The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-13
THE GAY KHATTAKS
Furnish Some Interesting Color in Brit
ish Army Life in Mesopotamia.

British Headquarters in Mesopotamia
Feb. ID British eye witnessl The Khat
talks are the dandies of the Indian army
They are like the Celts of the British
army, reckless, generous, improvident
mercurial, altogether friendly and re.
sponsive sort of people, but with the
queer kink that one finds in all Pathans,
| that primitive sensitive point of honor
or shame which puzzles the psychologist
The Khattaks keep their spirits up all
through the hot weather. They are too
lively sometimes. As soon as the drum
and oboe sound they start cat calling and
make their work fly. The khattaks are
as response to the oboe as the High
landers to the bagpipe, but they are
more demonstrative. 1t is a good thing
to be near when the Khattak Rifles leave
camp AT the first sound of the drum
and oboe they break into wild treble
shrek, failing off, perhaps, with the bal
bala, the Pathan imitation OF the gurg-
ling of the camel.
These tribesmen are easily excited, sell
dom dispirited, and if so, only for short
time. Their eagerness is sometimes
positive danger during an attack. At
Sheik Saad it was difficult to hold the
khattak company back while the regi-
ment on their left was coming up; they
were all for going ahead and breaking
the line; and in the end it was pre-
mature sortie of the khattaks that pre-
cipitated the assault.
Old Shere Khan, typical Khattak,
the other day killed right inside the regi-
mental lines a rival for his wife's affec-
tions, and he could not have done any
thing else. The mans offense carried its
own sentence in the minds of all decent
thinking Khattaks. Before the deed the
subadar major begged the adjutant to
get the rival Sher Gul, well away before
night; otherwise, he said, there would be
trouble, but the adjutant could not look
into the case until the next morning. In
the meantime, to safeguard Sher Gul. he
told the subadar to see that 20 stout
men slept around his bed
The subadar made it 80. but to no
avail. At in the morning the adiutant
was called out quietly to see the remains
OF Sher Gul. His head was lying on the
edge OF the bed. Ratchet imbedded in
the skull. He had been killed with 80
men sleeping round him. They had all
slept like the dead, and nobody had heard
the blow. There was no evidence against
Shere Khan whatever; public opinion
was on his side.
Fam, Ian and Zar"--land, women and |
gold according to the Persian proverb,
are at the bottom of all outrage, and !
with nine Khattaks out Of ten, it is zan. |
The Khattak thinks no end OF his per-
sonal appearance. He dresses to KILL and |
owes to go and parade in the bazaar in J
lis gala kit. He will spend hours over /
his toilet, peering at himself in the glass
Ill the while without trace OF self
though his neighbors may
De almost as interested in the perform.
Ince as he. Then, with his hair neatly
,iled and trim to the level of the lobe of
his ear, he will stride forth in his flow
ry waistcoat OF plum color or maroon
'elvet with golden braid, spotless white
,aggy trousers. flower behind his ear,
red handkerchief in his pocket, cane
n his hand, and for headgear high Ko-
at lungiplack with yellow and crimson
nds. and kula covered with gold.
Every Khattak is bit of blood. In
lis country snowy exterior betokens
he gallant in both senses OF the word.
woman of parts will not look at a man
Mess he has served in the army or is at
EAST something of bueaneer.