They flew away loudly
exulting and I found my match box,--which I had left on the table broken
to pieces and the matches carefully distributed so as to cover as large
a space of ground as possible; there is a crow's joke for you--there is
not much in it as a joke,--but I introduce it principally to show that
birds talk and that I (clever I) can understand them. I wrote the
foregoing to eke out my notes for the day, not having anything
particular to record. When the Baboo called upon me with the startling
intelligence, all officers from the Peshawur division ordered
immediately to rejoin their respective regiments; this has taken away
the greater number of the visitors and very few are now left in Kashmir.
Why don't I pack up and start? Well, I forgot to mention a short
sentence in the order "except those on medical certificate" which saves
me the trouble and annoyance of hurrying back before the expiration of
my leave. It is on account, I suppose, of the little war we have entered
on with those hill tribes, and I may be missing honour and glory, wounds
and death, neither of which I care to earn from barbarians on the black
mountains. I am sorry for the affair as I fear that from the
inaccessibility of the country the best result will barely escape
disaster. This is a strange day.
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