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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1918)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRA8KA. Kkm f the Khyber Rifles Talbot Munmidly Copyright by the Bobbf-Menill Company A Story That Combines the Thrill of Modern Detective Fiction With the Romance of Arabian Nights Tales CHAPTER XVII Continued. 11 Morning looks down into Khlnjnn hours after the ruu lins risen, because he precipices shut It out. Hut the fiesta on every sldo nro very beacons t the range nt the curliest peep of 4awn. In silence they watched day's bernld touch the peaks with rosy Jew eled Angers she wnltlng ns4 If sho ex pected the marvel of It all to inako King speak. It was cold. Sho came and snug gled close to him, and It was so they watched the spnrklo of dawn's jewels die and the peaks grow gray again, sho with an arm on his shoulder and strands of her golden hair blown past Ws face. "jOt what aro you thinking?" she teked him at last. "Of India, prlnccsa." "What of India?" "Sho lies helpless." "Ah I You lovo Indlnr "Yes." "Yon shall lovo mo better I You shall tors mo better than your life I Then, fee lovo of me, you shall own the India yofe tiklnk you lovo I This letter shall to'" Sho tapped her bosom. "It Is topi to cut you off from India first. Yon xhall lose that you may win 1" Shg got up and stood In tho gap, smiling mockingly, framed In tho dark mom of tho envo behind. "I qndorstnnd 1" sho said. "You think you nro my enemy. Lovo nnd ate novcr lived sldo by side. You shall sco I" Ucr hands slipped Into his, soft nnd warm; her oyes fastened on his nud acid them. Ami us thoy did so King Mink, like n sack half-empty 'and top- Bled over sldowluo on tho floo asleep. Ho neither dronmed nor was con scious of nnytMug, but slept like n Send man, having fought against her jeesmorlsm harder than ho knew. Statesmen, generals, outlaws, all saake their big mistakes and mnnago to recover. Very nearly always It Is sn apparently llttlo mlstnko that does SBost damago In tho end, something samotlceablo ut tho time, that grows la geometrical proportion, minus In stead of plus. Yasmlnl mndo her llttlo mistake that ulnuto In believing King was utterly Mesmerized at last nnd utterly In her power. Whereas In truth ho wns only weary. It may bo that sho gavo him (orders In his sleep, after tho accepted teanner of mesmerists; but If sho did, Eey novcr reached hlm; ho was far 9 fast asleep. IIo slept so deep and ag that ho was not conscious of men's Velces, nor of being carried, nor of Hma, nor of unxlety, nor of anything. CHAPTER XVIII. . When King 'nwoko ho lay on u com tollable bed In n envo ho had never St Been, but thewams no trnco of Yas nl, nor of tho men who must huvo Barricd hlm to It. IIo had no Idea how 6 rig ho had slept. It did not matter. d hud probed Khlnjnn enves, nnd know tho wholo purposo for which tho lawless thousands had been gathering ind were gathering still. Remained, to thwart that purpose, IIo began u't Ike beginning, whero ho stood. 1 Behind hlm In n corner at tho bnclc at the cuvo was a narrow fissure, hung with n leather curtain, that was doubt lees Uio door Into Khlnjnn's heart ; but Bio only way to tho outer nlr was along a Idgo above a dizzying precipice, so Mgh that tho hugo waterfall looked Ike a little stveum below. IIo was In irery eagle's nerlo; tho upper rim of KhlnJan'B gorge seemed not more than quarter of n mllo nbovo him, I Round tho corner, ten feet from tho intranco, stood u guard, armed to tho teeth, with a rifle, n sword, two pistols snd a long curved Khybcr Icnlfo stuck jmndy In his girdle. As ho looked, n jHtlo procession of women, led by n gin i), cumo up the ledge. Tho mnn wns lraed, but tho women were burdened with his own belongings tho medlclna Jfeest his saddlo nnd bridle his un-rffledNnulo-pack, Thoy enmo past tho luiulx m:m oi. guard nnd laid them nil it KTng's feet Jtwt Insldo tho cave, i IIo smiled, with that gcnlnl, face transforming smile of his that has so jftcn melted n rond for him through fallen crowds. But tho man In charge se the women did not grin. IIo was suffering, lie growled nt tho women, snd they went nwny like obedient nnl eaals, to sit hulf-wny down