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Updated: April 30, 2025
Tugendheim bit his nails and made as if to pull his mustache out by the roots, but we suffered no anxiety on his account; his safety and ours were one. He had no alternative but to obey. Before the moon rose we sent our unmounted men to the top of the ridge under Chatar Singh, and the rest of us rode in a circuit, through a gap that Ranjoor Singh had found, to the plain on the far side.
"Who brought it ashore?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "I," said the trooper. "Then, for leaving it there in the rain, you shall carry it three days without assistance or relief!" said Ranjoor Singh. "Get back to your place in the ranks!" And the man got back, saying nothing. Ranjoor Singh picked up the baggage and tossed it past Tugendheim into the hut. "That is all I have!" said Tugendheim.
Counting the four who guarded Tugendheim, that made a total of eight troopers probably incorruptible, for there is nothing, sahib, that can compare with imposing a trust when it comes to making sure of men's good faith. Hedge them about with precautions and they will revolt or be half-hearted; impose open trust in them, and if they be well-chosen they will die true.
Tugendheim, trying to make the ends of his mustaches stand upright in the rain, laughed as if he thought it a very great joke; but the rest of the men looked doubtful. I knew they were unwilling to turn their backs on any of our number, yet afraid to force an issue, for Ranjoor Singh had them in a quandary. I thought perhaps I might mediate. "Sahib," said I. "Silence!" he ordered.
Disobey me, and you shall sample unheard-of methods of repentance! Do we understand each other?" "I understand you!" said Tugendheim. "I, too, wish to understand," said Ranjoor Singh. "It is a bargain," said Tugendheim. But I noticed they did not shake hands after European fashion, although I think Tugendheim would have been willing.
"Is it strange," asked Ranjoor Singh, "that a prisoner should be asked for information?" "I am not afraid to die," said Tugendheim. "You mean by rifle-fire?" asked Ranjoor Singh, and Tugendheim nodded. "But there are other kinds of fire," said Ranjoor Singh. "What do you mean?" asked Tugendheim.
In the flash of an eye, as you might say, we had thus fifty extra infantry, ten of them neither uniformed nor armed as yet, but all of them at least afraid to run away. Tugendheim looked doubtful for a minute, but he was given his choice of that, or death, or of wearing a Syrian's cast-off clothes and driving mules.
And because they had notice of our coming, they turned out the troops, a division strong, to greet us, and we took the salute of a whole division as we had once taken the salute of two in Flanders, Ranjoor Singh sitting his charger like a graven image, and we one hundred three-and-thirty men and the prisoner Tugendheim, who had left India eight hundred strong-reeling in the saddle from sickness and fatigue while a roar went up in Khyber throat such as I scarcely hope to hear again before I die.
And Tugendheim, who spoke our tongue fluently, marched as a rule among the men, or rode with the mounted men, watched day and night by the four troopers who had charge of him better mounted than he, and very mindful of their honor in the matter.
And Gooja Singh stood a little forward from the others, half-truculent and half-afraid. "What do you want?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "Of what were you whispering?" But Gooja Singh did not answer. "No need to tell me!" said Ranjoor Singh. "I know! Ye all seek leave to loot! They gasped at him all of them, Tugendheim included.
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