Reparation--Home again.

The reader must imagine himself on a flat open piece of ground covered
by the hard alluvial earth known in the Panjab as pat. This kind
of earth is somewhat saline, and has a universally smooth surface,
unbroken by grass or shrub, which is utilized by the villagers for
their games and fairs, and by the British for the evolutions of their
troops. Around are a number of Bannu villages, but the men and children
have all collected round this piece of ground in their gala-day attire,
for it is the Day of the Feast, "'Id-el-fitr," or the Breaking of
the Fast, following the month of Ramazan, and is to be celebrated as
usual by sports and merry-making. All the men who own or can borrow
a horse are mounted upon steeds of all descriptions, more or less
richly caparisoned, according to the ability of the owner. Saddles
are of the high-backed pattern universally used in Afghanistan, with
a long wooden croup, which helps the rider to retain his seat. They
are all carrying the long bamboo iron-tipped lance for their national
sport of tent-pegging, or nezabazi, as the Afghans call it. Some of
the boys who are there as spectators are mounted two or even three
on a horse, and others, mounted on riding camels, are able to get a
good view of the games over the heads of the others.

The pegs, cut out of the wood of the date-palm, are fixed in the
ground, three or four abreast, so that an equal number of horsemen
may be able to compete simultaneously. The competitors, with their
embroidered turbans and gay, many-coloured coats and shawls, form a
brave show at one end of the course, as they pass the intervening time
in showing off feats of horsemanship on their prancing chargers. Then,
at a given word, three or four strike their heels into the horses'
sides--for they wear no spurs--and as often as not rousing their own
excitement and that of their horses by shouting out the Muhammadan
Kalimah ("La ilaha illa 'llahu, Muhammadun rasulu 'llah"), career
wildly down on the pegs, and, if successful, gallop on triumphantly,
waving the peg at the end of their lances.

This goes on till men and horses are weary, and then a new game
commences. This is known as tod or kari. The people form a large
circle; then some young athlete, stripped except for his loin-cloth,
tied tightly round, or secured by a leather waistband, jumps lightly
out into the arena, his muscular frame showing to advantage as he
contracts his muscles und