Evening star., 1927-05-29
Der Bands Jungle Stronghold Attacked Under Difficulties

quite expectedly--straight from
twilight into dazzling sunshine ana
little breeze that was more precious
than q cool drink. We were in rags,
we discovered. our shirts and breeches
torn to snreds IN that struggle
through primeval forest. Gradually
single men and little groups also
popped out into the sunshine as we
had done. and all in rags as we were.
A breather was well earned and we
took It,
We saw nothing of Sergt. Maj. Brai-
mah's party, and as the minutes
passed Wilfred grew more hot and
bothered about them. He thought
they might have tumbled into crowd
of bow and arrow wallahs and got
scuppered. I didn't think so, but then
the responsibility was his, not mine.
As soon as we had cooled off q bit, 1
proceeded to a small hillock near at
hand. adjusted my glasses and search
cd the countryside.
I picked out moving figures. one
here, one there, then more, till pres.
emily realized that the distant open
was crawling, with people lodging
about all over the place. A wisp of
smoke appeared over a village tucked
away deep in a cleft at the top Of a
hill. More smoke-billows of It. clouds
Of it. l snapped the glasses shut and
said to myself: There is the excellent
Braimah with his braves" I went
back to Wilfred and told him.
The company commander and the
two junior officers and / held our
glasses glued upon the smoky village,
and presently out came the section,
formed up and started to march hack.
The doctor next claimed attention.
His stretcher bearers had boited. his
stretchers were somewhere i'm the jun
gle and so was the box OF dressings.
And the doctor. reclining against an
Old anthill tanning himself with his
helmet, looked every bit as hot and
ragged and cross and worried as he
claimed to be. We all said we were
thirsty. too. A gleam of happiness
| flashed across our doctors face.
Where is that cOnfounded medical
comforts carrier?" he cried. We all
| smiled joyously, licking our lips.
But the medical comforts carrier
| was not there. He was an old soldier.
| specially selected, recommended by
the commander for the job. 'IIe never
IDENTIFY. III expect the poor devils
| stopped one Of those beastly arrows:
probably he's dead now. We must
search round and find him" And a
search party was promptly detailed.
| SSESIs Maj. bTdlIildH
his section in a very smart and sol.
dierly manner, halted it and came
up with a tremendous ciatter to re.
| port his return as well. I thought the
sections haversacks looked bulgy, and
| the bulges seemed to be moving. The
commander was shocked and angry
and disappointed with his pet sergeant
maio
| Every man Of the section had chick.
ens-some dead. others not--and hor-
rible Jumps of sheep and goat slowed
about him. Also other oids and ends.
| The section had gone through that
| wretched village as with a comb. The
| tale. quite gool one. was thai they
| had followed bunch of the t~fted
| Babban Ku"m'ans thither. had had
rome small scu1irg when thew got
there and sor7ebc " must have kicked
q cooking pot Ovnr In the r:o,ee,
| whereupon the village caught fire.
| Quite good story.
POUND that blessed Jungle we
marched and back to the clearing
in the middle of it. There we discov.
cred many hundreds of friendlies,
showing their sympathy and solidarity
with the British Raj by looting the
homes Of their relations, the men Of
| Babban Kurmi.
In the very midst of the hullabaloo
| we discovered the trustworthy fellow
who had been intrusted with the med
| ical comforts box. He was comfort.
| ably established under tree before
the chiefs house. fast asleep, recking
nothing of the surrounding turmoil.
| The precious box had been opened
| and empty bottles strewed the ground
about him. Not a drop of medical
comfort remained. Three pints Of
| champagne, a bottle of brandy and
one of port had all gone into that
| specially selected carrier! A devastat-
| ing blow!
Late that night Babban Furmi, in
| the person Of it's liking" Gri several
of the elders, waited upon r. ut Gas
| sol. AS Is not unusual in 81 l cases.
their story was that they nd all
along been for peace and for doing as
| they were told, but one Bakhai. bad
fellow with large following among
their young men, had declared for war
| and had carried the day.
They promised to be good forever.
| more. And they stated that the rebel
Bakhai and a dozen followers had
gone away secretly by night. nobody
knew whittier. In due course learned
| where he had gone, but that is an
other story.
tCopyright. 1927