EX-KING OF AFGHANISTAN

As an added encouragement to the rebels, they had
behind them now the full support of the mullahs. The
latter had conveniently forgotten the fact that Bacha
Sachao was the humble son of a water-carrier, and of
the lowest caste in the country. They ignored for the
time being the fact that association with him meant
the defiling of their bodies and their own high prestige.
They were always blessed, as has been seen before, with
sound common sense, and presumably they considered
that the will of Allah could best be served by linking
their forces with this rampaging outlaw of the hills.
Any method was good enough to get rid of Amanullah,
the infidel, even though the services of another religious
outcast were to be condoned. Allah, they judged, would
be tolerant in these little details.

They worked well and successfully in the ranks of the
rebel soldiery. They promised glory for the wounded
in battle, and eternal peace for the dead. They pro-
phesied the end of warfare with the end of Amanullah,
though perhaps this argument was ill-chosen in view of
the splendid time being had by all. They drew atten-
tion to the large Government granaries which would
soon be at their disposal, and unceasingly stressed the
religious motives of this movement to rid Allah of a
tyrant.

An even more satisfactory promise was that of revenge
on the foreign officers and officials on whom they laid
the blame for their present troubles. In particular, they
resolved to exterminate the hated Russians who now
piloted the Government aeroplanes. Amanullah, if he
thought to break their spirit with the daily shower of
bombs, fundamentally misjudged his own people. The
mere fact of employing Russians as incendiaries, to
slaughter them in such impersonal and unromantic
manner, hardened the spirit of revolt against him. The

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