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Updated: May 2, 2025
I saw his eyes look inward, meditating treachery, not only to Wassmuss, but to us, too. But Ranjoor Singh detected that quicker than I did. "Let us neglect no points," he said, and the Kurd brought his mind back with an effort from considering plans against us.
"We have heard of this Wassmuss, and have taken quite a fancy to him. Your friends proposed to send us to the trenches, but we have already had too much of that work and we intend to find Wassmuss and take part with him. Let your business be to obey me implicitly and to help us reach Wassmuss, and on the day we reach our goal you shall go free with this paper given back to you.
Ranjoor Singh had been listening, too, but he backed into a corner as I entered, and all the while I was whispering to him I kept hearing the word Wassmuss Wassmuss Wassmuss. The German who was lecturing explained something about this Wassmuss. "What is Wassmuss?" I asked, when I had given Ranjoor Singh the men's answer. He smiled into my eyes. "Wassmuss is the key to the door," said he.
"If you keep your bargain with our chief and he gets this gold, we shall have Wassmuss, too, within a week, for we shall buy the allegiance of one or two more tribes to join with us and oust those Kurds who hold him now. Hitherto the bulk of his gold has been going into Persia to bribe the Bakhtiari Khans and such like, but that day is gone by. Now we Kurds will grow rich.
In fact, if there is any mishap they intend to lay all the blame on you. But it is to their interest as much as yours to keep us from being captured." "You mean I'm to help you escape?" asked Tugendheim. "Exactly!" said Ranjoor Singh. "Now that you have signed that, I am willing to bargain with you. We intend to find Wassmuss." Tugendheim pricked up his ears and began to look almost willing.
Then I asked them about Wassmuss, and they rather confirmed Ranjoor Singh's guess about his being practically a prisoner. They said he was ever on the move, surrounded and very closely watched by the particular tribe of Kurds that had possession of him for the moment. "First it is one tribe, then another," they told me.
"I and my men!" said Ranjoor Singh; and I held my breath until I thought my lungs would burst. "Persia!" thought I. "Afghanistan!" thought I. "And what beyond?" "Ye are not Kurds," the chief answered, after he had considered a while. "Wassmuss said the escort must consist of three hundred Kurds or he will not pay." "The payment shall be arranged between me and thee!" said Ranjoor Singh.
Not long after that, we let our Kurds go, giving up our Turkish officer prisoners and Tugendheim as well. We all knew by that time what our final goal was, and Tugendheim begged to be allowed to go with us all the way. But Ranjoor Singh refused him. "I promised you to the Kurd, and the Kurd will trade you to Wassmuss against his brother," he said.
Nay, I and my men need none of it I offer it all!" "At what price?" asked the Kurd, suspiciously. Doubtless men who need no gold were as rare among these mountains as in other places! "I shall name a price," said Ranjoor Singh. "A low price. We shall both be content with our bargain, and possibly Wassmuss, too, may feel satisfied for a while." "Nay, you must be a wizard!" said the Kurd.
But if I stay and take the gold, who shall know who I am? You will be able to prove with the aid of Wassmuss that neither you nor your men were anywhere near when, the attack took place." "Then you will make an ambush?" said the Kurd. "I will set a trap," said Ranjoor Singh. "Moreover, consider this: You think I may take the gold and keep it.
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