Page 83 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1926

He didnt really mean to get Daly - but D happened to be in the line of fire. Everything quiet at the Fort except for the
wailing of women, which is rather a painful noise. The two men's wives are very young & one has an 18 months old
baby. M isnt in the least alarmed by it all. The town is in a state of semi panic. I wrote to Sheikh Isa & reported the
matter. We also cabled to Bushire.

Thursday 5th August

Came down & saw Daly in morning & then went to office. He is quite bad, with bandages all over. The Subadars
funeral took place in the morning & in the afternoon the Havildar died & was buried in the evening. Very depressing.
The widows wail continuously but there does not seem to be anything wrong with the men. Am writing back as during
these days I was so desperately busy with my own work, & a lot of Daly's as well & all this extra work. Came down in
the evening to see Daly & then went for a drive with M in the car. The town is full of the very wildest rumours & the
people are very panicky. The Sheikh calls every day to see Daly. We think the whole thing was a plot & that Haji
Sulman, head of Police, & the chief men of Levies were all to have been shot. Very hot damp day, & yesterday quite
the worst day we have had yet. Perfectly quiet & normal at the fort, & the prisoners are in cells just below my dressing
room. If there was going to be any trouble it would have taken place before now.

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Friday 6th [August]