The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-03

SatlOn. Inc blood rec0mpenSe for
plain murder Is 5000 rupees; but, as
the case was complicated by the fact
that the mans son and heir, not his
enemy, had done, not a murder, but
a manslaughter, the heir ought not to
receive as much. Hence the elders de-
creed that the lover should pay Adam
Khan 800 rupees and besides provide
him with two girls as wives.
The English agent confirmed this
Solomonlike decision; the lover paid
the rupees, gave one niece to Adam,
and promised a daughter, yet unborn,
when she should be of manageable
age. All was acceptable to both par
ties and they have lived in love and
harmony, after this happy union OK
their families, ever since.
Not always, however, does the Eng
lish political agent comply exactly
with the judgment of the elders. In
the case of Miriam, for instance, the
political agent found her with her nose
slashed off and bound up with dirty
rag. He asked her who had done this.
"My husband" said she.
So the agent sent for the husband.
Hahn and asked why he had mutilat-
ed his loving wife.
"Oh, because 1 thought 1 saw her
speaking to Sharbat Khan" said he.
"But did she do 500" inquired the
agent.
"Who knows? Perhaps not" said
Hahn.
"Well, but really cannot let you
cut off your wife's nose for nothing at
ALL" said the political agent. You
must go to Jail for one year."
Hahn Preferred the Jail.
The elders came to the agent and
demonstrated against such severity.
perhaps it would not have been
amiss," said they, ito put Hahn in
Jail for three months. Yet a mans
wife is his own. She is bought with
a great price. Why should he not cut
off her nose if he pleases? 1t is. after
all, his own loss. Surely, Sahib, you
will let Hahn out of Jail" "Tomor-
row." said the agent, 81 will give my
decision"
The next day he pronounced this
judgment: 81 will release Hahn on
either of two conditions. Either he
must restore his wife's nose safe and
sound or he must cut off his own nose
in exactly the same fashion as hers
The elders were amused greatly by
this alternative. They withdrew their
protest, Hahn served his term in Jail,
and was released without retaining
rancor against so just sentence.
In another instance the Mohamme-
dan Mahmud, instead of contenting
himself with the girl chosen by his
mother and sisters to be his wife and
first to be seen by him after the mar
rage ceremony, found for himself a
pretty Hindu girl and persuaded her
to be his bride. But he could not
make up his mind to marry her IN
less she should first profess his re-
ligion.
So Mahmud consulted the mullah of
his village as to how she might be-
come Mussulmani. The mullah mads
no difficulty of it. All that was neces-
sary, so he said, was that the lovely
Hindu girl should say before him:
"There is no God but God, and Mo-
manned is the prophet of God"
"But stay" added the priest. "You
must pay for your bride, Of course.
AS it would be sinful to give great
sum for her to the worthless Hindu,
her father, you may give it to me, my
son."
The young man easily perceived tina
reasonableness of the first part of ths
priests proposal, but he could not by
no means see why his wife's dowry
should be given to the priest. In his
perplexity he consulted the chiefs Of
the wazirs.
1.-THE priest" said they, "is quite
right in telling you not to give the
dowry to the Hindus; but 1t should
come to US, not to him. We are the
authorities"
Billiard Table Instead Of Feud.
But before this was done the elders
Of the mahsuds heard Of the transac-
ton. While approving. like the wa
zirs, the Withholding Of the money
from the Hindus, they let 1t be known
that, being the superiors Of the wa
zirs, the elders of the mahsuds were
the proper recipients In this instance.
All parties appealed the question to
the British political agent. After ma
ture consideration he readily foresaw
that either Of the dispositions pro-
posed would most probably lead to q
feud. Hence, in the interest Of peace
and as representing the real topnotch
superior power Of the whole region, he
very reasonably decided that the dow
ry should be paid over to him.
AS there was no appeal possible,
this was readily complied with, and
the political agent, not knowing a bet
ter disposition, made it over to the
club as a contribution for the new bill
lard fahlpf