'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎87] (118/360)

HOUSEKEEPING AT KERMAN
87
a ' black heart.' His father had been forced, in the course
of his duty, to despatch our second sweeper's brother, and
Nasrullah Khan, therefore, told off this servant to beat
Akbar, the poor boy calling out that the man was thus
avenging his brother's death! The little syce, who was
not implicated in the business, wept the whole time, and
sobbed violently when Nasrullah Khan offered him the
stick as a treat, in case he had any insult to avenge ; while
Hashim, also innocent, acted the part of intercessor, urging
me to get my brother to let the sinners off their deserts.
The cook, who was the ringleader, got off the best, as he
called out that he was a seyid, or descendant of the Prophet,
and so worked upon the feelings of all, that he was beaten
very lightly. In Persia it is the custom to give servants a
khelat, or present, after a beating. A new coat or a few
krans is generally the reward of misconduct, completely
destroying the moral effect of the punishment; but our
servants knew my brother too well to dare to ask for the
customary gift.
Next to the Indian syce, the soldiers ranked highest in
my estimation. Our guard of six men, with turkey-twill
trousers, navy blue coats with scarlet shoulder-straps, and
queer-shaped helmets with a flap in front, were the cheeriest
and most willing fellows it has been my lot to meet.
They had a ration of bread, and we gave them the usual
pay of i|d. daily, and heard that because they got this
meagre pittance they were forced to square the officer with
a douceur for the privilege of guarding the Consulate, as
otherwise he would have changed them at once for others !
The Persian soldier is a soldier for life, but his lot is by
no means as hard as one might think. Each village is
forced to give its quota of men to serve in the ranks, but