In describing the chief's personal appearance Raynier had not exaggerated. Mushim Khan was unquestionably a fine-looking man. Tall and straight, his powerful frame was well set off by the flowing whiteness of his garments, and the symmetrical folds of his snowy turban made an effective framework to the strong and dignified face. It was a finer face than those possessed by most of his countrymen, being somewhat fuller, and, though regular of feature, yet had not that hawk-like and predatory expression engendered by the lean and exaggeratedly aquiline cast of profile of the rest. His full beard and the two long tresses hanging low down on either side of his broad chest were jet black, but in view of the custom of dyeing such his age would be hard to determine approximately. His brother, the Sirdar Kuhandil Khan, was scarcely his inferior in appearance--in fact, there was so strong a family likeness between them that they might easily have been mistaken for each other. "I know not why we should join in this _jihad_," the chief was saying, "nor do I know who is this Hadji Haroun who is stirring it up. He comes from the Orakzai, and he had better return to them in peace." "That had he," agreed the other. "And yet, wherever he goes unrest remains behind him on his path. It seems that he of Kabul has too many _mullahs_, and when such become troublesome he sends them forth to stir up unrest among such as need them not." "And our people are being inflamed by unrest, brother?" "Are they not?" answered Kuhandil Khan. "Murad Afzul is here among them again, and it seems that he is drawing all men with him." "Murad Afzul?" and the chief's brows darkened. "Murad Afzul! I have a mind to make an end of that robber. To what purpose should we allow such as he to draw us into war with the Feringhi? And what should come of such war? Will our land grow fat beneath it or our people increase?" "It would not be good to make an end of him at this moment," said the vizier. "His following is large and powerful, and our people are ever turbulent. For long has he been teaching them to cast eyes upon Mazaran, whose garrison is weak, and where there is much plunder." "Then Murad Afzul is chief of the Gularzai," said Mushim Khan, bitterly. "Well, we shall see, for I will order him to take his possessions and depart." "The omen is favourable," said the vizier, lifting his eyes. "Lo--here he comes?" Two men were approaching--one tall and of middle age, the other of medium height and old. These drew near and salaamed, yet without the obsequious servility customary on approaching the presence of the more despotic Eastern ruler; for these mountain chiefs ruled more by patriarchal prestige than despotic power. Mushim Khan gave them peace, and they seated themselves.