EX-KING OF AFGHANISTAN

" You call me Kafir ! " he retorted. " I will show you
that in fact I am favoured of Allah. Near Kandahar
there is the cave of the Khirqua-i-Sharif, or holy cloak.
It is written, as you know, that only a man close to
God can open that cave. I will dare to open it ! "

And he did. It is unknown whether the opening of
the cave was any particular feat of strength, or whether
legend had imbued it with a reverence and fear that
kept it free from curious hands. The fact of its actual
opening by Amanullah, however, is vouched for,
and there can be little doubt that the superstitious
Afghans who saw the feat actually imagined that
he would be struck dead, or mortally afflicted, at the
first touch.

" I will dare to open it ! " Amanullah had cried.

He silenced by that one move all the cries of infidel
that greeted him. But even the honour of following a
man so highly placed with Allah would not tempt the
Kandaharis from their peaceful occupations. They would
not trust him again.

There was yet another plot to place Asadullah Khan, a
relative, on the Amir's throne, but here again lack of
support, and an increasing lack of money, checked the
scheme in its infancy. And day by day it seemed that
Bacha Sachao was growing in power. Very soon it would
be too late.

Equally futile were the efforts at a restoration of
Amanullah's family taken by a cousin of his, one Ali
Ahmed Jhan, once Governor of Kabul. I met him during
a short visit to Peshawar soon after the accession of
Bacha Sachao.

The little hotel at Peshawar does not lend itself to
separation for the benefit of two opposing personalities,
and yet by some miracle of tact it managed to house
such a couple without undue friction. Th§ two enemies

343