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PISTOLS 45
placed it beside him at night. It had cost six
pounds, and would kill at a thousand yards. He
seemed to regard it as a certain talisman against
Moslem violence, much as an expert shot might do.
It was not for sale, he explained, but would I, as
a favour, try it as I had done the other ? I thought
he was practising on me some form of subtle salesmanship,
but agreed to do as he asked, and went out on
the hills with this weapon. It jammed like the other
;
and on returning I told the merchant he would do
better with a stick. Had he never had trouble with
it himself, I inquired.
" No," he said thoughtfully, but in a curious voice,
like one thinking of a loss. And then the truth came
out : he had never fired the pistol ; and had never
fired any firearm in his life except a revolver once or
twice. I asked what he thought would happen if the
need arose to use his pistol in earnest, and suggested
that he could not begin practising too soon.
" Fire off half your rounds this week," I urged.
He made a hopeless gesture with his hands, and
said
" The cartridges, they cost much money."
And yet they did not, for they cost no more than
in England. He was a smart- looking, able-bodied,
youngish man, who appeared quite capable of defending
himself No doubt he would have fought bravely
enough against Moslems when pushed ; but he was
essentially a man in pursuit of gain, and found parting
with money painful. When arming was forced
upon his race as a necessity, he and others who
could afford the outlay had each bought an automatic
pistol for five or six pounds, and received as well a
hundred rounds of ammunition as part of the purchase.
These weapons they regarded as costly protective
instruments, efficacious chiefly by reason of
intrinsic quality. That another pound or two should
really of use was an idea
be spent on each to make it
opposed to the buyers' deepest principles and instincts.
,^^^«
Of those who bought such weapons, few indeed too%-*'''^^* ^.
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