The India We Served

We visited the Mahogany Bars and the Singsongs of Ratcliff Highway the Eagle Music Hall the resort of the burglars and the Effingham Theatre much loved by the pickpockets. [...] The palms: the splendid blue of the sea and sky: the colours of the shops the dress of the people and the very smells all based on Turmeric ' seemed familiar. [...] Having settled in at lihel and having reported my arrival to the Home DepatWen of the Bombay Government I was sitting in the spacious veranda watching the passing crowds and the jugglers who showed me the mango growing from the smooth stone. and the way the mongoose dealt with the cobra when up drove my kind friend on his coach and took me for a delightful drive through the town and out to [...] For a short space I was in nominal charge of the Militia Forts and used to ride out to the Frontier to see whether the men on the pay-roll were actually in the Forts. [...] "Tell him " he said to the Civilian who was interpreter "Tell him to unbind me and give me a knife and come out with me on to the road and I'll soon show him whether I am a Ghazi or not!" That ended the matter and the man was hanged that evening with a pig-skin round his shoulders.2 It was very hot in Peshawar and I used to ride in the sun to a large reservoir which had been made for the wat