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Chapter twenty-seven. The Scheme Begins |
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Our connection with H.Q. was not always close in the very early days. Drafts and the Haflong Treasury's opening day failed so signally to coincide in the first weeks that at the beginning of November I found myself, when all commitments had been allowed for out of Critchley's initial Rs 1000/-, with exactly thirty rupees to keep myself for six weeks. I did it, touring hard the whole time and losing thirty-five pounds in the process; but when I went to Shillong for Christmas, directly after, Mr Mills, when he saw me, guessed what was wrong. I think he wrote to " V " Force - I hadn't dared to complain, for, as a woman, I was a freak in the job, and I was always afraid that they'd find an excuse to fire me. They (195) always said that sooner or later they'd send a British officer to take over. However, in the New Year they gave me a rise in pay and allowed me rations, a very great help, for things were growing scarce by then and prices were soaring. Then Colonel Scott, A.Q.M.G. " V " Force, came up to see us himself, and our teething-troubles were over. We lacked for nothing at all from that day on, and I particularly had cause to be grateful to him. |
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" Tough for a woman," he said. " Always wrong twice - once for being wrong, and once for being a woman." |
