ell; I am your own." The man then came up and suggested
that they should spend that night together and share their luck. He
told them, too, that there was a fine fat dumba in the farmyard hard
by that they might begin upon. Asghar slipped over the wall, while
Sarwar and the stranger kept guard, and soon returned with the sheep
across his shoulders, its head wrapped up in his chadar to stop its
cries. They took it off into the jungle, and as the stranger said he
wished to be home early that night, they decided to stay and divide
it there and then.

The stranger surprised them by saying that he would be content with
merely the head as his share, so the "Allahu akbar" was pronounced,
the throat cut, and the head given to the stranger, who went off
with their parting greeting, "May it be well before you," which he
returned by saying, "In the safety of God."

Next morning they were astonished by the sudden appearance of a posse
of the Border Military Police, who, before they were able to escape
or offer resistance, handcuffed them and led them off, vouchsafing
no more explanation than that the Chhota Sahib had ordered it. They
were much mystified, and could not think which of their enemies had
got up a case against them; but they could learn nothing from the
police, who either could or would tell nothing more. When, finally,
they were taken before the Sahib, and he started away with, "So, you
have been after your old game again, and stole a sheep last night from
the farm of Nuruddin" (the light of religion), it was with difficulty
they could conceal their astonishment and compose themselves quickly
enough to reply that they were honest men, had never stolen anything
all their lives, and could bring witnesses to prove that last night
they never stirred from the chauk of Fath Muhammad of Dilrogha village.

The Sahib had a twinkle in his eye as he led them on with further
questions to forswear themselves still more hopelessly, and then
finally turned to a Sepoy by his side and simply said, "Bring it
in." The Sepoy saluted, went out, and in a moment returned bringing
something wrapped up in a chadar, which he placed on the table before
him. The Sahib unrolled it, and exposed to their astonished gaze the
very sheep's head they had given to the stranger the night before. He
had been none other than the Sahib himself! They could no longer hide
their confusion, and could say nothing more than "La haula wala kowata
ilia bi 'llah"