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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1918)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. King of the Khyher JlflcS A Rmance f Adventure CHAPTER XXI Continued. 13 Bnt out of the corner of his eye, nnd encc or twice by looklug back delib erately, King saw that Ismail was taking the members of his new band one by one nnd whispering to them. What ho Bald was a mystery, but as they talked each man looked at King. And the moro they talked the better pleased they seemed. And as the day woro on the more dcfcrcntl.il they grew.. By midday If King wanted to dismount there were three at least to bold hln stirrup and ten to help him mount again. Four thousand men with women and children and baggage do not move so swiftly as one man or a dozen, espe cially In the "IIIlls," whero dlsclpllno In reckoned beneath n proud man's honor. There were many miles to go before Khlnjnn when night fell and the mullah bade them camp. He bado them camp because they would havo done It othcrwlso In any case. When the evening meal was eaten, and sentries had been set at every van tago point, there cunie another, order from the mullah. The women and children wero to bo left In camp next dawn, end to remain there until sent Cor. There was murmuring at that around tho camp, and especially among King's contingent. But King Inughcd. "It Is good I" ho said. "Why? now so?" they asked htm. "Bid your women mako for tho Khy ber noon after tho mullah mnrches to morrow. Bid them travel down the Khyber until wo and they meet!" "But" "PIcobo yourselves, sahibs I" Tho bnklm's air was one of suprcmcst In difference. "As for me, I leave no women behind mo It) tho mountains. I nm content" They murmured a while, but they gave tho orders to their women, and King watched tho women nod. Even as Yasmlnl had tested, htm and tried him beforo tempting him at last, the must bo watching him now, for aven tho Bast repeats Itself. Slio had ent Ismail for that purpose It was Ikely that her course would depend on lis. If bo failed, sho was done with dm. If bo succeeded In establishing a ptreHg position of his own, sho would K";ld. With or without Ismail's aid, th or without his enmity, ho must rqntrol bis eighty men and glvo tho llp to tho mullah, and ho wont at onco about tho best way to do both. "We will go now," ho said quietly. 77bat sentry In yonder shadow has als back turned. Ho has ovorcatcn. Pre will rush hltn nnd put good running between us and the mullah." Surprised Into obedience, and too de lighted at tho prospect of action to wonder why thoy should obey a hakim to, they slung on their bandoliers and Ctido ready. Ismail brought up King's irse and ho mounted. And then at king's word all eighty made a sudden bwoop on tho drowsy sentry nnd took Mm unawares. Thoy tossed him over Bio cliff, too startled to scream nn tlarra; and though sentries on either Siud beard them and shouted, they ere gone like wind-blown ghosts of lead mea before the mullah oven know trhat was happening. 1 They did not halt until not one of paera could run another yard, King feniflilsg to his horse to And a footing Uoog the cliff-tops, and to the men to ted the way. CHAPTER XXII. "WWtherl" one whispered to King. Xe Khlnjnn I" ho answered; nnd feat was enough. Bach whispered to the other, and they all beenmo fired frith curiosity moro potent thau money erlbca. When bo halted at last and dls counted and sat down and tho strap ktcrB cangnt up, panting, mcy new a keunctl of war all together, with Is-, iall sitting nt King's back and leaning 1 a chin on bis shoulder In order to hear , better. Bono pressed on bone, and the ptnee grow numn; iunB wiuim nm. , a down times; hut each tlmo Ismail 0t His cnln uncic on mo samo spot, un a dog will that listens to his master. iCet ho Insisted ho wns her mnn, and not King's. "Now. ye men of tho mils,'" said King, "listen to mo who am political eftendor - with - reward - for - capture affercdt" That was a gem of a title. It fired their imaginations. "I know things that no soldier would And ovt la a thousand years, and I will tell you somo of what I know." Now he hod to bo careful. If he wero to Invent too much thoy might announce him as u traitor to the "Hills" la general. If bo wero to tell Mi em too little they would lose In terest and might very well desert hlra at the first Pinch. Ho must feel for the middle way and upsot no proJu alces. "Sho has discovered that this raul (ah