Chapter 26

It was another three days before Susan would let him get out of bed for an hour. As he recuperated, he expressed his alarm about her putting herself so close to the battle by placing the aid station at the entrance to the Pass instead of at the Fort. “If I had,” she replied, sweetly, “You, along with half the wounded, would be dead by now.”

On the fifth day, against her protests, he said he was fit enough to return to the Fort and gave the order to prepare to move. The tents were broken down and the equipment packed, then loaded into carts. When he emerged from his tent, David found Khan tied to one of the carts. He whinnied when he saw him and tried to lick his face as David fondled him. He mounted awkwardly, his chest still bound where the bullet had broken two ribs. Then, with Susan mounted on Tana beside him, they started back slowly, following the carts.

It was late afternoon when the Fort came into sight. The escort had trotted on ahead, but David had been more than content just to let Khan walk slowly, his chest feeling each step Khan took. At the gate, the cart stopped and Susan dismounted, “Go on ahead darling, I need to check something,” she said. He passed through the gate and then stopped. His entire command was lined up on parade.

Subedar Major Para roared out the order and, as the entire command came to ‘present arms’, he wheeled about and saluted David. David’s throat constricted with emotion as he returned the salute. Then the entire command started cheering, throwing their hats into the air. He managed to dismount by his quarters where Hanga, a huge smile on his face, took charge of Khan. It was only then that he noticed the Prince and Ashar Khan standing on his porch watching him.

David stopped and started to bow his head but the Prince took hold of his shoulders, “You will never bow to me again David,” his voice filled with emotion. “It is I who should bow to you.” David tried to protest as the Prince led him inside, placing him in an armchair.

Ashar Khan handed him a whisky. “My son, I think you have a need of this,” he said, smiling. David took a sip as the Prince and Ashar sat down with their drinks. “Your officers have given me a full report of what happened in the Pass.” “Then you must know that my officers, Turin, and Sultar fought the battle, not I Sir.”

The Prince chuckled, “Yes, so I heard. You, on the other hand, were apparently distracted putting out burning fuses on Russian mortar bombs or standing in full view of a thousand rifle-firing Afghans while directing the fire of your mortar that destroyed the Russian one. Is that not so?”

David stuttered that the real fight had happened when he was absent. Ashar Khan smiled, “My Son, your modesty does you credit. From the tales I have heard from the men who were there, your courage inspired your men. Yours and Memsahib Susan’s. She refused to let you die, staying by your side for over forty-eight hours. Such a women should be a wife, if a man had sense enough to know.”

“I’ve asked Susan to marry me, but we have to find a priest and I have to get a ring,” he protested.

The Prince and Ashar burst out laughing. “It so happens that a Reverend Makepeace will be visiting Kanda in a week’s time, at my invitation. I’m sure he could be prevailed upon to carry out a wedding. As for a ring, I’m sure this would fit,” the Prince said, removing a heavy gold ring from his little finger.

“Thank you, Sir,” David stammered, “But Susan should pick the ring.”

“What makes you think she didn’t?” a female voice said.

David twisted around in his seat. Susan was stood in the doorway. She came and sat on the arm of his chair, bending over to kiss the top of his head. David flushed with embarrassment.

The Prince smiled at them, “So that takes care of the wedding ring, but what of the engagement ring?”

David looked confused. “I ... I haven’t had time to look for one,” he stuttered.

“Of course you didn’t. You were far too busy saving my kingdom,” the Prince murmured. “See if she would like this one,” he said, handing David a velvet bag.

Susan craned her neck to look as he opened the bag and then gasped. Inside was a gold ring with a huge blue-white diamond. He looked at her as he took it out; her eyes were wide and she nodded as he slipped it on her finger. She kissed him and then leapt up and kissed the Prince and Ashar on their cheeks.

The Prince took David to one side as Susan chattered to Ashar. “My agents have reported the Afghans lost over five hundred killed or wounded. It seems the tribal chiefs are not happy with each other, trading allegations of cowardice as the cause of their defeat. This has now triggered old animosities amongst them, resulting in open warfare. Russians have been killed in Kabul for not doing enough to supply and support them. So I think it is safe to say we should have no trouble from that corner for quite a while now.”

“That’s just as well, Sir. I need to order replacement mortars and shells, as well as more rockets when we get more magnesium.”