the ledge and nwnlt further orders. He himself Mndo ns If to follow them, and tho dumb raun on guard did not pay much attention ; he let women nnd man pass kchlnd him, stepping ono pace forward lownrd the edge to make moro room. That wns his last entirely voluntary set In this world. With a suddenness that disarmed all reposition tho other humped himself sgulnst tho wall and bucked Into tho aumb man's buck, sending him, weapons and all, hurtling over tho iwrcclpleo to the cavcrnn Into which tho wnter tumbled thousands of feet nwny. Tho other rulllan spat after him. and Dion walked back to whero King stood. "Now heal me my bolls I" ho said, n-lnnlng at lust, doubtless from pleas ure f,t the prospect. IIo was tho surae saan who had stood on guard nt tho gaest-ccve" when Ismnll led King out to seo tho Cavern of Earth's Drink. Tho temptation was to fling the brute after his victim. The tempta tion always Is to do tho wrong thing to cap wrath with wrath, Injustice with vengeance. That way wars begin and nro novcr ended. King beckoned him Into tho envc, nnd bent over the chest of medical supplies. Then, finding tho light better for his purpose at the en trance, ho culled tho man back and mndo htm sit down on the box. The business of landing bolls Is not especially edifying In Itself; but that particular minor operation probably snved India. But for hope of it tho man with tho bolls would never have stood two turns on guard hand run ning nnd let tho relief sleep on; so ho "Thou Lleutl It was My Men Who Got tho Head That Let Thee Inl Else Why Aro Thou Here?" would not havo been on duty when tho mcssago enmo to carry King's belong ings to his new cuvo of residence. Thcro would havo been no object In killing tho dumb man, nnd so thcro would hnvo been nn expert with n load ed rlflo to keep Muhammad Anlm lurk ing down tho trail. Muhammad Anlm enmc llko tho devil, to scotch King's faith. Ho had followed the women with tho loads. Ho stood now, llko n big bear on n mountain trnck, swaying his head from Rldo to sldo six feet nwny. King Jumped, ncurly driving tho lance Into u now plnco In his patient's neck. "Let him go!" growled Muhnramud Anlm. "do, thou I Stnnd guard over tho women until I come I" The mullah turned n rlflo this wny nnd that In his puws, llko u grent hour dancing. Tho very Ornkzal Pnthnn who had sat next King In tho Cavern of Earth's Drink, was creeping up be hind tho women and already had his rlflo leveled at tho man with bolls. "Ayol" said tho mullah, watching King's eyes. "Ho has dono well, nnd tho road Is clear I" Tho man with bolls offered no fight. IIo drojjped his rlflo nnd threw his hands up. -Jn n moment tho Ornkzal Pathan was In command of two rllles, holding King from nmong tho women, whom ho seemed to regard as his plun der too. Tho women nppenred su premely Indifferent In any event. King nodded back to him. A frlcud Is a friend In tho "mils," nud rare Is tho man who Bparos his enemy. "Nono comes to earn n living in tho IHlls,'" growled tho mullah, swaying his head slowly and devouring King with cruel calculating eyes. "Why art thou hero?" "I slow n man," said King. "Thou Host 1 It was my men who got tho head that let thoo inl Speak I Why art thou hero?" But King did not unswer. Tho mul lah resumed. "Ho who brought mo tho mcssuge yesterday says ho has It from nnothor, who had .It from n third, that thou art hero becauso eho plans n simultaneous rising in India, nnd thou art from tho Punjab whero tho Sikhs all wult to rise. Is that true?" "Thy man said It," answered King. "Then hear mol' said tho mullnh. "Listen, thou." But ho did nof begin to speak yet. IIo tried to sco past King Into tho envo und to peer about Into tho shadows. "Whero Is Hho?" he asked. "Her mnn Itewn Qungn went yesterday, with threo men nnd n letter to enrry down tho Khybcr. But whero Is sho?" So ho had slept tho clock round I King did not nnswer. IIo blocked tho wny Into tho enve nnd looked pnst tho mullah. Tho Ornk7.nl Pathan crouched among tho women, nnd tho women grinned. Tho mullah stared Into King's face, with tho scrutiny of n trader appraising loot. Flro lenped up behind his calculating eyes. And with out n word passing between them, King knew that this man