Muhammad Anlm Is no truo mus Itm, but aa unbellovlng dog of u for rtzner from Faranglstnnl She has itecovered that he plans to make him e!t an emperor In these hills, nnd to tell hlllraea Into slavery I" Might as .vreil serve tho mullah up hot while about It I Beyond any doubt not much 'atere tbaa a mile away tho taaltah was By TALBOT MUNDY Copyright by the Dobbt-Merrlll Company getting oven by condemning the lot of them to death. "An eye for tho risk of nn eye 1" say the unforgiving "Hills." "If ono of us should go back Into his enmp now ho would be tortured. Bo sure of that." Breathing deeply In tho dnrkness, they nodded, as If the dark had eyes. Ismail's chin drove a fraction deeper Into his shoulder. "Now ye know for all men know that tho entrance. Into Khlnjun caves Is free to any man who can tell a Ho without flinching. It Is the way out again that Is not free. 'How many men do ye know that have entered and novcr returned?" They all nodded again. It was com mon knowlcdgo that Khlnjan was a very graveyard of tho presumptuous. "She has set a trap for the mullah. Sho will let him and all his men enter nnd will never let them out again 1" "How knowest thou?" This from two men, ono on either hnnd. "Was I never In Khlnjan caves?" ho retorted. "Whenco camo I? I am her man, sent to help trap the mullah 1 I would havo trapped nil of you, but for being weary of these 'Hills' nnd wish ful to go back to India and be par doned I That Is who I ami That la- how I know I" Their breath camo and- Tt'eht slbl lantly, and the darkness was alive with the excitement they thought them selves too wnrrtor-llko to utter. "But whut will she do then?" asked somebody. King searched his memory, and In a moment there came back to him a picture of tho hurrying Jeznllchl ho hud held up In tho Khyber pass, and recollection of tho man's words. "Know yo not," ho said, "that long ago sho guvo leuvo to all who ate salt to bo truo to tho salt? Sho gave the Khyber jczallchls leave to light against her. Bo sure, whatever sho does, she will stand between no mnn and his pardon I" "But will Bho lead a jihad? Wo will not light against her I" "Nay," eald King, drawing hlo breath In. Ismail's chin felt Uko a knife against his collar bone, nnd Israull's Iron lingers clutched his arm. It was tlmo to glvo his hostage to Datne Fortune- "She will go down into India und use her lnlluenco in tho matter of tho purdonsl" "I bellevo thou art a very great liar Indeed 1" said tho man who lacked part of bis nose. "Tho Pathan went, und ho did not como back. What proof havo wo?" "Yo havo rael" said King. "If I show you no proof, how can I escape you?" They nil grunted agreement as to that. King used his elbow to hit Is mail in tho ribs. Ho did not dare speak to him; but now was tho tlmo for Ismail to carry information to her, supposing that to bo his job. And after a minute Ismail rolled into u shadow nnd was gone. King gave him twenty minutes' start, letting his men rest their legs nnd exercise their tongue. Now that ho was out of tho mullah's clutches and ho suspected Yasmlnl would know of It within an hour or two, and before dawn In any event he began to fool llko a player In a game of chess who foresees his opponent mate In so many moves. If Yasmlnl wero to lot tho mullab and his men Into tho enves and to Jolt forces with him In Uiere, ho would at least havo tlmo to hurry back to India with his eighty men and glvo warning. Ho might have time to call up tho Khy ber Jczallchls and blockade tho caves beforo the hlvo could swarm, nod ho chuckled to think of tho hopo of that On tho other hnnd, If there was to I bo a battlo royal between YnBmlnl nnd tho mullah, ho would bo there to watch tt nml t0 comfort India with tho news. Now wo w, g0 on guInt ,n onleP to boclosoto Khiujan nt break of day," ,1(J 8u!d( uuu they ROt ,mU obeyed hm nH ,( hl(J word hlu, ,(oen ,nw to (ncm fop year8 0f al, of thcm ,,0 wnB t,10 on,v mn ,n ,ioui)t ho who seemed most contldcnt of all. Thoy swung along Into tho darkness under low-hung stars, trailing behind King's horse, with only half u dozeu of them u hundred yards or so ahead as nn advanco guard, and all of them ex pectlng to sco Khlnjun loom ubovo each noxt valloy, for distances ami darkness nro deccptlvo In tho "Hills," even to trained eyes Suddenly tho advance guard halted, but did not shoot. And as King caught up with them he snw they wero talking with someone. no had to rldo up close beforo he recognized tho Orakzal Pathnn. "Salaam 