Soldiers Three - Penn State University

The blood of the fight is but newly dry upon us. Judge thou
if it be the blood of the servants of the Presence, or not.’ And
he said: ‘I see. Ye have done well.’ But he did not call for his
horse or his devil-carriage, and scour the land as was his custom.
He said: ‘Rest now and eat bread, for ye be wearied
men. I will wait the coming of the Dipty Sahib.’
Now it is the order that the Havildar of the Thana should
send a straight report of all dacoities to the Dipty Sahib. At
noon came he, a fat man and an old, and overbearing withal,
but we of the Thana had no fear of his anger; dreading more
the silences of The Tiger of Gokral-Seetarun. With him came
Ram Baksh, the Havildar, and the others, guarding ten men
of the village of Howli—all men evil affected towards the
Police of the Sirkar. As prisoners they came, the irons upon
their hands, crying for mercy—Imam Baksh, the farmer, who
had denied his wife to the Havildar, and others, ill-conditioned
rascals against whom we of the Thane bore spite. It
was well done, and the Havildar was proud. But the Dipty
Sahib was angry with the Stunt for lack of zeal, and said
‘Dam-Dam’ after the custom of the English people, and extolled
the Havildar. Yunkum Sahib lay still in his long chair.
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‘Have the men sworn?’ said Yunkum Sahib. ‘Aye, and captured
ten evildoers,’ said the Dipty Sahib. ‘There be more
abroad in your charge. Take horse—ride, and go in the name
of the Sirkar!’ ‘Truly there be more evil-doers abroad,’ said
Yunkum Sahib, ‘but there is no need of a horse. Come all
men with me.’
I saw the mark of a string on the temples of Imam Baksh.
Does the Presence know the torture of the Cold Draw? I saw
also the face of The Tiger of Gokral-Seeta-run, the evil smile
was upon it, and I stood back ready for what might befall.
Well it was, Sahib, that I did this thing. Yunkum Sahib unlocked
the door of his bath-room, and smiled anew. Within
lay the six rifles and the big Police-book of the Thana of
Howli! He had come by night in the devil-carriage that is
noiseless as a ghoul, and moving among us asleep, had taken
away both the guns and the book! Twice had he come to the
Thana, taking each time three rifles. The liver of the Havildar
was turned to water, and he fell scrabbling in the dirt about
the boots of Yunkum Sahib, crying—’Have mercy!’
And I? Sahib, I am a Delhi Pathan, and a young man with
little children. The Havildar’s mare was in the compound. I