Kurban Sahib gave him big abuse for his desertion; but
the Pathan put up his hands as excusing himself, and Kurban Sahib relented
and added him to our service. So there were three of us--Kurban Sahib, I,
and Sikander Khan--Sahib, Sikh, and _Sag_ (dog). But the man said truly,
"We be far from our homes and both servants of the Raj. Make truce till we
see the Indus again." I have eaten from the same dish as Sikander Khan--
beef, too, for aught I know! He said, on the night he stole some swine's
flesh in a tin from a mess-tent, that in his Book, the Koran, it is
written that whoso engages in a holy war is freed from ceremonial
obligations. Wah! He had no more religion than the sword-point picks up of
sugar and water at baptism. He stole himself a horse at a place where
there lay a new and very raw regiment. I also procured myself a grey
gelding there. They let their horses stray too much, those new regiments.
Some shameless regiments would indeed have made away with _our_ horses on
the road! They exhibited indents and requisitions for horses, and once or
twice would have uncoupled the trucks; but Kurban Sahib was wise, and I am
not altogether a fool. There is not much honesty at the front. Notably,
there was one congregation of hard-bitten horse-thieves; tall, light
Sahibs, who spoke through their noses for the most part, and upon all
occasions they said, "Oah Hell!" which, in our tongue, signifies _Jehannum
ko jao_.
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