Chapter 41

He was shown into the Prince’s presence where he found Turin standing beside him.

Turin saluted him smartly with a wide smile on his face. The Prince was still lean but had a few grey hairs in his hair and beard that had not been there before. The Prince gave him a hug. “My son, it has been too long,” he murmured.

After telling about Susan and the children and that his daughter now bore Yasmin’s name, David got down to business. Turin insisted that he could have three hundred Gurkhas if he wanted them. But David said he didn’t have enough salted horses for that number, adding, “I have horses for a hundred, but the men must be volunteers,” he insisted. He agreed to ride out to the fort the following day and approach the men himself.

Over dinner that night with the royal family he learnt with sadness that the Horse Master had died two years ago. He told the Prince of Khan’s death, how he had saved him from the leopard and that he now rode Zeus, Khan and Sulkie’s son.

Before he retired for the night the Prince presented him with a pair of ivory handled 1911.45 Colt semiautomatic pistols, explaining they fired eight bullets from a magazine. “They were presented to me by an American Congressman but I have no use of such weapons.”

The entire regiment was drawn up on the parade ground when David arrived at the fort. He entered the officer’s room finding Hagar and Sultar along with others he didn’t recognise. They all came to attention and saluted him. His throat constricted with emotion at this gesture. Turin took over, “The Colonel Sahib has need of a hundred fighting men, but they must be volunteers he has insisted, so we will address the regiment to find out who.”

Before he could leave the room Sultar waylaid him. “Colonel Sahib, you will need a good second in command. Please except me for that post,” he said earnestly.

“Sultar, you’re married.” David replied.

“With respect Colonel Sahib, so are you.”

“I will have to speak with the Prince and Princess Yasmin about it first before deciding,” David answered defensively.

Outside on the rostrum Turin outlined David’s request for volunteers. Then David spoke saying that they would be facing superior numbers and that men were likely to die.

Turin said for those who would like to go take one step forward. The entire regiment stepped forward as one man; David’s eyes smarted with emotion at this. Back in the office he said to Turin for him to select the men, suggesting that priority be given to unmarried men. Turin smiled seeing the expression on David’s face, “What did you expect from them? You are a legend in this regiment.”

“I’m telling you now Turin, you are not going. The regiment needs you too much,” David said forcefully. He went on to say, “The men chosen would need to bring their saddles, but not their rifles. Those would be provided later.”

Back at the Palace he was surprised when Princess Yasmin came into the room where he was talking to the Prince. “David,” she began, “Sultar says he wants to go with you.”

David hesitated before replying, “Princess, I told him he was married and had to consider you.”

“But you have Susan and the children to consider too,” she replied.

He frowned confused. “I don’t understand what you are saying,” he murmured.

“I’m saying my husband is a Gurkha; he was born to fight and you need an experienced leader to help you. So you must let him go. Further as a dutiful wife and prospective mother, I shall accompany him.”

David looked startled, looking at the Prince and Princess, “The Crater is no place for a royal princess,” he stuttered.

The Princess’s eyes grew angry, “I have just completed three years at Oxford sharing a flat and before that I worked in the hospital here in Kanda. Do you think so little of me that I need to live in luxury to be happy, David? Beside which, I now hold a medical degree and can help Susan in the hospital.”

David looked appealingly at the Prince, who merely shook his head and laughed. “Don’t look at me for help; she’s made up her mind to go,” he said grinning.

“Further,” the Princess said, “in the future you will address me as Yasmin, not Princess, agreed!”

David nodded weakly as she left. “Who wears the trousers in that family, I wonder?” he said to a grinning Prince.

David left two days later to return to Mombasa, leaving Sultar in charge of bringing the others over. Once back in Nairobi he wasted no time in gathering the professional hunters together and explaining what was happening in Europe and the fears of an approaching war and the consequences to East Africa. He went on to explain the lack of support in manpower in the event of war. He let the outcries and arguments die before adding that it was going to be a case of helping themselves.

“I intend to raise a commando and train them to be an effective fighting force so that we can fight back if we are invaded by German East Africa.”

He went on to explain about weapons, and pay and conditions, ending by saying, “I’d like you to think about it but remember if you do join up then you have to obey orders just like any other soldiers. Talk about it amongst yourselves. You know where I am if you decide to enlist.”

When he got back to the crater he informed Rham about the hundred Gurkhas who would be coming and who would need accommodation, leaving it up to him to start the building of a barracks for them. Next he spoke to Patar concerning the horses, finding they currently had a hundred and twenty horses that had been salted. The following day the builders from Nairobi arrived to start building a house for Sultar and Yasmin.

That night N’debi visited him and he talked to him about the chance that a war would break out in a few years. “What I need to know, old friend, is what the German Askari’s are doing over the river, how many are there, what weapons they have and where they camp.”

“To find this out Bwana, you need the help of the Maasi. They have villages on both sides of the river.”

“Could you speak to them for me, N’debi, and find out. They would be rewarded for such information.”

He spoke at length with Martin regarding accurate maps of the area and heard, “Most of this part of East Africa has never been mapped. We will need good maps showing water holes, terrain elevations, and ground conditions. In other words, maps that can give us the lay of the land. The best way to do that is to break the area up into five mile boxes and survey it before moving on to the next box. It will take time to do it accurately, but if I can have a Matabele guide and a couple of Rham’s men I could start immediately.” David thanked him knowing Martin had the necessary equipment and knowhow to accomplish it.

Susan and the children returned the following week and at the welcome home party he told her of Yasmin being pregnant and would be arriving with Sultar soon. Her face broke out in a wide smile, “I must go into Nairobi and start to get furniture and material for their home before they arrive,” she gushed, happy to be involved. He drove Susan into the town two days later; whilst she shopped he went into the bar.

Stanley along with his son John, Bill, Ron and Hans were there. He took his drink over to them and sat down. “So David,” Stanley began, “so far there are forty-seven of us who are interested in joining your commando. Just what does it involve?”

David took a sip of his beer, before replying, “At this stage, what we need more than anything is information on the enemy and accurate maps of the area we are likely to be active in. That’s where you men would be invaluable. You know this land better than anyone, but most of that information is locked in your heads. We need to get that down on paper. Martin is going to start surveying the land, but it would help if some of you could go with him.

Stanley nodded, “The Germans don’t take kindly to us crossing over to their territory but there are places where it is done. The local natives despise the Askari’s; they tend to bully them and take what they want. I have a few contacts with the locals who let me know if the Askari’s are about.”

David smiled, “That’s what we need Stanley. We have about a year or two to prepare in, but I don’t want them to know what we are doing. By the same token don’t discuss this with anyone outside of those who volunteered. You can bet the Germans are doing something similar over here in preparation.” At this, the men looked startled at each other, as they realised what David had said could be true.