close . One door was infront , and another behind ; and this second doorthe defenders made haste to secure , piling it withtables and chairs that lay in the guard-house .

Barely was their task complete d, when theat the door gave warning of the approach of theAfghans . The others posted themselves on both sidesof the door, some standing, some kneeling, and somelying down , and prepared to receive the enemy .

With a rush came the Afghans andthough the fireof the defenders wa s fast and furious and many anAfghan brave bit the dust, the guns were too few,

and the great host poured through the breach in thewall as water pours through a broken bund whe nrain falls on the mountains and the river is high .

Now were the Afghans raging about the guardhouse

,climbing on each other ’s backs to reach the

windows,only to leap down with curses when they

found the bars . Others stood by the Side of thedoor and tried to fire in by holding their guns ata rrn s

’ length . But these did little harm ; and aftermany had been killed by those inside , who fired fromthe darkness

,they desisted . Others again took refuge

behind the edges of the breach , and from there firedinto the guard-house and from the se wa s the danger.

And so the battle raged . Presently on e of theSikhs threw up his arms . Khalsa ji ki Jai hecried

,and fell dead . Soon another sank to the


ground and lay still . Still the hot fire of the de fenderskept the enemy from the door . A third Sikh fell a nddied , and then a fourth .

And now the Afghans brought fire which theyput to the door behind ; so that it burned , and theroom wa s full of smoke . Did they think to driveout the defenders Foolish thought The defenderswere Havildar Tek Singh of the Khalsa, and AsafKhan , Pathan , Afridi !Fast the two fired , fast, yet careft so that everyshot told . So quick was the movement with whichthey changed a used magazine for a fresh tha t theeye could scarce follow the motion . The groundbefore the guar d-house and at the breach was strewnwith dead , but the Afghans would n ot be denied .

Though they be slain to the last man by these devilsthey must take the guard-house , else would their facesbe black in the eyes of all men . They were menaccustomed to war, and knew from the soun d thatbut two now remained alive in the guard-house .

And then Havilda r Tek Singh san k to the ground .

I have fought,

” he said . Let them not get mybody . Khalsa ji ki Jai l and died . So passedHavildar Tek Singh of the Khalsa .

Then wa s Asaf Khan alone in the guard-house ;but so furious was his fire , that still the Afghansdared not approach the door . But the door behindwas n ow burn in g brightly, an d the benches

,and

on e outside caught sight of Asaf Khan by the light

of the flames . Seeing that he was alone, and seeingalso that he was a Pathan , the man called to AsafKhan to come forth:Thou art of the Faith ,

he said and despitewhat thou hast done we will harm thee not . In the


would they get his body or the bodies of the braveSikhs to work their shameful spite upon ; all wouldbe consumed by fire .

The thought that on the last day he would haven o body with which to rise

,troubled him not at all.

Allah saw a ll, and was merciful . A red splash suddenlyshowed on his breast , and he staggered back . Buthis task wa s not yet done . Everywhere in

,

the guardhouse he scattered the fire, and pres ently he stoodwithin a circle of flame . A second splash showedupon his breast , but then the Afghan s fired no more .

Such courage as this they had never seen , and itfilled them with awe .Awhile Asa t a n stoodin the midst of the fire, gazin g

in fierce triumph at the foe he had cheated , for theynow stood openly before the door, dumb with wonder .But presently his face changed . The fierce triumph

faded,giving place to a look of glad wonder and sur

prise . What saw Asaf Khan in that moment of

victory a nd death ?At first he saw naught but the open door and the

enemy that stood without but the door faded away,

and he stood in a green garden by n mn ing watersthe songs of birds were in his ears

,and the cool moun

tain breeze fanned his cheek .

And who was this that came down the path withgraceful step ? Doubting his sight , he passed his

poor, charred hands across his eye s . The visionwa s still there . She advanced , a smile of in efia ble

sweetness and love upon her face . It was she ! Itwas indeed she ! With an inarticulate cry of loveand longing Asaf Khan threw wide his arms and againembraced his lost love .

THE END .

exploits of asaf khan - forgotten books was the ninth 1 eight times had the exploits of asaf khan...

Documents