Give me the
rifle." He took Kurban Sahib's rifle--in this war of fools only the
doctors carry swords--and lay belly-flat to the work, but Kurban Sahib
turned where he lay and said, "Be still. It is a Sahibs' war," and Kurban
Sahib put up his hand--thus; and then his eyes rolled on me, and I gave
him water that he might pass the more quickly. And at the drinking his
Spirit received permission....
Thus went our fight, Sahib. We _Durro Muts_ were on a ridge working from
the north to the south, where lay our main body, and the Boer-log lay in a
valley working from east to west. There were more than a hundred, and our
men were ten, but they held the Boer-log in the valley while they swiftly
passed along the ridge to the south. I saw three Boers drop in the open.
Then they all hid again and fired heavily at the rocks that hid our men;
but our men were clever and did not show, but moved away and away, always
south; and the noise of the battle withdrew itself southward, where we
could hear the sound of big guns. So it fell stark dark, and Sikandar Khan
found a deep old jackal's earth amid rocks, into which we slid the body of
Kurban Sahib upright. Sikandar Khan took his glasses, and I took his
handkerchief and some letters and a certain thing which I knew hung round
his neck, and Sikandar Khan is witness that I wrapped them all in the
handkerchief. Then we took an oath together, and lay still and mourned for
Kurban Sahib.
Pages:
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103