ns well ns Yas mlnl was In possosslon of the secret of tho Sleeper. Perhaps ho know It first; perhaps sho snatched tho keep ing of tho secret from him, At nil events ho know It nnd recognized King's likeness to tho Sleeper, for tils eyes betrayed him. He begun to stroke his beard monotonously with one hand. Tho rifle, that ho pretended to be hold ing, really leaned against his back nnd with the frco hand he wns making sig nals. King know well he wns making sig nals. But he knew too that in Yas mini's power, her prisoner, ho had no chance nt ull of Interfering with her plans. Hnvlng grounded on tho bot tom of Impotence, so to speak, nny tide that would take hlm off must bo n good tide. IIo pretended to bo nwnrc of nothing, nnd to bo particularly un nwnro thnt tho Pathan, with n rlflo In each hand, wns pretending to como casually up tho path. In n minute he was covered by a rifle. In nnother minute the mullah had lashed his hands. In five minutes more tho women were loaded again with his belongings nnd they were nil half-way down tho track In slnglo file, tho mullah bringing up tho renr, de scending bnckwnrd with rlflo rendy ngnlnst surprise, nB If ho expected Yns mini and her men to pounco out nny minute to the rescue. They entered n tunnel nnd wound along It, stepping nt short Intervals over the bodl"s of three stubbed sen tries. Tho Pathan spurned them with his heel us ho passed. In tho glare at tho tunnel's mouth King tripped over tho body of n fourth man nnd fell with his chin beyond tho edgo of n sheer precipice. They wcro on n ledgo nbovo the wa terfall again, hnvlng como through n projection, on tho cliff's side, for Khln jnn Is nil rat-runs and projections, llko n spongo or n hornet's nest on a titanic scale. They soon reached another envc, at which the mullnh stopped. It was a dark 111-smelllng hole, but ho ordered King Into it nnd tho Pathan after him on guard, after first seeing tho women pllo nil their loads Inside. Then he took tho women uwny nnd went off muttering to himself, swuggcrlng, swinging his right nrm ns ho strode, In n wny few nntlvcs do. "Lot us hopo ho hns forgotten these 1" the Pnthnn grinned, touching tho pllo of rifles. "Weight for weight In sliver they will bring mo n Ono prlcol Ho may forget. Ho dreams. For u mullah ho cares less for meat nnd money thnn any I ever saw. lie Is mad, I think. It Is my opinion AHnh touched hlm." "What Is thnt, under thy shirt?" King asked. Tho Pnthnn grinned, nnd undid tho button. There wns n second shirt un derneuth, nnd to thnt on tho left breast wcro pinned two British medals. "Oh, yes I" he Inughed. "I served tho raj 1 I was In tho army eleven years." "Why did you lenve It?" King asked, remembering thnt this mnn loved to henr his own voice. "Oh, I hnd furlough. I knifed n man this sldo pf tho border. It was no af fair of tho British. .But I was seen, and I entered this plnce. It Is n devil of n place." Now tho art of ruling Tndla consists not In trending barefooted on scorpions not In virtuous Indlgnntlon nt men who know no better but In seeking for nnd mnklng much of the gold that lies over nmld tho dross. Thoro Is gold In the character of any man who "What Is Under Thy Shirt?" Kino Asked. once passed tho grilling tests before enlistment In u Brltlsh-Iudluu regi ment. It nuiy need experience to lay a linger on It, but it Is surely there. "I heard," suld King, "ns I enmo to wurd tho Khyber In grent husto (for tho pnllco wore nt my heels) " "Ah, tho pollco I" the Patliuu grinned pleasantly. The Inference wns thut nt Homo time or other ho had left his mark on tho police. "1 heard," said King, "that tho slrkar has offered pardons to nil deserters who return." "llah I But thou nrt n hnklm, not n "True!" said King. "In India 1 earned my salt. I obeyed tho law. Thcro Is no law hero In ho 'Hills.' I nm minded to go buck and seek that pardon 1 It would feel good to stand In tho ranks again, with n stiff-backed sahib out In front of me. nnd tho thunder of tho gun-wheels go ing by. Tho salt was good I Come thou with mo I" "The pardon Is for deserters," King objected, "not for political offenders." "Hnughl" snld tho Pathan, bringing down his flat hand hard on the hakim's thigh. "I will attend to