My work was to help the people plough, and now and again go out with some of
the Army and see what the other villages were doing, and make 'em throw rope
bridges across the ravines which cut up the country horrid. Dravot was very
kind to me, but when he walked up and down in the pine wood pulling that
bloody red beard of his with both fists I knew he was thinking plans I could
not advise about, and I just waited for orders.
"But Dravot never showed me disrespect before the people. They were afraid of
me and the Army, but they loved Dan. He was the best of friends with the
priests and the Chiefs; but any one could come across the hills with a
complaint, and Dravot would hear him out fair, and call four priests together
and say what was to be done.
"He used to call in Billy Fish from Bashkai, and Pikky Kergan from Shu, and an
old Chief we called Kafuzelum,--it was like enough to his real name,--and hold
councils with 'em when there was any fighting to be done in small villages.
That was his Council of War, and the four priests of Bashkai, Shu, Khawak, and
Madora was his Privy Council. Between the lot of 'em they sent me, with forty
men and twenty rifles, and sixty men carrying turquoises, into the Ghorband
country to buy those hand-made Martini rifles, that come out of the Amir's
workshops at Kabul, from one of the Amir's Herati regiments that would have
sold the very teeth out of their mouths for turquoises.
Pages:
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295