EX-KING OP AFGHANISTAN

mysterious, but for which the tribes had paid heavily
in fines and in punishment. It was still a wild land.
The laws of the British in the Khyber were still inflexible,
and still prohibited movement among the soldiers after
nightfall. The hills still held their fanatics, and the
rifle shots, continuing some family feud, still echoed
round the hills sometimes to interrupt the chatter in
the British Messes.

But the old Indian came with chicken and a huge
pile of rice, and I started dinner, alone and very thirsty.

The pillau was very dull, but quite edible. The old
man seemed anxious to talk. He told me that it was
very strange for a Sahib to stay the night at the
Telegraph Office. I agreed. He told me that it was in
fact quite indefensible for a Sahib to stay the night this
side of the Frontier. I agreed.

" There are badmashes still in the villages," he said.
I expressed astonishment.

" The Sahib should have gone to Peshawar, or to
Landi Kotal," he said. Whole-heartedly I agreed.
Then I heard the bugles calling " Lights out " in Landi
Kotal, The notes ripped the silence of the hills. It
was an eerie place, frowned on by the hills on either
side. The Persians yawned and went to sleep.

I saw to the driver, who was already curled up in the
driving seat of the car, fast asleep. Then the old man
came with a hurricane lamp and showed me the way
upstairs. He had fixed up a ckarpqy in the room, and
had evidently persuaded the Persian clerks to sleep in
the next room. They must have been very crowded,
but they had given me a room to myself. I spread out
my bedding and went to sleep, waking to the chatter
of the clerks just before the sun caine up.

Then we pressed a few rupees on the old Indian,.
started the car, and the gate lifted again to admit us

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