Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-09
The Khuruln valley.

The correspondent OF the London
Daily Telegraph adds his quota to the
fund Of aneodote. He tells No that mona
OF the regiments forming the Khurum
Valley force had met with any casual
ties up to November 10, although some
OF them had q good deal Of sport OF one
kind or another. The officers Of . reg.
iment on the march from q station for
down country wished to have days
fun at steeple chasing so that at the
first halt they made they got every ma
tive officer mounted and extemporized
hedges and bitches. The amounts"
were Of all kinds. from the grass cutters
ragged pony to the subaltern's Waller.
When the signal was given, q fair start
was made, but there was one sowar who
could not be induced to take the first
jump. By shoutings, by beatings, and
terrible "whoops,' he was at last
forced to take his steed over. All at
tention was then directed toward the
field, and he was Ieyer thought Of.
Suddenly, however, somebody called
attention to the fact that the recalcitrant
sowar was riding like demon, taking
every jump in splendid style. Wonder
eliminated when this sowar actually
passed the winning-post first, with his
mouth open and his eyes starting out Of
their sockets. When complimented on
his riding, he only groaned and looked
fearfully behind him, his teeth chatter.
ing the while. When the other riders
came up this extraordinary conduct was
explained. It appears that after his
horse had taken the first jump he came
up with brother sowar who had been
"spilled." He next made the acquaint-
ance of the brother sowar's horse which
charged him ferociously with yawning
mouth. Inspired with the desperation !,
Of terror, he spurred up his horse, but
the riderless steed followed remorse-
lessly. Jump after jump he took with
the opened-mouth brute close behind
him, and Il was not until he had been
chased close up to the winning-post,
and chased literally into winning the
race, that his irresponsible but savage
pursuer was captured. Those who lost
their money on the event consoled
themselves with the reflection that
probably no man had ever won race
before through sheer terror of being
swallowed up by the horse Of en- oppo.
nent. On two successive nights also
the 9th Kings Own mess and that Of
the "a, Duke Of Albany's Highlander,
had " Khattak dances, at both Of which
entertainments the mountain dancers
leaped round the bonfres, and flashed
their swords like demons, the rude
pipers blew out their cheeks till they
were ready to explode, and the drum
mers beat their drums and rolled in the
dust at the dancers feet, Just as II they
received large salaries for being violent
and very dirty. A feature of the enter
tainment OF the eighty-second mess,
was the appearance OF the regimental
pipers, who marched around the bon.
Gre playing Highland Laddie," "Tul-
lochgorum and similar Caledonian
inspiring tunes in q manner which GER
tainly surprised the natives. One
Highlander. albeit the ground was
dusty and stony, danced Chile CAL
lum" over the cross swords with con-
siderable success then four stalwart
fellowa stepped into the glare AND
dances the reel OF Tulloch, accompany
ing their " footing with such /" ho0ch-
ings, screeching. and fnger-snappings
a. evoked wild shouts Of delight from
their comrades, and deep calculations
Of " wah, wah Il from the Pathan on
lockers. After the highland piping and
dancing, il appeared to me that the
Khattak performers were little ont Of
countenance. Perhaps they were
thinking that the British people
must surely be race Of demons who
could not only conquer India, but pro-
duce music and dancing with which
even the widest efforts Of the Afghan
h;tlvnoY, cns, IN MT ANN nara