Jiand's surrender--A political lecture--Jiand's oath--Bluff for Khwash--The army moves forward--Khwash and its fort--Mahommed-Hassan comes in--Beetles as scavengers--Halil Khan comes in--Rifle prices, a comparison--Idu's warning--News of Izzat--Order of march--Bluff for Bampur--The meteor hole.
At five o'clock Jiand arrived riding a camel, and followed by a few attendants.
I went forward to meet him, and treated him with all the courtesy due to his position.
He dismounted and offered his salaams. He was a fine but pathetic-looking figure--a tall, spare man--but the weight of years, and the strain of recent events, were beginning to bow his shoulders. His thick beard was quite grey, but his eyes could still flash with passion and anger, though, at present, they were dulled with grief and humiliation.
I immediately offered him my condolences on the death of his son, and told him I had heard that he believed that I personally was responsible for his death. I assured him that this was not so, and that I greatly regretted that so valiant a father should suffer the loss of a valiant son. I then invited him to sit down on a small rise of ground where a few sparse bushes offered some shade from the sun, and as we had no seats we sat down on the ground round him.
I pointed out to Jiand his folly in having proved false to the traditional friendship which had existed between him, his tribes and the British Raj. I also told him that I knew perfectly well he had been misled by German lies as to the breaking of British power, coupled with advice to harry the British lines of communication, and to help himself to all supplies upon which he could lay his hands before the German forces advanced into India, for, when they did, nothing much would be left to take. But, I asked him, how could a man of his intelligence have ever allowed himself to be gulled in such a manner? Had he thought, he must have known that British might was far too firmly established to be overthrown by anything so despicable as the German race, and he must have known too that, in deserting his old friends the British, and in fighting against them, he was only courting disaster.
I further asked him if he had ever, with his own eyes, seen one of the German airships which they had been boasting were flying everywhere, destroying enemy's lands, towns and herds. Jiand admitted that he had not.