thnt for thee. I will obtain my pardon first. Then will I lend thoo by the hand to tho knrnal sahib nnd lie to hlm nnd sny, 'This Is the ono whd' persuaded mo ngnlnst my will to como back to tho regiment I' " "Thou art n dreamer 1" said King. "Untlo my hands ; tho thong cuts me." The Pnthon obeyed. "Drcumor, nm I? It Is good to drenm such dreams. By Allah, I've n mind to seo thut dream como truol I never slew a man on Indian soil, only In theso 'Hills.' I will go to them nnd sny, 'Hero I nm I I nm a deserter. I ,s,eck thut pardon I' Truly I will go! Como thou with me, little hakim I" "Nny," snld King. "I have another thought. You who wero seen to sluy n man, und I who nm n political offend er, do not win pnrdons so easily as that. They would hang us unless wo cumo bcnrlng gifts." "Gifts? Hus Allnh touched thee? What gifts should wo bring? A dozen stolen rifles? A bag of silver? And 1 nm tho drenraer, am I?" "Nny," said King. "I am tho dream er. There aro others In theso 'Hills' otlfcrs In Khlnjnn who wear British medals?" Tho Pnthnn nodded. "Hundreds. Men fight first on one side, then on the other, being true to either sldo while the contract lasts. In nil thero must bo tho makings of many regiments nmong tho 'Hills.' " King nodded. Ho himself hnd seen tho chieftains como to parley nfter tho Tlrnh war. Most of them had worn British mcdnls nnd had worn them proudly. "If wo two," ho said, speaking slow ly, "could speak with some of those men nnd stir tho spirit In them nnd persuudo them to feel ns thou dost, mentioning tho pnrdon for deserters and tho probability of bonuses to tho time-expired for re-enlistment ; if wo could mnrch dowh the Khyber with n hundred such, or even with fifty or with twenty-flvo or with a dozen men wo would receive our pardon for tho snko of servlco rendered." "Good 1" Tho Pnthnn thumped hlm on tho back so hard that his eyes watered. "We would huvo to usa much cnu tlon," King ndvlsed hlm, when ho was able to speak ngnln. "Ayo 1 If Bull-wlth-a-bcnrd got wind of It ho would hnvo us crucified. And If sho heard of It" IIo was silent. Apparently there wore no words In his tongue that could compnss his dread of her revenge. Ho wns silent for ten minutes, und King sat still besldo hlm, letting memory of other days do Its work memory of the long, clean regimental lines, nnd of order nnd decency and of justice hand ed out to all and sundry by gentlemen who did not think themselves too good to wenr n nntlvo regiment's unlforqi. "In two days I could do tho drill ngnln ns well ns ever," ho said nt last. Then thoro was silence again for fif teen minutes moro. "I could nlwnys shoot," he murmured ; "I could nlwnys shoot." When Muhnmmnd Anlm enmo bnck they had both forgotten to replaco tho lushing on King's wrists, but tho mul lnh seemed not to notlco It. "Come I" ho ordered, with n sldewlso Jerk of his great ugly head, and then stood muttering Impatiently while thoy obeyed. They marched downward through Interminable tunnels nnd along ledges poised between earth nnd heaven, un til they enmo nt Inst to tho tunnel lend ing to the ono entrnnco Into Khlnjnn caves. Just before they entered It two more the mullnh's men enmo up with them, lending horses. Ono horso wns for tho mullah, nnd thoy helped King mount the other, showing hlm moro respect thnn Is usunlly shown a prisoner In tho "nills." Then tho mullah led tho way Into the tunnel, nnd ho seemed In deadly fenr. Tho echo of tho hoof-bents Irritated hlm. IIo eyed each hole In tho roof ns If Ynsmlnl might bp expected to shoot down nt him or drench him with boil ing oil nnd hurried pnst each of them nt n trot, only to drnw rein Immediate ly nftcrwnrd because the uolso was too grent It beenmo evident thnt his men hnd been nt work hero too, for nt Intervals along the passago lay dead bodies. Yas mlnl must havo posted tho men there, but whero was she? Each of them lay dead with n knlfo wound In his bnck, nnd tho mullah's mon possessed them- Bolves of rifles nnd knives nnd car trldges, wiping off Wood that had scarcely cooled yot. When they enmo to the end of tho tunnel It wns to find tho door Into tho mosquo open In front of them, nnd twenty moro of Muhammad Anlm's men standing guard over tho