Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-12

the British Royal Air Force up
on the two Indian frontiers,
Il Baluchistan and Waziristan,
carrying out the work of pro-
tecting the country from the wild
tribes that live up in these areas.
The sQuadrons that carry out this
work are more or less on active serv-
ice all the time, because when they are
not actually Furnishing a raiding tribe
they are always in danger of being
SHIPPED at in their own camp by some
native outlaw who is hidden behind
rock up in the mountains, which tower
above the British frontier camps. and
woe betide a white man, whatever his
rank, should he be taken prisoner by
certain of these mountain tribes.
The tortures that are meted out to
him are indiscribable and vile. These
fortunes are usually carried out by the
women of the tribe, for the men. after
having stripped and robbed the white
man Of everything he possesses. hand
him over to the women. knowing that
a half-savage woman can be far cruel
.er to a man than ever man can be to
his own sex.
Before being sent up to a frontier
station / served year in the plains.
Here the work consisted of aerial ma
neuvers and practice cooperation with
the army. This was interesting enough
work in its way, but 1 longed for the
thrill of the more active life up on the
frontier.
At last the great day arrived when
i was ordered to report to a squadron
on the Waziristan frontier. l started
out on long and firing journey by
train that lasted more than three DAYS.
Every hour or so of travelling took me
several more hundreds of feet above
the sea level, and the air grew clearer
and much colder.
1t was in the Winter time, and as /
climbed higher into the mountains /
saw the tops of them capped by snow.
At last l arrived at the railway sta
ton nearest to where my new squad
ron was stationed. This was about 100
miles awany, which 1 had to travel by
q motor vehicle that came to meet me.
AS the road by which l had to travel
was through a valley with high noun
tainS on each side, it was very danger
GUS. presenting many opportunities for
an ambush. l was escorted by an
armored car. In addition to this
about every 20 miles along the road
was a solid stone blockhouse in which
were stationed some dozen or so ''cas-
Sidars," or native police, who kept q
watch on all traffic travelling on the
road, and should my be molested,
they Immediately sent a signal to the
nearest army camp and then left their
blockhouse and came down to the as
ststance of the attacked party.
One Of these blockhouses, 1 noticed,
had been blown down as though by
shellf1re. / was told that about fort
night before the cassidars had mutined
and shot their captain. They had
tanf k1rnn % 4 H. a
who had remained loyal, a fourth had
escaped badly wounded, and the re.
manning seven or eight of these cold
Hooded murdererS then barricaded
themselves in the blockhouse.
THE wounded native managed to
crawl to the next blockhouse,
about 20 miles away. The alarm was
given and a platoon of soldiers marched
against the treacherous natives and
demanded that they surrender imme-
diately. The murderers, realizing that
they would be hanged, fatty refused,
and opened fire on the platoon of sol
diers.
Now, all these blockhouses are built
on the summit of small mountains, so
that they are immune from attack
from the ground, except by a very
large attacking force willing to sac
rif1ce large number of lives So the
officer in charge decided to report to
higher authority for instructions be-
fore making the attack. He encamped
his troops at the foot of the mountain
to prevent the mutineers from making
their escape. and then returned to his
camp to make his report and receive
instructions.
The commanding officer decided that
1t was not worth losing the number OF
lives it would entail to storm the block
house, SO ordered an 1S-pound cannon
to be taken to within 2 miles of it.
He then sent a message to the occu-
pants that unless they surrendered
within one hour, their fortress would
be shelled to the ground.
The occupants, with the exception
of one man, decided to remain, real
izing that they would be hanged if
they surrendered and killed by shell.
fire if they remained, and having no
particular care as to whic.. way they
died.
The one man who decided to- sur
render left the blockhousv and COM
menced to descend to the soldiers wait
ing below. However, he had not gone
many yards before his companions
shot him dead for deserving them.
After the hour of respite they had
been given to surrender in had elapsed
the 18-pound cannon opened fire, and
blew the blockhouse and it's occupants
to pieces.
arrived at my squadron after seven