He fell as if pole-axed
and the blade missed my stomach by six inches, but the combined force of
thrust and blow was great enough to drive the weapon into the wooden
partition, where it stayed until I pulled it out to keep as a souvenir.
There wasn't much trouble after that. Grim and Hadad came in and we
tore strips from the Syrians' clothing to tie their hands and feet with.
Hadad went to the rear of the train, climbing along the footboard of the
third-class cars to the caboose to throw some sort of bluff to the
conductor, who came forward--called me "Colonel" and Hadad "Excellency"
--looked our prisoners over--recognized no friends--and said that
everything was "quite all right." He said he knew exactly what to do;
but we left Narayan Singh on watch, lest that knowledge should prove too
original which, however, it turned out not to be. It was bromidian--as
old as history. Narayan Singh came back and told us.
"Lo, sahib; he went through their clothes as an ape for fleas, I
watching. And when he had all their valuables he laid them on the
footboard, and then, as we passed some Bedouin tents, he kicked them
off. But he seems an honest fellow, for he gave them back some small
change to buy food with, should any be obtainable.
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