按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
used all the cartridges I cared to spend； and I waited for Dravot； who had
been away two or three months； and I kept my people quiet。
〃One morning I heard the devil's own noise of drums and horns； and
Dan Dravot marches down the hill with his Army and a tail of hundreds of
men； and； which was the most amazing； a great gold crown on his head。
'My Gord； Carnehan；' says Daniel； 'this is a tremenjus business； and we've
got the whole country as far as it's worth having。 I am the son of
Alexander by Queen Semiramis； and you're my younger brother and a
God too！ It's the biggest thing we've ever seen。 I've been marching and
fighting for six weeks with the Army； and every footy little village for fifty
miles has come in rejoiceful； and more than that； I've got the key of the
whole show； as you'll see； and I've got a crown for you！ I told 'em to make
two of 'em at a place called Shu； where the gold lies in the rock like suet in
mutton。 Gold I've seen； and turquoise I've kicked out of the cliffs； and
there's garnets in the sands of the river； and here's a chunk of amber that a
man brought me。 Call up all the priests and； here； take your crown。'
〃One of the men opens a black hair bag； and I slips the crown on。 It
was too small and too heavy； but I wore it for the glory。 Hammered gold it
wasfive pounds weight； like a hoop of a barrel。
〃 'Peachey；' says Dravot； 'we don't want to fight no more。 The Craft's
the trick； so help me！' and he brings forward that same Chief that I left at
BashkaiBilly Fish we called him afterward； because he was so like Billy
Fish that drove the big tank…engine at Mach on the Bolan in the old days。
'Shake hands with him；' says Dravot； and I shook hands and nearly
dropped； for Billy Fish gave me the Grip。 I said nothing； but tried him
with the Fellow…craft Grip。 He answers all right； and I tried the Master's
Grip； but that was a slip。 'A Fellow…craft he is！' I says to Dan。 'Does he
know the word？' 'He does；' says Dan； 'and all the priests know。 It's a
miracle！ The Chiefs and the priests can work a Fellow…craft Lodge in a
way that's very like ours； and they've cut the marks on the rocks； but they
don't know the Third Degree； and they've come to find out。 It's Gord's
Truth。 I've known these long years that the Afghans knew up to the
Fellow…craft Degree； but this is a miracle。 A God and a Grand Master of
22
… Page 23…
STORIES
the Craft am I； and a Lodge in the Third Degree I will open； and we'll raise
the head priests and the Chiefs of the villages。'
〃 'It's against all the law；' I says； 'holding a Lodge without warrant from
any one； and you know we never held office in any Lodge。'
〃 'It's a master stroke o' policy；' says Dravot。 'It means running the
country as easy as a four…wheeled bogie on a down grade。 We can't stop to
inquire now； or they'll turn against us。 I've forty Chiefs at my heel； and
passed and raised according to their merit they shall be。 Billet these men
on the villages； and see that we run up a Lodge of some kind。 The temple
of Imbra will do for a Lodge…room。 The women must make aprons as you
show them。 I'll hold a levee of Chiefs to…night and Lodge to…morrow。'
〃I was fair run off my legs； but I wasn't such a fool as not to see what a
pull this Craft business gave us。 I showed the priests' families how to
make aprons of the degrees； but for Dravot's apron the blue border and
marks was made of turquoise lumps on white hide； not cloth。 We took a
great square stone in the temple for the Master's chair； and little stones for
the officer's chairs； and painted the black pavement with white squares；
and did what we could to make things regular。
〃At the levee which was held that night on the hillside with big
bonfires； Dravot gives out that him and me were Gods and sons of
Alexander； and Passed Grand Masters in the Craft； and was come to make
Kafiristan a country where every man should eat in peace and drink in
quiet； and specially obey us。 Then the Chiefs come round to shake hands；
and they were so hairy and white and fair it was just shaking hands with
old friends。 We gave them names according as they was like men we had
known in IndiaBilly Fish； Holly Dilworth； Pikky Kergan； that was
Bazaar…master when I was at Mhow； and so on； and so on。
〃/The/ most amazing miracles was at Lodge next night。 One of the old
priests was watching us continuous； and I felt uneasy； for I knew we'd
have to fudge the Ritual； and I didn't know what the men knew。 The old
priest was a stranger come in from beyond the village of Bashkai。 The
minute Dravot puts on the Master's apron that the girls had made for him；
the priest fetches a whoop and a howl； and tries to overturn the stone that
Dravot was sitting on。 'It's all up now；' I says。 'That comes of meddling
23
… Page 24…
STORIES
with the Craft without warrant！' Dravot never winked an eye； not when ten
priests took and tilted over the Grand Master's chairwhich was to say； the
stone of Imbra。 The priest begins rubbing the bottom end of it to clear
away the black dirt； and presently he shows all the other priests the
Master's Mark； same as was on Dravot's apron； cut into the stone。 Not
even the priests of the temple of Imbra knew it was there。 The old chap
falls flat on his face at Dravot's feet and kisses 'em。 'Luck again；' says
Dravot； across the Lodge； to me； 'they say it's the missing Mark that no
one could understand the why of。 We're more than safe now。' Then he
bangs the butt of his gun for a gavel and says； 'By virtue of the authority
vested in me by my own right hand and the help of Peachey； I declare
myself Grand Master of all Freemasonry in Kafiristan in this the Mother
Lodge o' the country； and King of Kafiristan equally with Peachey！' At that
he puts on his crown and I puts on mine；I was doing Senior Warden；
and we opens the Lodge in most ample form。 It was an amazing miracle！
The priests moved in Lodge through the first two degrees almost without
telling； as if the memory was coming back to them。 After that Peachey and
Dravot raised such as was worthyhigh priests and Chiefs of far… off
villages。 Billy Fish was the first； and I can tell you we scared the soul out
of him。 It was not in any way according to Ritual； but it served our turn。
We didn't raise more than ten of the biggest men； because we didn't want
to make the Degree common。 And they was clamouring to be raised。
〃 'In another six months；' says Dravot； 'we'll hold another
Communication and see how you are working。' Then he asks them about
their villages； and learns that they was fighting one against the other； and
were sick and tired of it。 And when they wasn't doing that they was
fighting with the Mohammedans。 'You can fight those when they come
into our country；' says Dravot。 'Tell off every tenth man of your tribes for a
Frontier guard； and send two hundred at a time to this valley to be drilled。
Nobody is going to be shot or speared any more so long as he does well；
and I know that you won't cheat me； because you're white peoplesons of
Alexanderand not like common black Mohammedans。 You are /my/
people； and； by God；' says he； running off into English at the end； 'I'll
make a damned fine Nation of you； or I'll die in the making！'
24
… Page 25…
STORIES
〃I can't tell all we did for the next six months； because Dravot did a lot
I couldn't see the hang of； and he learned their lingo in a way I never could。
My work was to help the people plough； and now and again go out with
some of the Army and see what the other villages were doing； and make
'em throw rope bridges across the ravines which cut up the country horrid。
Dravot was very kind to me； but when he walked up and dow