CampaigningontheIndianfrontierisanexperiencebyitself.Neitherthelandscapenorthepeoplefindtheircounterparts inanyotherportionoftheglobe.Valleywallsrisesteeplyfiveorsixthousandfeetoneveryside.Thecolumnscrawlthrough amazeofgiantcorridorsdownwhichfiercesnow-fedtorrentsfoamunderskiesofbrass.Amidthesescenesofsavage brilliancytheredwellsaracewhosequalitiesseemtoharmonizewiththeirenvironment.Exceptatharvesttime,when self-preservationrequiresatemporarytruce,thePathantribesarealwaysengagedinprivateorpublicwar.Everymanisa warrior,apoliticianandatheologian.Everylargehouseisarealfeudalfortressmade,itistrue,onlyofsun-bakedclay,but withbattlements,turrets,loopholes,drawbridges,etc.complete.Everyvillagehasitsdefence.Everyfamilycultivatesits vendetta;everyclan,itsfeud.Thenumeroustribesandcombinationsoftribesallhavetheiraccountstosettlewithone another.Nothingiseverforgotten,and?veryfewdebtsareleftunpaid.Forthepurposesofsociallife,inadditiontothe conventionaboutharvest-time,amostelaboratecodeofhonourhasbeenestablishedandisonthewholefaithfullyobserved.Amanwhoknewitandobserveditfaultlesslymightpassunarmedfromoneendofthefrontiertoanother.Theslightest technicalslipwould,however,befatal.ThelifeofthePathanisthusfullofinterest;andhisvalleys,nourishedalikebyendlesssunshineandabundantwater,arefertileenoughtoyieldwithlittlelabourthemodestmaterialrequirementsofasparse population. Intothishappyworldthenineteenthcenturybroughttwonewfacts:therifleandtheBritishGovernment.Thefirstwasanenormousluxuryandblessing;thesecond,anunmitigatednuisance.Theconvenienceoftheriflewasnowheremore appreciatedthanintheIndianhighlands.Aweaponwhichwouldkillwithaccuracyatfifteenhundredyardsopenedawhole newvistaofdelightstoeveryfamilyorclanwhichcouldacquireit.Onecouldactuallyremaininone’sownhouseandfireat one’sneighbournearlyamileaway.Onecouldlieinwaitonsomehighcrag,andathithertounheardofrangeshitahorsemanfarbelow.Evenvillagescouldfireateachotherwithoutthetroubleofgoingfarfromhome.Fabulouspricesweretherefore offeredforthesegloriousproductsofscience.Rifle-thievesscouredallIndiatoreinforcetheeffortsofthehonestsmuggler.Asteadyflowofthecovetedweaponsspreaditsgenialinfluencethroughoutthefrontier,andtherespectwhichthePathantribesmenentertainedforChristiancivilizationwasvastlyenhanced. TheactionoftheBritishGovernmentontheotherhandwasentirelyunsatisfactory.Thegreatorganizing,advancing, absorbingpowertothesouthwardseemedtobelittlebetterthanamonstrousspoil-sport.IfthePathanmadeforaysintothe plains,notonlyweretheydrivenback(whichafterallwasnomorethanfair),butawholeseriesofsubsequentinterferences tookplace,followedatintervalsbyexpeditionswhichtoiledlaboriouslythroughthevalleys,scoldingthetribesmenand exactingfinesforanydamagewhichtheyhaddone.Noonewouldhavemindedtheseexpeditionsiftheyhadsimplycome, hadafightandthengoneawayagain.Inmanycasesthiswastheirpracticeunderwhatwascalledthe“butcherandbolt policy”towhichtheGovernmentofIndialongadhered.Buttowardstheendofthenineteenthcenturytheseintrudersbegantomakeroadsthroughmanyofthevalleys,andinparticularthegreatroadtoChitral.Theysoughttoensurethesafetyofthese roadsbythreats,byfortsandbysubsidies.Therewasnoobjectiontothelastmethodsofarasitwent.Butthewholeofthis tendencytoroad-makingwasregardedbythePathanswithprofounddistaste.Allalongtheroadpeoplewereexpectedto keepquiet,nottoshootoneanother,andaboveallnottoshootattravellersalongtheroad.Itwastoomuchtoask,anda wholeseriesofquarrelstooktheiroriginfromthissource. Theworddebtsin“veryfewdebtsareleftunpaid”inthefirstparagraphmeans
A.loans. B.accounts. C.killings. D.bargains.正确答案C
