ounded were wounded; and all our party returned
safely. At the same time, the Government secured a victory and the
Regiment obtained renown. It was _our_ horse that went out over the
trenches, Mother, and the Germans, being alarmed, fled. We were
forbidden to pursue because of hidden guns. This was trouble to us. We
owed them much blood on our brethren's account. Tell the Murshid my
dream and ask him for a full interpretation. I have also seen our
Murshid twice before in my dreams. Ask him why he comes to me thus. I
am not conscious of any wrong-doing, and if it is a sign of favour to
me, then the shape should speak.

I am quite aware how God rewards the unwilling. He is all powerful.
Look at the case of that man of our own family who was ordered to the
front with a higher rank. He refused promotion in order to stay behind,
and in a month's time he died of the plague in his own village. If he
had gone to the front his family would have received the war pension.
An atheist never achieves honour, Mother. He is always unsettled and
has no consolations. Do we Mussulmans think that the Prophet will spend
all his time in asking God to forgive our transgressions? Tell the Pir
Murshid what I have written.

Mother, put down your ear and listen to me in this matter, my Mother.
There is one thing I wish to impress earnestly on you. You must know
that among recruits for the Regiment there are too few of our kind of
Mussulmans. They are sending recruits from the Punjab who were formerly
labourers and common workmen. The consequence of this is, in the
Regiment, that we Mussulmans are completely outnumbered by these low
people, and the promotions go accordingly. Each of our troops, my
Mother, has been divided into two; that is to say there are four troops
to a squadron. We Mussulmans should have at least two troops out of the
four, but owing to the lack of recruits we have not sufficient men of
our faith to form more than one. Now, Mother, as it was in our fathers'
time, he who supplies the men gets the promotion. Therefore, if our
friends at home, and especially our Pir Murshid, would exert themselves
to supply fifteen or twenty recruits, I could approach my Colonel Sahib
in regard to promotion. If my Colonel received my request favourably
then you at home would only have the trouble to provide the men. But I
do not think, Mother, there would be any trouble if our Pir Murshid
exerted himself in the matter and if my father's brother