It was promotion to a new life for them--occupation for Tugendheim, who had been growing bored and perhaps dangerous on that account--and not so dreadfully distressing to the Turkish soldiers, who could now ride on the carts instead of marching on weary feet.

They had utterly no ambition, those Turkish soldiers; they cared neither for their officer (which was small wonder) nor for the rifles that we took away, which surprised us greatly (for in the absence of lance or saber, we regarded our rifles as evidence of manhood).

They objected to the dirty garments they received in exchange for the uniforms, and they despised us Sikhs for men without religion (so they said!); but it did not seem to trouble them whether they fought on one side or the other, or whether they fought at all, so long as they had cigarettes and food.

Yet I did not receive the impression they were cowards--brutes, perhaps, but not cowards.

When they came under fire later on they made no effort to desert with the carts to their own side; and when we asked them why, they said because we fed them! They added they had not been paid for more than eighteen months.
Why did not Ranjoor Singh make this arrangement sooner, you ask.