1" said tho fellow with grin. "I bring ono hundred nnd eleven I" As ho spoke graveyard shadows roso out of the dnrkness around and leaned on rltlos. "Bo ye men all ox-soldlcrs of tho raj?" King asked them. "Aye!" they growled In chorus. "Who gnvo you leavo to como?" King aBked "Nono I no told us of tho pardons nnd wo camel" "Ayol" said tho Orakzal Pathnn, drnwlug King aside. "But sho gave io leave to seek them out and tempt theoil" "And what docs she Intend?" King nsked him suddenly. "She? Ask Allah, who put tho spirit In her I How should I know?" "Wo will march again, my brothers I" King shouted, nnd they streamed nlong behind him, now with no advance guard, but with tho Orakzal I'athan striding bcsldo King's borae, with a great hand on the saddle. Like the others, he seemed decided In his mind that the hakim ought not to be allowed much chnnco to escape. Just as the dawn was tinting the surrounding peaks with softest roso they topped a ridge, and Khlnjan lay iwlow Jevn ttvta Ihe nille-wSde 1odd dry valley. And whllo they watched, and the Khlnjnn men wero beginning to murmur (for they needed no Inst view of tho place to satisfy any long ings 1) nono elso than Ismail rose from behind a rock and came to King's stir rup. Ho tugged and King backed his horfto until they stood together apart. "Sho sends this message," said Is mail, showing his teeth In the most peculiar grin that surely tho "Hills" ever witnessed. "Many of her men, who have never been In tho array, are notd tho less true to her, and sho will lot leave them to tho mullah's mercy. Thoy will lenve tho caves in a little while, nnd will como up here. They aro to go down Into India and bo made prisoners If tho slrknr will not enlist them. "You aro to wait for them hero." "Is that all her messago?" King asked him. "Nay. That is none of It I This Is her message: THOU SHALT KNOW THIS DAY, THOU ENGLISHMAN, WHETHER OR NOT SHE TRULY LOVED TnEEl THERE SHALL BE PROOF SUCH AS EVEN THOU SHALT UNDERSTAND I" Isninll slipped away and lost himself among the men, nnd none of them seemed to notlco Hint ho had been away end hnd como again. It was a llttlo moro than an hour after dawn nnd tho chilled rocks wero beginning to grow warmer when tho head of a pro cession camo out of Khlnjan gato and started toward them over the valley. In nil moro than ilvo hundred men emerged nnd about a hundred women and children. Then: "Muhammad Anlm comes 1" shouted a voice from n crag top. They snuggled Into better hiding. nnd thcro wns no thought now of lcnv Ing beforo tho mullah should go by. It needed an effort to quiet them when tho mullah roso into viow at last above tho rlso and paused for a mlnuto to stnro across nt Khlnjnn before lend Ing his four thousand down and on wnrd. Ho was silent as an Image, but his men roared llko a river In flood nnd ho mndo no effort to check them. no dismounted, for ho had to, and tossed his reins to the nearest man with tho nlr of an emperor. And ho led tho way down the cllffsldo without hesitation, striding like a mountaineer. His men followed him noisily. It was thirty minutes after the last of tho mulluh's men had vanished through tho gate, and his own men In dozens nnd twenties were fluttered "Thou 8halt Know Thla Day, Thou Englishman, Whether or Not She Truly Love Thee." nlong tho cliff-top nrgulng against de lay with growing rancor, when u lone horseman galloped out of Khlnjnn gate and started across tho vullcy. Ho rode recklessly. Ho was either panic stricken or else bolder than tho devil. In a mlnuto King had recognized tho mure, and so had the eyes of tlfty men around him. No mnn wlh hulf an cvo for n horso could have failed to recognize that black mare, nnvmg over seen her once. In another two minutes King had recognized the Rnn gnr's silken turbnn. Most of the men were staring down ward nt tho Rnngnr's head as ho urged the mare up tho cliff pnth. when the explanation of Yusmlnl's message came. It was only King, urged by Komo Intuition, who had his eyes fixed on Khlnjnn. Thcro enmo a shock thnt actually swayed tho bill they stood on. The Vl Aawa9 .BK'aBaBRPffH mare on tho pnth below missed her footing nnd fell a dozen feet, only to get up again and scramble as If n thou- hnnd devils were behind her, the Rnn- gar riding her grimly, like n Jockey In n race. Threo more shocks followed. I A great slice of Khlnjan suddenly caved In with n roar, and smoke nnd dust burst upward through the turn- bllng crust. There wub a pause after