The Prince smiled, “You also need to visit Susan’s parents and seek their approval. I think a visit back to England for the two of you is in order.”

David looked in surprise at the Prince.

“A sea voyage would be ideal for starting a honeymoon, don’t you think? However, before your wedding, I need first to honour the men who fought so bravely for this kingdom and its people. I should like you to draw up a list of those who need recognition. We will hold the ceremony at the city to let the citizens know what these brave warriors have done to save them.”

The following day David brought up the Prince’s instructions at Officer’s Call. Turin and Sultar put forward several names of men who had committed various acts of bravery such as the two men who continued to fire their mortar even though their comrades lay dead or dying around them and they themselves were wounded. The three Gurkhas who had leapt from their rifle pit to fight hand to hand when a group of Afghans threatened to overwhelm them. The Havildar on the crest whose quick thinking in throwing down grenades into the cleft halted the Afghan advance. They also mentioned men who had died in defending their positions against overwhelming odds. Turin said the Memsahib Doctor should be recognized, along with her assistants. “They never slept for over three days in order to tend to the wounded. Without them we would have lost more men.”

David added Turin and Sultar’s name to the list. Then asked Subedar Major Para to write up a report on the events of the battle and dispatch it to the Palace. He knew the award ceremony was scheduled in four days. He had missed the cremation of the Ghurkhas who had fallen, due to still being in hospital at the entrance of the Pass, but was informed the Prince and Ashar Khan had been there.

He was slowly getting his strength back, but was under strict orders, to report daily to the hospital to have his dressing changed by Susan. She, along with an assistant, had remained at the Fort to treat the more seriously wounded. He had been upset when she insisted on sleeping in her own bedroom with her assistant. “Any exertion by you could open your wounds again and I need you fully healed for the wedding,” she had said firmly, adding shyly, “and the honeymoon.”

David couldn’t help but notice the looks between Turin and the pretty assistant who assisted Susan in dressing his arm. He discovered her name was Shera. Susan ate with him each evening, Hanga fussing around them. “Have you decided who is giving you away yet?” He asked her as they relaxed after dinner one night.

She chuckled, “Ashar Khan has agreed to it. He was so pleased when I asked him.”

David laughed, “The Prince said he would have stripped me of my rank if I had not asked him to be my best man.”

The day finally came when David, with Susan by his side, rode out of the Fort at the head of his Riflemen. Turin came behind at the head of the survivors of the battle with many, including Turin, still bandaged. Then came Sultar at the head of fifty of the Cobra Troop. Behind them, Para and Hanga escorted the wagon carrying those unable to ride, with Shera acting as their nurse.

Crowds thronged the city streets cheering as the Riflemen made their way to the Palace. The men dismounted and, while grooms tended to their horses, set about cleaning themselves up from the dusty ride. Peshawar directed David and Susan to a room where the Prince, resplendent in full Maharaja regalia, waited with Ashar Khan and, David surmised, what could only be the Prince’s children. The eldest, who must have been Yasmin, rushed to Susan to hug her and admire the ring she wore. The Prince chuckled, “Women and their baubles.”

David smiled and started to bow his head when the Prince’s voice cracked out, “I have forbidden you ever to bow to me again,” he said sternly.

“My apologies Sir,” David replied, chastised.

The Prince smiled at him, “As I have already said, it is I who should bow to you.”

He led David to a table and removed the sheet that covered it, “We have not practiced the British method of awarding medals for valour. That is something we will change today.” The table contained a mass of gold medallions with a tiger’s head on them and suspended from a Lovat green silk neckband. “Every man who fought there will get one today.”

He pointed to another row of decorations, “For extreme service to my country, we have commissioned these, the Khana Cross.” They were simple gold crosses, each attached to a rifle made of silver, each again suspended from Lovat Green silk ribbons. Engraved in the centre of each cross was one word ... Hero. Not trusting his voice, David nodded as his eyes became misty. Just a bit of stray dust, he assured himself.

David stood on the rostrum behind the Prince, looking at the ranks of his men arrayed in front of them. Crowds thronged the open plaza. The Prince began with a brief description of the battle, telling his people how these men, natives of another land, had crushed the Afghan invasion of their country; telling them how some had died and others been seriously wounded in defence of them. Afghans might well have been standing here today, ruling over the kingdom, if not for these men who had risked their lives to protect the citizens of Kanda.