eyelash less mullah. They hud bound und gagged him. At a word from Muhnm mnd Anlm they loosed htm ; nnd nt n thrent the hairless one gavo n signal that brought the grout stone door slid ing forwurd on Its oiled bronze grooves. Then, with n dozen Jests thrown to the hnlrless one for consolntlon, nnd nn titter Indifference to the sncrcdncss of tho mosque floor, they sought outer nlr, nnd Muhnmmnd Anlm led them up the Street of the Dwellings townrd Khlnjnn's outer ramparts. They reached the outer gate without Inci dent nnd hurried Into the great dry valley beyond It. As they rode ncross tho valley the mullnh thumbed n long string of bends. Unlike Ynsmlnl, ho was praying to one god ; but ho seemed to hnvo mnny prayers. His bnck wns n picture of determined trenchery tho backs of his men were expressions of tho creed that "he shall keep who can 1" King rode all but last now nnd had n good view of their unconsciously vaunted blnckgunrdlsm. There was not a hint of honor or tenderness nmong tho lot, man, womnn or mullnh. Yet his heart sang within him ns If he were riding to his own marriage feast 1 Last of all, close 'behind him, marched his friend, the Ornkzal Pn thnn, nnd ns they picked their wny nmong the bowldero across the mile wldo moat tho two contrived to fnll n llttlo to the renr. The Pnthnn begnn speaking In n whisper nnd King, riding with lowered bend as if ho were study ing the dnngerous track, listened. "Sho sent her man Itewa Gungn to wnrd the Khyber with n mcssuge," ho whispered, "no took n few men with him, nnd ho Is to send them with the messuge when they rench tho Khyber, but he Is to come bnck. AH he went for Is to mnko sure the mcssuge is not Intercepted, for Bull-wlth-n-benrd Is growing reckless those dnys. Ho knew what was doing nnd said nt once thnt sho Is treating with tho British, but thero wero few who believed that. Thero nro more who wonder whero sho hides while tho message Is on Its way. Nono has seen her. Men hnvo swnrmed Into the Cuvern of Enrth's Drink and howled for her, but she did not come. Then tho mullah went to look for his ammunition that he stored nnd sealed In n enve. And it wns gone. It wns nil gone. And there was no proof of who hnd tnken it i "Hnklm, there bo some who sny nnd Bull-wlth-n-benrd Is ono of them thnt sho Is afraid and hides. "nis men sny he Is despernte. His own aro losing faith In hlm. Ho snntched thee to bo n bait for her, hnv lng It In mind thnt n mnn whom she hides In her privnto pnrt of Khlnjnn must be of grent vnlue to her. Ho hns sworn to hnvo theo skinned nllve on n hot rock should sho fall to como to terms 1" CHAPTER XIX. Tho march went on In slnclo file un til tho sun died down In snlendld fury. Then thcro begun to bo a wind thut they hnd to leun ngulnst, but the worn en wcro nllowcd no rest. . At Inst ut n plnco whore tho trail be gan to widen, the mullnh beckoned King to rldo besldo hlm. It was not thnt he wished to bo communlcntlve. but thero wero things King know that ho did not know, nnd he had his own way of asking questions. D hakim 1" ho growled. "Pill man 1 Poultlcer I That is u sweener'a trndo of thine 1 Thou shult npply it nt my enmp I I hnvo some wounded nnd somo sick." King did not nnswer. but buttoned his coat closer against tho keen wind Tho mullah mistook the shudder for one of nnother kind. "Did sho chooso theo only for thy incer no asked. "Did sho not con shier thy courage? Does she lovo theo well enough to ransom thee?" Again King did not nnswer, but ho watched tho mullah's face keenly In the dark nud missed nothing of its ex presslon. IIo decided tho mnn wns In doubt even rucked by indecision. "Should sho not ransom theo, hnklm, thou shalt havo n chanco to show my n en how a man out of India enn die I By nnd by I will lend thee n messenger to send to her. Better make tho mes sage clear and urgent I Thou shult state my terms to her nnd plead thlno own cuuso In tho same letter. My camp lies yonder." IIo motioned with ono sweep of his arm toward a valley thnt lny In shndow far below them. As they approached It tho rock clove In two nnd beenmo two great plllnrs, with a mnn on ench. And between tho plllnrs they looked down Into u vulley lit by fires thnt burned beforo n thousand