and then Abraham was set to work translating until his tongue
must have almost fallen out with weariness. Bit by bit, we pieced a
tale together that had reason in it and so brought us understanding.

Our first guess had been right; the Turks had already sent (some
said a full division) to wreak vengeance for our plundering of the
gold. The Kurds of those parts, who fight among themselves like wild
beasts, nevertheless will always stand together to fight Turks;
therefore those who had been attacking us were now behind us with
thousands of other Kurds from the tribes all about, waiting to
dispute the passes with the common enemy. They considered us an
insignificant handful, to be dealt with later on. The women said the
battle had not begun; and the prisoners bade our Kurds swallow
tribal enmity and hurry to do their share! The chief listened to
them, saying nothing. Has the sahib ever watched a savage thinking
while lust drew him one way and pride another? Truly an interesting
sight!

But the rest of the men were too interested to learn the reason of
Gooja Singh's torture and death to care for the workings of a
Kurdish chief's conscience. They crowded closer and closer,
interrupting with shouted questions and bidding each other be still.
So Ranjoor Singh said a word to Abraham and he changed the line of
questioning. The truth was soon out.

Gooja Singh, it seemed, probably not believing we had one chance in
a million, decided to contrive safety for himself. So with one Kurd
to help him, he escaped in the night, and went and found Wassmuss in
a Kurdish village in the mountains. He told Wassmuss who we were,
and whence we were, and what we intended. So Wassmuss (who must be a
very remarkable man indeed), although a prisoner, exerted so much
persuasion forthwith that three hundred Kurds consented to escort
the party of Germans there and then to Afghanistan. He promised them
I know not what reward, but the point is they consented, and within
eight hours of Gooja Singh's arrival the German party was on its
way.

Then Wassmuss sent the thousand Kurds to deal with us; but, as I
have told, we beat them. And that made the Kurds who held Wassmuss
prisoner extremely angry with Gooja Singh; so they made him
prisoner, too. And then, by signal and galloper and shouts from crag
to crag came word that the Turks were marching in force to invade
the mountains, and instantly they turned on Gooja Singh and would
have torn him in piece