There Was No Object To Be Gained By Remaining, And The
Natives Would Have Been Only Too Glad Of An Excuse For Open Attack.
The remains of an ancient city, covering a very large area, are said
to exist near Gwarjak, about a mile due south of it.
I could, however,
discover no trace of them, although we came from that direction, and
must have traversed the supposed site.
After the fatigue and anxiety of the day, I was enjoying a cigar in
the bright moonlight, when a messenger from the village arrived in
camp. He had a narrow escape. Not answering the challenge of the
sentry for the second time, the latter was about to fire, when I ran
forward and threw up his rifle, which discharged in the air. A second
later, and the man would have been shot, in which case I do not
suppose we should ever have seen Quetta. The message was from Malak,
inviting me to a "Zigri," a kind of religious dance, taking place just
outside the village. After some reflection, I decided to go. It might,
of course, mean treachery, but the probability was that the chief,
afraid of being reported to the Indian Government for his insolence
and insubordination, wished to atone for his conduct before I left.
Under the messenger's guidance, and attended by Gerome and a guard of
five men with loaded rifles, I set out. Both the Russian and myself
carried and prominently displayed a brace of revolvers.
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