hide tents, with shndows by the hundred flitting back and forth between them. A dull roar, llko tho volco of an nrmy, roso out of tho gorge. "Moro thun four thousand men! said tho mullnh proudly. "What nro four thousand for n raid Into India?" sneered King, grently daring. "Walt nnd seol" growled tho mullnh; but ho seemed doprcssed. IIo led tho wny downward, getting off his horse nud giving the reins to a man. King copied hlm, und purtwny sliding, pnrt stumbling down they found their way nlong the dry bed of a wator-courso between two spurs of n hillside, until they stood at lust In tho midst of a cluster of a dozen sentries. close to n tamarisk to which a man's body hung spiked. Thnt the mnn hnd been spiked to it nllvo wus suggested by the body's nttltudc. Without n word to tho sentries tho mullnh led on down a lnnc through the midst of the enmp, townrd n great open envc nt the fnr side, In which a bonfire enst fitful light nnd shndow. Wntchers sitting by tho thousand tents ynwned nt them, but took, no particular notice. The mouth of the cave was llko a lion's, fringed with teeth. Thcro wero men In it, ten or eleven of them, all armed, squatting round the fire. "Get out I" growled the mullah. But they did not obey. They sat nnd stared nt hlm. "Hnve yo tents?" tho mullah asked, In n voice like thunder. "Aye 1" But they did not go yot. One of the men, ho nearest the mul lah, got on his feet, but he had to step back a pace, for tho mullah would not give ground nnd their breath was In each other's fnces. "Where nrc the bombs? And the rifles? And the muny cnrtrldges?" ho demnnded. "Wo huve wnlted long, Mu hnmmnd Anlm. Where nro they now?" The others got up, to lend the first mnn encouragement. They leaned on rifles nnd surrounded the mullah, so flint King could only get n glimpse of hlm between them. They seemed In no mood to be trented cnvnllerly In no mood to be argued with. And the mul lnh did not urgue. "Ye dogs I" he growled nt them, nnd ho strode through them to the fire nnd chose himself n good, thick burning brand. "Ye sons of nnmeless mothers 1" Then he churged them suddenly, bentlng them over bend nnd fnce nnd shoulders, driving them t In front of hlm, utterly reckless of their rifles. "So Thou Art to Ape the Sleeper In His Bronze Mall, Eh!" nis own rlflo lny on tho ground behind him, nnd King kicked Its stock cleur of the Are. "Oh, I chnll pray for you this night 1" Muhnramud Anlm snarled. "What a1' curso I shall beg for you I Oh, what n burning of tho bowels yo shnll hnve I What n sickness 1 What running of the eyes 1 What sores I What bolls 1 What sleepless nights nnd faithless women shall bo yours I What a prayer I will pray to Allah 1" They scattered Into outer gloom do foro his rage, and then camo back to kneel to him nnd beg him withdraw his curse. Ho kicked them ns they knelt nnd drove them nwny ngnln. Then, silhouetted In tho cavo mouth, with thofl glow of the fire before him, he stood with folded nrms nnd dared them shoot. After five minutes of nngry contem plation of tho enmp ho turned on a contemptuous heel nnd enme bnck to tho fire, throwing on moro fuel from n greut pile In n corner. There wns un Iron pot in tho embers. He seized a stick nnd stirred tho contents furious ly, then 6et tho pot between his knees nnd nto like nn nnlmnl. He pnsscd the pot to King when he hnd finished, but Angora hud pnssed too many times through what was left In It nnd tho very thought of cntlng the mess mnde his gorge rise; so King thnnked him nnd set the pot nslde. Then, "Thnt Is thy place I" Muhnm mnd Anlm growled, pointing over his shoulder to n ledgo of rock, llko n shelf In tho fnr wnll. B-it though ho was al lowed to climb up und lie down, ho wns not allowed to sleep nor did he wnnt to sleep for moro thnn nn hour to come. Tho mulliih enmo pver from tho fire ngnlu nnd stood besldo him, glaring llko n great nnlmnl and grumbling In his heard. "Does sho surely love theo?" ho asked ut last, nnd King nodded, be causo ho knew ho was on tho trail of Information: "So thou art to ape tho Sleeper In his bronzo mall, eh? Thou art to como to life, as sho was said to come to life, nnd tho two of you nro to plunder India? Is that It?" (TO BE CONTINUED.)