This Occasioned A Moment's Confusion, Of Which
I Quickly Took Advantage.
I sprang on to the
top of the rock, and before they had time to
recover themselves I had started haranguing them
in Hindustani.
The habit of obedience still held
them, and fortunately they listened to what I had
to say. I told them that I knew all about their
plot to murder me, and that they could certainly
do so if they wished; but that if they did, many
of them would assuredly be hanged for it, as the
Sirkar (Government) would soon find out the
truth and would disbelieve their story that I had
been carried off by a lion. I said that I knew
quite well that it was only one or two scoundrels
among them who had induced them to behave
so stupidly, and urged them not to allow themselves
to be made fools of in this way. Even
supposing they were to carry out their plan of
killing me, would not another "Sahib "at once be
set over them, and might he not be an even
harder task-master? They all knew that I was
just and fair to the real worker; it was only the
scoundrels and shirkers who had anything to
fear from me, and were upright, self-respecting.
Pathans going to allow themselves to be led away
by men of that kind? Once having got them
to listen to me, I felt a little more secure, and I
accordingly went on to say that the discontented
among them would be allowed to return at once
to Mombasa, while if the others resumed work
and I heard of no further plotting, I would take
no notice of their foolish conduct.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 47 of 247
Words from 12987 to 13274
of 68125
