MIDDLE AND DISTANCE RUNNING 39 



be had the previous day reached Amritsar from Sialkot with a banghy (bamboo 

 shoulder pole with burdens at either end) load of mangoes.] My grandfather 

 was a famous long-distance kahar, and my father, an old man now, still carries 

 his banghy all day." 



J. H. "Is it so? But now, listen; how far could your Gangu go without 

 rest on one stretch J " 



M. R. " Noble presence, there is no telling how far an unburdened kahar 

 could not go, but Gangu should be able to do one hundred miles without food 

 or rest." 



J. H. (cynically) "Ah, indeed! And you, I think, in your day could have 

 done two hundred." 



M. R. " Great king, more than that. Listen, incarnation of justice. 



Just at the mutiny time, Capt. of Mian Mir sent for doolie chaudhri 



Tika Ram, and after informing him that he had important despatches for 

 Meerut, asked him if he could arrange for a doolie dak there. I need not tell 

 you the distance, Sahib, three hundred miles as the crow flies — and have him 

 carried with safety. Tika Ram was aghast at the very notion, but when Capt. 

 said he had thought of every other means, and had come to the con- 

 clusion that a continuous doolie journey through Patiala and Karnal would be 

 speediest, that not only would the chaudri be well paid, but that the reward 

 would be great if the dispatches could be delivered on the third day, and that 

 if Tika Ram, son of Lalu Ram, could not manage it, no one else could, the 

 chaudhri after considerable thought agreed to undertake it, as it was worth 

 risking. So asking for the bare fare in advance, and stipulating for ten hours 

 start for the sarbarai, he despatched his own son on the business of laying a 

 cross-country doolie dak to Meerut. At the appointed hour, the doolie was at 



Captain 's door and bore him off to arrive without let or hindrance at 



Meerut on the third day, to be greeted on his arrival by the sarbarai, and to 

 give him assurance that all was well." 



J. H. " Enough, enough, chaudhri, that will do. Go." 



M. R. " Your noble presence does not believe me. Here is the proof, 

 always carried with me. There, great king, cast your eye over that. What is 

 its purport, mine of intelligence ? " 



J. H. (Reading No. 1.) This to certify that chaudhri Tika Ram, son 

 of Lalu Ram arranged a doolie dak for me from Mean-Mir to Meerut and that 

 he fulfilled his engagement by having me safely brought with important 

 despatches to my destination. 



Signed , Capt. Hianmir. 



Dated . 



No. 2. The bearer of this chaudhri Tika Ram, son of Lalu Ram, has been 

 rewarded with the sum of Rs 1000 for etc., etc. 



Signed , General Commander Hianmir. 



Dated . 



No. 3. This is to certify that Maghi Ram, son of Tika Ram, doolie 

 Chaudhri of Mianmir, laid my doolie dak successfully from Mian-Mir to 

 Meerut, etc. 



Signed , Capt. Hianmir. 



Dated . 



Looking at the chaudhri — " Humph ! I am to believe then that you are 

 the same sarbarai that laid the dak from Mianmir to Meerut which arrived 

 on the third day." 



M. R. " Incarnation of justice, your slave is the grandson of Lalu Ram, 



the son of Tika Ram, and the father of Gangu — Salaam." 



Exit. 



