They were crossing the Arabian Sea five days out from Karachi when he received permission from the Captain to fire the rifle over the stern of the ship. Claiming it was a new hunting gun that he had yet to fire.
He had Rangi throwing spent cardboard boxes over the side and firing when they were about two hundred yards a stern. After firing twenty rounds he was delighted with the performance, the smooth action never faltering. He knew he would have to zero the weapon in, when he reached Kana.
The day before they docked at Karachi he repacked the suitcases, the smaller case was packed with his safari suite along with shirts and under cloths and also the oak presentation case holding his pistols along with thirty rounds of ammunition. He loaded the six clips he had with ammunition. The remaining rounds in the box all so went into the case. He intended to retain this case in his compartment on the train.
He saw Mr Smithers waiting on the quayside has the ship docked. He lost sight of him has he passed through customs. Mr Smithers caught up with him outside whilst a porter carried his luggage on a trolley.
After shaking his hand and confirming it had been a good trip, Mr Smithers took charge of his luggage, saying it would loaded into a fright car along with the packing cases. David retained the smaller suitcase and gun case, and caught a buggy into the town. He knew the Deri-Ismal-Khan train left at four pm according to Mr Smithers when he had given him his ticket, which left him with nearly three hours to kill.
He left the suitcase and gun case in the foyer off the Railway Hotel under the watchful eye of the desk clerk. And then wondered into town looking for a specific shop. He found it on Main Street. In side he asked the assistant for a left-handed holster suitable for a Smith and Wesson .44 pistol. After several minutes the assistant returned carrying one, he removed a Smith and Wesson with a six and half inch barrel from a display cabinet to prove it fitted. David bought it along with a belt.
He returned to the Railway Hotel and had lunch.
Later he watched has the crates and his luggage were loaded into the fright car before finding his compartment on the train.
Prior to arriving at Deri-Ismal-Kahn he changed in to the safari suite and buckled the holster around his waist now with a loaded revolver in it.
David alighted from the train carrying his suitcase and gun case looking around him in anguish, but a familiar figure detached himself from the seething crowd.
"A jolly good day to you Sahib, I have made arrangements to transport you and your things to a waiting barge down by the waterfront," he said has they walked to the fright car. Six burly Indians were loading the crates onto a bullock cart along with his luggage. He followed behind in a rickshaw and watched has the men loaded the crates into a wide girthed barge, before climbing into it. He was shown to the rear of the barge, which had a rush mat covering it would be his home for the two days it would take to reach Kana.
Has the six men poled the barge out into the sluggish current due to the dry season; he removed the rifle from its case and loaded it.
At night the barge was moored to the bank, it being too dangerous to continue due to the sandbanks that were now visible due to the lowness of the river.
He shared the men's meal of unleavened flat bread and chicken curry. At the first light of dawn, they got underway again.
Fifty-six hours after leaving, the barge angled into the bank, although he judged they were still some distance from the city. Six figures he recognised has Gurkhas were waiting on the bank with a cart with two bullocks in the traces and a horse tied to the back.
Between the twelve men they soon had the crates loaded onto the cart along with his luggage.
The Gurkhas wore a range of clothing but each had a deadly kukri at his waist. The leader of the six informed him the horse was for him and that they were now returning to the barracks his name was Trak and he held the rank of Naik (corporal).
Has he rode alongside the cart he found out from Naik Trak that the barracks now held 96 Gurkhas. 19 of them from the British Army whose enlistment had finished, and had not re-enlisted.
They had been kept busy enlarging the barracks and walls.
It was nightfall when they finally passed through the gates of the barracks.
The Havildar Major, who he had met when he came out on his inspection, greeted him with a sharp salute. David requested him to place the crates in a storeroom and place a twenty-four hour guard on the door.
The Havildar Major showed him to the senior NCO mess where on his way to it he was amazed to find Havildar Talpin his old platoon Sergeant.