that, as If tho wnltlng elements were gathering strength. For ten minutes they watched and scarcely breathed. Rewn Gungn gained the summit and, dismounting, Rtood by King with tho reins over his arm. The marc was too blown to do anything but stand and tremble. And King was too enthralled to do anything but stnre. "That Is what o woman enn do for n man I" said Rewn Gungn grimly, "Sho set a fuso nnd exploded all tho dynamite. There were tons of It I Tho galleries must have fnllcn In, ono on tho other I A thousnnd men digging for n thousnnd years could never get Into Khlnjnn now, and tho only way out Is down Earth's Drink 1 Sho bnde mo come nnd bid you goodby. sahib. I world have stayed In there, but she conunnndod me. She said, 'Tell King suhlb my love was true. Tell him I glvo him India nnd nil Asln that were nt my mercy I' " While th Rnngnr snoko there camo three moro torth tremors In swift sue- cession, nnd a thunder out of Khlnjnn as If the very "Hills" were coming to an end. Tho mnre crew frantic nnd the Rancor summoned six men to hold her. ' SuJdenly. rlcht over the ton of Khln- Jan's upper rim. whero only tho eagles over perched, there, burst n column of water, Immeasurable, huge, that for a moment blotted out tho sun. It rose sheer unward. curved on Itself, and fell In u mllllon-ton deluce on to Khlnjan and Into Khlnjnn valley, hissing and roaring nnd thundering. Earth's Drink had been blocked by tho explosion and had found a new way over tho barrier beforo plunging down ncaln Into the bowels of tho world. Tho ono sky-flung leap It mado as Its welcht burst down n mountain wall was enough to blot out Khlnjnn for- He was out of his bnth nnd reraem over, nnd what hnd been n dry, mile- bered thnt nitnute that ho hnd not wldo mont wob n shallow lako with death's rack and rubbish flontlnc on the surface. Tho earth rockod. King wns up on his feet In a second and faced about The Rnnirnr lnnehn.1. "So ends tho 'Heart of the Hills 1'" ho said. "Think kindly of her, sahib. Sho thought well enough of you 1" He touched iitrnln nnil fmrnmr on tho black mare, and beforo King could speak or raise a hand to Btop him he was off nt wondrmiR fmoort nlnn.r th precipice In tho direction of the Khv- ber pass and India. Two of the men who had come out of Khlnjan mounted and spurred after him. King collected his men nnd the wom en nnd children. It was easy, for they wero numb from what they had wit nessed and dnzed by fenr; In half an hour he hnd them mustered and marching. CHAPTER XXIII. Thoy reached the Khyber famished nnd wcre fed nt All MasJId fort nfter King hnd given a certain password and hnd whispered to tho officer command Ing. But ho did not change Into Eu ropean clothes yet, and none of his fol lowing suspected blm of being an Eng llshmnn. "A Rnngnr on a blnck mare has gono down tho pnBS ahead of you In a hur ry." they told him at All Maslld. "Ho had two men with hlra and food enouch. Onlv stormed lone enouch to make his business known." "What did ho say his business is?" asked King. 'Tie gnvo a sign and eald a word that satisfied us on that point I" "Ohl" said King. "Can you signal down tho pubs?" "Surely." 'Courtcnay at Jamrud?" "Yes. In charge there and crowing tired of doing nothing." "Signal down nnd nsk him to have that bath ready for mo that I Bpoko nbout Goodby." So ho left All Mnsjld at tho head of n motley procession that crow noisier and more confident every hour. Ismail began to grow more lively and to have a good many orders to fllnc to the rest, "Yon mourn llko n doe " Klnir tnld him. "Threo howlB and n whine and a llttlo Bulking and then forgetful- nessl Ismail looked nnsty at that but did not answer, although he seemed to havo a hot word ready. And thencc- forward bo hung his head more, nnd nt least tried to seem bcrenved. But his manner was unconvincing 'none the less, and King found It food for t,imlRnt Thoex-soldlersnndwould-bo eoldlers mnrched In four behind him, growing hrl mnrn lrki flrtlloil mon. nn.l tnlk. Ing, with each stride thnt brought them nearer India, moro as men do who havo nn interest In law and or der. Behind them tramped the worn en from Khlnjan, carrying their bn hies and their husbands' loads; and behind them again wero the other women, who had been tqld they would i. nVnrnkn in thn KiivW hut who had actually had to run themselves raw-footed In order to catch up. rnvn th Khvhnr hnvn romo enn. qucrors. n dozen conquering kings, nnd D mnn hnnton rm!oB? tint Blirolv nn t-trnnger