a heap of
this stinking fuel. I must say that it was a night full of
indescribable misery for me. Though I was fasting all that day
and night, yet my cruel jailers gave me no food. I was thus kept
a prisoner the following day until about 3 or 4 P.M. Then a
soldier entered the tent and informed me that I was to be
flogged, my legs broken, my eyes burnt out, and then beheaded. I
merely laughed at him; I could not but think that this was said
merely to intimidate me. Half an hour later another person
arrived and signalled to my guard to lead me out. Not considering
me sufficiently secure already, they tightened my bonds and tied
others round my body. In this fashion I was taken to the sole
house (mud one) in the encampment. Here an enormous pair of heavy
handcuffs were put on my hands, which were still kept behind my
back. Even in this the treachery of my captors was shown, for
they patted me on the back and called me a good man and told me I
was to be taken back to Taklakot. This they said fearing I would
resist. Then, after locking the handcuffs, they made the key over
to one person, who rode away quickly with it lest I might
possibly manage to get the key and unlock my handcuffs. For this
reason I was never permitted to see or know who carried the key.
Just then I heard the voice of my servant, Chanden Sing, calling
to me in a very weak tone. He said: "_Hazur! Hazur! Hum
murjaiega!_" I endeavoured to get to the poor wretch's
assistance. Upon my trying to move towards him my several guards
sprang upon me and ruthlessly grappled me and threw me on to the
back of a horse. I could only call aloud to my poor servant that
I was being taken to Taklakot that day, and that he would be
brought after me the following day. I noticed that Chanden Sing
was roughly seized and hurled back into one of the rooms of the
house, so that we could hold no conversation. My other servant,
Man Sing, had his arms pinioned, and he was put on a bare-backed
pony. The saddle of the horse I had been thrown upon is worthy of
description. It was merely the wooden frame of a very high-backed
saddle. From this high projecting back or crupper four or five
sharp iron spikes were sticking out. These caught me on the small
of my back. My guard was then augmented by some twenty or th