The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-03

gan the quarrel and had first hand,
but then FAIL Ahmads unlucky shot at
the sister equaled that and left bal
ance for Sher Afzal to wipe off, which
he had done in full. OF course he
would have to answer for it to a jirga,
but the outrage had been amply paid
off by the murder Of the father and the
capture of all his females and proper
ty and the ruin of the home. The fact
that one of their women lay dishonored
in death, and a shame on them till they
buried her. led Ham Din and his sons
to go up to the tower. Their friends,
however, had no such feelings and re-
fused to go with them, especially as
rather profitable raid on some Powin-
dahs was to the fore.
So Ham Din and his sons had to fore
go their revenge for awhile. And they
went off to attack the Powindahs.
Here Ham Din got a sword cut on his
head which would not heal, and even
tually resulted in his death after great
suffering, Ali Azghar got bad attack
of dysentery on his way back, and died
soon after his return. This reduced
the fighting strength of Ham Din's
house to two. The feud was falling
into allegiance, and the mullah had be-
gun to try and make peace when | was
born.
My uncle Var Mohammed was the
first to take fire; SO he armed his two
sons and my elder brother, and they all
went off in hurry to attack the tow
er. When they got to the village called
Bruj, they found they were expected.
This was rather awkward, for they had
only four days food and fifty rounds
apiece. SO they hid their rounds and
food and went boldly UP to the village
with a copy of the exalted Koran.
After desl of parleying and suspi-
cion they We're admitted into a house
on the walls, and there Sher Aired
came to them fully armed, Var Mo-
manned then swore on the Koran to
forego the feud and be the brother of
Sher Afzel and all his relations. Sher
Afzel then did the same. Peace was
concluded in public. But in our land
treachery and lies go on in all places.
Nizam Din babe his reconciled foes
to feast, and Sher Afzel dismissed
them with gifts to take their noon rest
after the hour of the feast.
AS soon as this feeling came on them
my uncle arose, and passing by NizaEa
| Din drew his knife and smote him be-
| tween the shoulders so that the point
came out below his left breast. At the
same instant my brother fired at Sher
! Afzal and missed him, receiving the
sabre cut in return which ended his
days In an instant there was a wild
scrimmage The people of Bruj, taken
by surprise from within and without.
| fled to their lousetops, and my uncle
escaped with his two sons. They got a
| mountain ridge overlapping the vii
lage, and from there carried on a long
range fire till all their ammunition was
spent and the night had fallen. They
| then made their way home with all
speed to prepare for the revenge Sher
| Afzal would certainly take, for in the
fight my uncle had only lost one man
! and had slain five besides Nizam Din.
| Owing to a series or reverses my father
| was not prepared for fight, and the
| loss of his son added to his troubles In
no small degree. He was very angry
with my uncle, but had to stand the
| storm, and here was now feud be-
| tween even numbers almost.
But that son Of hell, Sher Afzal had
all the time been at Tarl- <1-+i7g into
favor with the politicals for his own
ends 1t seems that he used to keep
rp raids and murders by means of his
sons, and then lead the police force q
search among the mountains looking
for my father Ibrahim, on whose
shoulders he laid all the blame. NY
cousin, Gul Most, went down into Tank
one day to get some good powder, and
luckily did not meet Sher Afzal. There
| he heard all these things from the talk
| of the bazaar, and also that there was a
| price on my fathers head. When he
came home and told his news my faith
er blaZed into a furious wrath. He
went off straight to the house of my
aunt's husband, abused him for the
traitor he was, and then, dragging him
and his two boys out, cut all their
threats as one kills sheep We who
helped him were now all in the same
trouble, and we went blindly at it. An
hour later we caught and killed the
mullah and set his house on fire.
Within the next sunrise and sunset we
1 had levelled Sher AfzaB house to the
ground and slain his sons and burned
his village. Our fury was irresistible.
I carried spare knives and rounds and
materials for setting houses on fire. 1t
was grand fun to me.
| But we grew reckless, and our COM
| panions, who had been without any
! fighting or plumber for some time, and
had a grudge against the police to
work off, readily Joined in raid on an
! outpost close to Tank. Sher Afzel was
said to be there.
We rushed to the place by early
dawn and killed every man in it, and
looted and carried off their rifles and
rounds There were six rifles, and one
! of them an express, with double bar
| rels.
After this there was much fighting,
and in the end l went across to Cool
gardie to get wealth, and there ]
learned the ways of white men. There
is little difference, think. Only 1 can
no longer live among my own people.
I have killed Gul Mast 1 am a rich
man with many camels. and am a
friend of the English. Man is man, ]
think, and we are all the creatures of
| AIiah--Pall Mall Gazette,