It seemed that word had reached the Gurkhas of the regiment, that Sahib Lieutenant Ramage was mustering a Gurkha unit here in Kana. Has his enlistment was up he had decided to come here and enlist. Five others from the platoon had come with him, and thirteen from other units. He said it so simply, has if it was of no consequence, and David was touched by his loyalty.
The next morning at daybreak he set off for the palace with the gun case over his shoulder, the rifle inside but now unloaded.
At the palace he was shown into the room he had met the Prince before. Ten minutes later the Prince swept in, extending his hand, "David it's so good to have you back" he said smiling. David bowed his head and murmured, "Thank you your highness".
They sat down and David began to tell him in detail what had he had been doing.
He showed him the rifle, explaining that it had been hand made because off his left handiness and then the bullets and clips. He demonstrated loading it utilising the clips. Then unloaded it, so the Prince could try the rifle. He ended his report then handed over all the receipts for the things he purchased.
The Prince never even looked at them but sat looking at David. Finally he said after a long pause "David you have succeeded better than I dared hoped for.
I should like you to accept the position of Colonel in my Army answerable to only me.
Your only task is to train your Gurkhas to guard the Pass. You can ask for anything you like to produce that end result."
David was stunned, "Thank you Sir, but before I accept your commission, there are some things I would like clarified.
I will never fire, or order fire, on British troops, no matter what the provocation. On that understanding I'll defend your interests at the Pass with my blood."
The Prince smiled "I would not have offered you the commission on anything less than those terms."
They shook hands. "So what are your plans?" The Prince asked.
David took a deep breath, remembering the thoughts he had, had back in London. "First to change their uniforms. Second to begin training with the new rifle. Third I should like to have the men trained in horseback riding, its twenty miles from the barracks to the Pass, we need to have a fast response force, for want of a better phrase, mounted infantry. I would want to build a strategic point in the Pass that could be defended.
I would also like to raise two companies, a hundred men in each, with a headquarters platoon stationed in the barracks responsible for training and administration duties, and these would be older but experienced men.
At the moment we can arm fifty with the new rifle, but another fifty will be coming in less than a month, I should like to order a further hundred rifles on top of our current order and a corresponding amount of ammonium." David sat back when he had finished for the Princes response.
The Prince stared at him for a second, realising he had been giving this problem a great deal of thought.
Instead the Prince rose and left the room he heard him giving orders to a servant before returning to the room again.
"I've sent for Ashar Kahn my Master of Horse he is one of the few men I trust implacably I have known him since I was a baby he taught me to ride," he said smiling, "you will need to make your barracks even bigger now," he warned.
"Yes Sir but the Gurkhas will do the building I want no one I can't trust inside those walls.
The Prince said to supply him with a list off building material and he would have it delivered to the barracks.
"Have you decide what you are going to call your new command David?"
"I thought the Khana Rifles Sir," he replied.
At that moment a man entered the room, he was tall and thin with a bushy grey beard with a dark brown wrinkled face that looked like old leather with a hooked nose and dark flashing eyes. He spoke to the Prince but David could not understand the language.
The Prince turned to David, "I'd like you to meet my dearest friend and uncle, my Master of Horse."
The man gave David the traditional Indian greeting, which he replied in kind.
"I've conveyed to Ashar Kahn your request for horses and the need to train the riders, he has agreed to take some horses out to the barracks and he and his sons will begin training your men."
He turned to Ashar Kahn, "Ashar my old friend the Colonel Sahib will require his own mounts, do we have anything suitable in the Royal stables?"
"Has you know your highness, the best horses choose their rider, but I will bring some out to the barracks that they may look him over," he said with a deadpan face.
The Prince merely chuckled. It was agreed Ashar Kahn would arrive in three days' time after suitable paddocks had been erected, two of his sons would arrive tomorrow with the materials to build them.
Before he left to return to the barracks he arranged for a tailor to come out to the barracks the next day.
Chapter 8
The sun was setting by the time he arrived back. In his absence a room had been cleared for him and furnished with a cot, table and chairs. An enamel bowl sat on a stand with a large pitcher of water, against one wall was his luggage.
