AMANULLAH

that the new arrangement of his unshaved lips, the
showing of yet more blackened teeth, and the sudden
air of desperation, betokened that here was a smile.
Truly the greatest of days, for he never contorted
himself in this manner again.

There were two dozen beggar boys on the doorsteps,
instead of the usual dozen. There were two policemen
on the front steps. There were a couple of hundred
odds and ends parked in the compound. The manager
was even more frantic than ever I had seen him even
in his apoplectic life. All the serving boys were this
morning on the verandah, having given up their work
for the day (or for a week if the festivities lasted as
long). All the guests, with the exception of myself,
were in the salon, waiting for breakfast. All the cooks
were at the fruit stalls, and all the house-boys were
chivvying beggars away from the kitchens. Everything
seemed set, in the hub of Afghanistan, for gala.

It was now possible to see the cause of the morning
salute to progress and national advance. The promiscu-
ous blowing of bugles, delightful as it is in the young,
was now conducted by infants in the guise of soldiers,
enjoying their first official apparel. They were happy
and care-free. They had risen early, like children before
a fancy-dress party, and donned their proud raiment
hours before it was necessary. They were thrilled with
the same excitement as pervades the nursery before the
" Great Day." And it is one of the more sage of nursery
dicta that the anticipation is in many cases more
delightful than the event. So it was to-day.

In some cases they could not even resist the temptation
to play with the insignia of their offices as privates in
the Afghan Army. These were slightly more dangerous
to the surrounding community than were the bugles to
my peace of mind. Their bayonets were rusty and of

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