It speaks volumes for the high estimate which British
integrity had already earned amongst these rough borderland people, that
a man with two thousand rupees on his head could accept such an
invitation. For the same man to have accepted a similar invitation from
the Sikhs, or even from his own countrymen, would have been an act of
culpable and aimless suicide.
One fine day, therefore, Dilawur strolled into camp, and he and
Lumsden began "to talk matters over." After compliments, as the Eastern
saying is, Lumsden with much heartiness, and in that free and easy
manner which was his own, took Dilawur with the utmost candour into
his confidence.
"Look here, Dilawur," said he; "you are a fine fellow, and are living
a fine free life of adventure, and I daresay are making a fairly good
thing out of it. So far, although I have done my best, I have failed to
catch you, but catch you I assuredly shall some day. And what do you
suppose I shall do with you when I do catch you? Why, hang you as high
as Haman,--a gentleman whose history appears in our Good Book. Now,
that's a poor ending for a fine soldier like you, and I'll make you an
offer, take it or leave it. I'll enlist you, and as many of your men as
come up to my standard, in the Guides, and with decent luck you will
soon be a native officer, with good fixed pay, and a pension for your
old age, and, meanwhile, as much fighting as the greatest glutton can
wish for.
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