The Havildar Major asked if he needed anything else. He thanked him for the room and furniture and requested that the senior NCOs report to him after breakfast the next morning.
The next morning with four Havildar's and the Havildar Major in attendance he crossed to the storeroom and dismissed the guard, sending him to the cookhouse to bring back buckets of boiling water.
The men's eyes gleamed when they saw the new rifles. Over the next hour he demonstrated how to clean the rifles first by pouring the boiling water over them to clear the protective grease from the outside and down the barrel. Then how to dry them using the pull through, and then oil it. When he was finished he gave each a rifle and then watched them closely, has they cleaned them.
When they were all finished, he told them he wanted them to demonstrate it to as many troops who could be made available with the remaining 45 rifles.
He asked the Havildar Major to ensure the cleaned rifles were stacked away afterwards and the sentry put back on guard.
A Gurkha in the bright red uniform came over to him and saluted. It seemed three large wagons were outside the gates filled with timber poles.
He saw Havildar Turin and called to him. He asked him to round up has many men has he could who were not on duty to help in constructing the paddocks. He replied he would be pleased to help but he held no rank here to order men.
"You still have your old rank here my friend, if any question you about it tell them to see me."
He watched has Turin gathered over thirty Gurkhas, had them fall in then marched them out of the gate.
He returned to his room to read the muster book the Havildar Major had left.
It seemed there were 57 Gurkhas in the Kana Army and 48 unassigned. It also seemed 6 were assigned to guarding the Panta Pass, the entrance to Kana from India and 18 the Khana Pass. Reading the standard orders the guards were changed every two weeks.
He was prevented from reading further by the gate guard announcing a merchant from Kana was outside demanding to see him.
He walked outside the gate finding the tailor he had seen the day before stood by a cart drawn by a donkey. After the usual greeting he explained what he wanted. He let him feel the safari jacket material asking if had, material like it. He was assured he had material similar. They walked to where the men were erecting the paddock, he called out for the men to stop and fall in. Then told the tailor to measure them, has each man was measured he returned to work. When the tailor had finished he consulted his notebook, off the 33 men measured 23 were approximately the same size the remaining 10 were off roughly of another size. David knew that Gurkhas tended to be between five foot 3 inches and five foot six inches with a stocky chest size.
He told the man he required 70 suites in the first size and 30 in the second size like the suite he was wearing, but without the belt. They must have shoulder lapels and the trousers should be gusseted at the ankles.
They should also be dyed; he picked up a rock that was light brown, like this colour, but the dye should not run when they are washed he warned. Also he would need a large roll of white tape one inch wide.
By this time the tailor was all smiles "oh yes Sahib I understand perfectly, you shall have them within four days."
David told him that if he made a good job there would be other work for him.
He walked over to the eldest son of Asher Kahn, and introduced himself; the boy's name was Taraq and his younger brother was called Jemal. David asked how the work was going.
It seemed the son was impressed with the speed of the Gurkhas, "I was asked to deliver this to you Sahib by his Highness" handing him a covered basket.
He left them to their work and returned to his room and the muster book. Inside the room he opened the basket, inside were two bottles of Dimple Haig malt whiskey and fifty cheroots, two shoulder insignia's of a Colonel, a crown and two pips.
He poured some into a glass, and then settled down with the book.
The light was failing when the Havildar Major whose name the book gave has Para reported that all the rifles were now clean and stored ready for inspection. The two Indian boys had been feed their animals were safely inside the walls along with their wagons, and quarters had been found for them. David thank him and wished him good night.
He knew from the book that he was fifty-six years old, and had served in the British Army for twenty-eight of those years.
He lit the oil lamp then considered his notebook.
Off the 105 men, he had one Havildar Major, (Sergeant Major), six Havildar's (Sergeants) two of which were on duty at the two Passes, five Naik's (Corporals) two on duty at the Passes, eight Lance Naik's (Lance Corporals) three on duty at the Passes.
Seven men were aged over fifty, two Sergeants, two Corporals and two Lance Corporals.
