,
like himself, with the same Afghan prejudices and predilections,
and yet there was an undefinable something in him, a spirit of
self-control and self-abnegation and inward peace of mind, that he
did not remember having met with in any Pathan before. In short,
Taib, instead of being the guest of one night, as he had at first,
not without misgiving, consented to be, stopped on to learn more of
the new doctrine and discover the secret of the change that had been
effected in the Afghan preacher.

Taib proved an apt pupil, and the natural gentleness and fairness
of his character made Christianity all the more attractive to him,
and he applied himself with assiduity to the study of the Christian
Scriptures, and attended the Christian worship. There were struggles
without and doubts within to contend against. His former talib
companions came in a body to see whether the Padre Sahib had kidnapped
him, and when they found him stopping in the mission compound of
his own freewill abused him and threatened him, but did not succeed
in getting him away. One of the chief Bannu Mullahs came and argued
with him for hours, telling him he was guilty of mortal sin in even
allowing himself to entertain doubts about the truth of Islam. But
Taib had become fascinated with the Scriptures, and especially with
the teaching of the Gospels, as is often the case with those who have
never read them till adult life, and he had no intention of forsaking
his host till quite decided one way or the other.

Ultimately he decided that the Prophet Christ must indeed be the
Son of God, the very Saviour that He claimed to be, and he asked for
baptism. It was thought better to let him wait a few months till he had
a maturer knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity, and had shown his
sincerity by standing some of the fire of persecution. There was no
lack of the latter. When he accompanied us to the bazaar preaching,
the foulest abuse was showered on him, and sometimes stones were
thrown, and on one occasion, when he was caught alone, he received
a beating from some talibs and others.

The Bishop of Lahore visited the station about that time, and Muhammad
Taib was baptized under the new name of Taib Khan, and was radiant with
delight at having been at last admitted to the Christian Church. I was
going on a long medical itineration about that time, and he accompanied
me, and was zealous in his new-found faith, taking every opportunity
of drawing Mullahs