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"Nay, nay!" said Ranjoor Singh, "it is for you to make proposals, and not for me. It is not I who stand waiting to be burned alive! Let me make you a suggestion, however. What had we Sikhs to offer when we were prisoners in Germany?" "Oh, I see!" said Tugendheim. "You mean you wish me to join you to be one of you?"
Tugendheim used no tenderness, such being not his manner of approach, but nothing came of it. They may have had food hidden, but we ate stale bread and gave them some of it, although Ranjoor Singh forbade us when he saw what we were doing. He thought I had not been looking when he gave some of his own to a little one. We were up and away at dawn, with all the dogs in Asia at our heels.
"In Germany we were required to set our names to paper," he said, and Tugendheim looked him in the eyes again for a full half minute. "Do you expect better conditions than were offered us?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "I will sign!" said Tugendheim. "What will you sign?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "Anything in reason," answered Tugendheim.
Leaving the Turkish officer his own horse, but taking the saddle for himself, he gave Tugendheim one, me another, the third to Gooja Singh he being next non-commissioned officer to me in order of seniority, and having had punishment enough and the fourth horse, that was much the best one, he himself took.
"The Persians hereabouts," he said, "all tell me that a great Russian army will come down presently from the north. Have I heard correctly that you meditated escape into Russia?" Tugendheim answered, "How should I reach Russia?" "That is thy affair!" said Ranjoor Singh. "But here is more gold," and he counted out to him ten more golden German coins.
Having lived in India, I knew better." "Did you trouble yourself to tell anybody better?" asked Ranjoor Singh, but Tugendheim did not answer. "Then can you give me any reason why you should not be burned alive here, now?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "Yes!" said Tugendheim. "It would be cruel. It would be devil's work!" He was growing very uneasy, although trying hard not to show it.
There was no difficulty in finding shelter because so many of the houses were deserted; but the few inhabitants of the other houses could not be persuaded to produce food. Ranjoor Singh took their money away from, the four men whom I had overlooked when we all gave up our money on the steamer, and with that, and Tugendheim for extra argument, he went from house to house.
After five minutes he shouted for Tugendheim, and the German went down the slope visibly annoyed by the four guards who kept their bayonets within a yard of his back. It was a fortunate circumstance for us, not only then but very many times, that Tugendheim would have thought himself disgraced by appealing to a Turk.
The rain came down in squalls and sheets and the wind screamed through, it, and we were famished as well as wet to the skin all, that is to say, except Tugendheim, who had enjoyed the shelter of the hut. The teeth of many of the men were chattering. Yet we stood about for an hour more, because it was too dark and too dangerous to march over unknown ground.
He examined it, drew out the cartridges, and passed it to Tugendheim, who pocketed it with a laugh. It was three days before he spoke to Tugendheim and caused him to give me the pistol back. I think the men were impressed, and I was glad of it, although at the time I felt ashamed. Presently Ranjoor Singh himself chose an advance guard of twenty men and put me in command of it.
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