A Sergeant was in charge of stores, and the Corporals and Lance Corporals on permanent cookhouse duty.
Fifty-eight were under thirty years old.
Thirty-three under forty years old
Eleven were over forty years old.
He closed the book and made for his bed, too tired to eat.
The revelry bugle woke him the next morning, he stood and watched has the men fell in. The front ranks with the men in red uniforms, the men without uniforms at the rear. But they all came to attention smartly enough he saw before being marched off to the mess hall for breakfast.
A Gurkha knocked and came in carrying a tray "your breakfast Sahib," he announced. When he lifted off the cover he was astonished to see scrambled eggs on toast.
"Did the cook make this," he asked.
"Oh no Sahib they are busy making breakfast for the men. I made it, is it not to your liking," he asked looking worried.
"It's fine but where did you learn to do this".
"Oh I was batman to Major Caruthers Sahib, for twenty eight years Sahib"
"What's your name" David asked. "Hanga Sahib," he replied.
David checked his notebook and has he suspected Hanga was one of the men over fifty,
"Well Hanga how would you like to be my batman?"
His face broke into a wide smile "I would be most honoured to be the Sahib batman."
"Well inform Havildar Major Para of your new duties, you start today."
The breakfast was excellent, and the tea good and strong the way he liked it.
After the men had had their breakfast he saw the men forming up to go off to their various duties. He called Havildar Turin out of the squad of men who were going out to build the paddocks, "do we have any off our old NCOs in that group?"
"Yes Sahib Naik Rahna from 3rd Platoon and Lance Naik Pular from our platoon"
"Very well tell Lance Naik Pular he's in charge of the detail, and Naik Rahna to join us here."
He gathered the Havildar Major, and two Havildar's including Turin and four Naik's around him outside the storeroom, alongside two, long trestle tables.
Eight rifles were laid upon the tables with their tool kits.
He picked up a rifle and held it over his head.
"This is a Cartwright .303 rifle. It has an effective range of 1500 yards. It holds 10 rounds of ammunition, and with practice you can fire those ten rounds in less than 20 seconds."
He went on to explained that this was the rifle that the Gurkhas would be equipped with, and the men gathered would be instructors for the rest of the troops.
He slowly began to strip one down, getting the men follow each step with their own weapon. After an hour he left them with the order to keep practicing until they could strip one down and re-assemble it with their eyes closed.
He walked back across the parade ground noticing the work being done to enlarge the barrack walls has he passed through the gate, to the paddock.
He found that the large paddock was finished and work had started on a second with a gate joining the two.
Ashar's son came over to him and explained that the horses would be kept in one and the other would be used for training, when that was completed a small paddock would be built for his horses. He made the point that horse lines would need to be built inside the Fort has he called it, for protection at night.
It seemed his father would be bringing more building materials when he arrived tomorrow.
He returned to the storeroom to see the progress of the weapon training. Once satisfied, he ordered the rifles returned inside and locked up.
He asked the Havildar Major and the two Havildar's to follow him back to his room.
Once inside he explained his plans.
The barracks would become a Fort capable off housing 200 men and horses. The new unit would be called the 1st Khana Rifles. A rifle range needed to be built extending to a thousand yards. The 50 best shots would be issued with the new rifle and form the first half company. Training would centre on marksmanship and horse riding. Havildar Major Para would be in charge off the building work, only Gurkhas would be allowed inside the walls and used for the work on it. He asked Para to supply him with a list of materials he would need. He ended by saying they would be getting new uniforms hopefully tomorrow.
He spent half an hour answering questions before the meeting broke up but asked Turin to stay behind.
When they had gone he turned to Turpin, "my old friend you will lead the first half company. But I need you to start selecting the men who will join you. I am sure that things will start to hot up in the Pass and those men will be all we have to defend it until the next batch of rifles arrive."
"The Sahib knows that I will not let him down," Turin murmured.
Later that day Havildar Major Para reported to him with the list off materials he would require and that an office for him had been made available.
He informed Hagar that he would be working there for now.
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