er his glossy, well-oiled skin. Two other
athletes, similar in attire and appearance, answer his challenge
from the party on the opposite side. The endeavour of the challenger
is to avoid capture, while yet allowing the pursuers to come near
enough for him to give them at least three slaps with the open hand;
while the pursuers in their turn try to seize him and throw him on
to the ground, in which case they are adjudged the winners, and a
fresh challenger comes forth. Both sides are apt to get very excited,
and the throws are often so violent that bones are broken, or other
injuries received; and if that side believes this to be due to malice
prepense, the game not unfrequently terminates in a free fight.

These amusements and games go on until nightfall, when they may be
followed by some fireworks, and competitors and spectators, both
equally wearied, go home to their feast of pulao and halwa. Such
scenes have no doubt been common in Afghanistan for centuries past,
but the reader must now come with me to a different scene, and he will
see how Western influences are changing even the sports of the people.

This time we are in a large grassy sward between Bannu city and
the cantonments. There is a crowd, as before, of some thousands of
spectators, but the football goal-posts and flags show that the game
is something different. It is the day of the provincial tournament of
all the schools of the province, and teams of the various frontier
schools from Peshawur, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, as well as those of
Bannu, have collected here to pit their skill and prowess against one
another in games and athletics. The referee, an English officer from
the garrison, has blown his whistle, and the youthful champions come
out, amid the cheers of their supporters, from the opposite sides of
the ground. The Bannu team are somewhat smaller in stature, and are
wearing a uniform of the school colours--pink "shorts" and light blue
shirts. The Peshawur team are heavier in build, and are wearing their
blue-and-black uniform. The referee blows his whistle again, and both
sides are exerting all their powers to reach their adversaries' goal.

As the ball travels up and down, and the chances of one or other side
appear in the ascendant, the cheers from their supporters redouble,
and as goals are attempted and gained or lost the excitement of all
the spectators is not less than may be witnessed at a similar match in
England. The captain of the