Published: Civil and Military Gazette, 27 March 1888.

Attribution: The story, after publication in the CMG, appears in the first volume of ‘Turnovers’, January–March 1888 (May 1888); the eight other stories in the collection are known to be by RK. Against this circumstantial evidence must be set two objections. In a copy of ‘Turnovers’, i (present location not known) offered for sale at Sotheby's, 12, 14 November 1928, RK has written ‘Don't remember this’ against the title of ‘The Minstrel’ (see Richards, Bibliography, p. 33). In RK's copy of Livingston, Bibliography, p. 68, ‘The Minstrel’ has been lined out in green pencil. Since RK's other notes and marks in this volume are in ink, the green pencil mark may possibly be from another hand.

Text: Civil and Military Gazette.

Notes: Reprinted in ‘Turnovers’, i (1888), in the Martindell–Ballard pamphlets and in Harbord, iv, 2000.

He had not been long in India, and had a passion for what he called “studying races”; this did not mean attending Gymkhanas, but making the acquaintance of the people of the country. He did not, however, find the Punjabis very interesting, and longed for something wilder and less constrained than the tame naukar of daily life – a noble savage, a child of Nature. Fortune favoured him: he came across an Afghan fresh from Cabul – a real, wild Afghan – whom he induced to enter his service. The Afghan – a swaggering handsome creature – had not a picturesque name, and the title of “bearer” was altogether too common-place for him. His master was in difficulties what to call him, till the Afghan, wishing to display his accomplishments, produced an instrument of many strings, and played and sang in the verandah.

This was in the early morning, but his master was not angry – what could be more like the minstrels of old! – it was delightful – it was historic; and from that hour the Afghan was known as “The Minstrel.”

The Minstrel's master found that he needed patience at first; for the Minstrel's views of bearer's work were vague and magnificent. Dinner dress to him meant a striped flannel tennis coat, volunteer uniform trousers, and yellow riding-boots.