from the duty
that devolved on him as a Muhammadan of revenging his father's death
by another murder. He was not a coward by any means, but knew he would
be killing an innocent person, for the real murderer was beyond his
reach, and he recoiled from committing such a crime, and he knew that
our teaching was against revenge, and therefore desired to become a
Christian. As he was a soldier, I would not act without a reference
to his commanding officer, and as he was excited and suffering from
much mental tension, I thought it better to wait. Ultimately he did
shoot a man, who may have been his father's murderer or not, and I
believe was sentenced to penal servitude for life in consequence.

There is something peculiarly attractive, I think, about the
frontier regiments. They have very hard service, constant outpost
duty, few nights in bed, with ever the danger of the Pathan rifle
thief and ambuscades. And yet officers and men are always cheerful,
hospitable, and full of the spirit of camaraderie. Even the Sikhs and
Pathans seem to lay aside their hereditary feuds, and fight and work
heartily together, shoulder to shoulder. Some of the most striking
tributes to the influence of the Christian rule of England are seen
in this fellowship between different races and religions. In the
little frontier wars one sees Pathan soldiers side by side with the
stalwart Sikhs, or, it may be, the little Gurkhas with the tall Panjabi
Muhammadans. Much the same is seen in the playing-fields of our mission
schools, where Christians, Muhammadans, Hindus, and Sikhs are as
loyal to one another as if they had never had a religious difference.

A scene I shall always remember was the funeral of a young Sikh
student, who was a brilliant member of the school football eleven, and
was carried off one summer recently by sudden illness. His Muhammadan,
Christian, and Hindu fellow-students vied with each other in showing
honour to his memory, and accompanied the body to the burning-ground
on the banks of the Kurram River. For the Muhammadans at least this
would have at one time been considered as most inconsonant with
their religion.

The fine, tall Sikh soldiery of the frontier regiments are some of the
nicest men one could have to deal with; the native officers are such
perfect gentlemen, and so gentle and docile when conversing about their
Sikh religion or the Christian Scriptures, that it is difficult to
realize what lions they are in the fight,