the road." In his case the step was taken,
if not actually with the sanction and blessing of his Church, at any
rate with its unofficial consent. In those days the Sikhs held by force
the country of the Faithful, and Hindus fattened on its trade. It was no
great sin therefore, indeed, an active merit, that the sons of the
Prophet, sword in hand, should spoil the Egyptian, by night or by day,
as provided for by Allah.

To recount all the adventures of Dilawur would fill a book, and
require a Munchausen to write it; but there was about them all a touch
of humour, and sometimes of almost boyish fun, accompanied often by the
rough courtesies of the gentlemen of the road, which reminds one of Dick
Turpin and other famous exponents of the profession on the highways of
England.

Now it so happened that it was at this time one of Lumsden's duties to
hunt down and capture Dilawur, who for just and sufficient cause was
now an outlaw, with a price on his head of no less than two thousand
rupees. Many a time and oft did Lumsden and his men plan and strive, and
ride and hide, but no nearer could they get to the capture of
Dilawur.

Sitting one evening outside his tent, after yet another unsuccessful
attempt, it suddenly occurred to Lumsden that Dilawur must have an
astonishingly intimate knowledge of every path, nullah, and pass in the
district to thus evade capture, as well as a remarkably efficient
intelligence department, to give him timely warning. "Just the man for
the Guides," exclaimed Lumsden. "I'll send for him." A polite note was
accordingly written inviting Dilawur Khan to come into the Guides'
camp, at any time and place that fitted in with his other, and doubtless
more important, engagements, "to talk matters over." At the same time a
free passport was sent which would allow of his reaching the camp
unmolested. It speaks volumes for the high estimate which British
integrity had already earned amongst these rough borderland people, that
a man with two thousand rupees on his head could accept such an
invitation. For the same man to have accepted a similar invitation from
the Sikhs, or even from his own countrymen, would have been an act of
culpable and aimless suicide.

One fine day, therefore, Dilawur strolled into camp, and he and
Lumsden began "to talk matters over." After compliments, as the Eastern
saying is, Lumsden with much heartiness, and in that free and easy
manner which was his own, took Dilawur with the