AMANULLAH

taking other steps. He had already four waistcoats, of
brilliant hue, enclosing his mighty chest. He had
changed his shoes for sparkling new creations of worked
leather, their toes pointing to heaven. The old ones he
stuffed into his sleeves. Then he hung around his
swarthy neck a very feminine row of beads, intended
to grace more swanlike shoulders, and undoubtedly not
meant to gleam through the tresses of a thick black
beard. Lastly, he hid a further packet in the folds of
his new puggaree, while the old one he folded round his
waist.

The small boy carried on his person equally dutiable
goods. He had been wearing an old and greasy skull
cap, smaller than a woman's b6ret, on the back of his
head. This he threw away, and proceeded to decorate
his head with a selection of coloured and shiny caps of
the same shape, which, I knew, had been bought in
Peshawar City. The caps made a little dome on his
head. They were easily noticeable even to the unprac-
tised eye. But to conceal them he wrapped a new
puggaree round his head, and surveyed himself anew.

He had on new clothes over his travelling garments.
His trousers, white and voluminous, stuck out in virgin
stiffness. He was wearing four waistcoats, of brilliant
texture, and as he moved he sweated profusely in the
damp and clammy atmosphere.

So with the third passenger. Evidently I was an
unwitting accomplice to a band of amateur smugglers.
Then we got into the car, which seemed suddenly to
have grown much smaller, and rattled down the hill to
the Customs post.

The smugglers need not have taken such trouble to
conceal their new goods. As it happened, negotiations
were concluded with the smart Afghan Customs officer
on the other side of the bridge with more celerity

140