host than this ever trudged between the echoing walls. The very eagles screamed nt them. Slgnnls pre- ceded them, and Courtcnay himself rodo up tho pnss to greet them. At .Tnmmifl thnv worn irlvn fnnil nn.l tlnrfr rifles were tnken nway from them nnd but carried It unwound In his huod. n guard was set to watch them. But And his golden hair foil nearly to hie tho guard only consisted of two men. knees and changed his whole appear both of whom were Pathaus, and they ance. And ho waa weeping. And he assured them that, rldlcnlona though It sounded, tho British wero actually willing to forgive their enemies nnd to pardon all deserters who applied for pardon on condition of good faith In tho future, That they prayed to Allah llko llttlo children lost nnd found. The women crooned love-songs to their babies over the clear fires and the men talked and talked and tnlked until the stars grew big as moons to wenry eyes and they slept at last, to dream of khaki uniforms and karnel sahibs who knew neither fear nor favor and who said things that were so. It Is n mad world to tho Illmnlayan hlllman whero men In uuthorlty tell truth unadorned with- out shame and without consideration mnd, mad world, and perhaps too ex- otic to be wholesome, but pleasant while the dream lasts. Over In the fort Courtcnay placed a bath at King's disposal and lent him clean clothes nnd n razor. But ho wns not very cordial. "Tell mo all the war nowsl" said King, splnshlng In tho tub. And Cour- tenny told hlra, passing him another cake of soap when tho flrst was fln isned. After all, there was not much to tell butchery In Belgium Huns nnd guns and the everlastingly glorl- ous stand that saved Paris and France nnd Europe, "According to the cables our men are going the records ono better. I think that's all," said Courtenoy, "Then why the stiffness?" nsked King. "Why am I talked to at the end of a tube, so to speak?' "You'ro under arrest I" said Courtc- nay, "The deuce I am I" taking care of you myself to obviate tho necessity of putting a sen- try on gunra over you." "Good of you, I'm sure. What's It n" nbout?" "I don't mind telling you, but Td rather you'd wait. The mlnuto you were sighted word was wired down to headquarters, and the general himself win oo up Hero by train any minute." "very wen," said King, "uot n ci Bnr? Got n ack one? Blacker the newer i sraoKea a cigar since leaving main Naked, shaved, with some of the stain removed, he did not look like a man In trouble as he filled his lungs with the suupeiensu emoKe oi a rat iricnmo- PO Aud thcn tho general camo nnd did not wait for King to get dressed but uurst ,nto the bnthroom and shook "ondB with him whllo he was still nnkcd nnd askcd ien questions (like a Bntllng Bn whllo King wns getting ou " trousers, uivining eacn nnswer nfter tho third word nnd waving the rest aside. "And why nm I arrested, sir?" nsked King the moment he could slip the question In edgewise. "Oh, yes, of course. Try the caso here ns well as anywhere. What does this mean?" Out of his pocket tho general pro duced a letter that smelt strongly of a scent King recognized. Ho spread It out on a table, and King read. It was Yasmlni's letter that she had sent dowD t,,c Khybcr to mako India too "0l lo I,olu ,1UU' Too bad about your brother," said the general. "Tho body Is burled, How much Is true nbout tho head?" King told him. "Where's she?" nsked tho general. King did not answer. Tho general waited. "I don't know, sir." Ask tho Bangar," Courtenay gug- gested. "Whero Is he?' asked King. "Caught him coming down tho Khy bcr on his black marc and arrested him. He's In tho next room I I hope he's to be hanged. So that I can buy tho marc," ho added cheerfully. King whistled softly to himself, and the general looked at him through half-closed eyes. "Go In and tnlk to him, King. Let mo know the result" Ho had picked King to go up the Khyber on that errand not for noth log. Ho knew King and he knew the symptoms. Without answering him K,nB obeyed. He went out of the room to a uaru cornaor ana rappea on tho door of the next room to the right. There was n muffled answer "om wltnln. uourtenay shoutca some- thing to tho sentry outside tne door and he called another man, who fitted a key In the lock. King walked Into a room In which ono lamp was burn Ing nnd the door slammed shut be hind him. He wns In thcro an hour, and it nover did transpire Just what passed, for ho enn hold his tongue on any sub- Ject llko a clam, and the general, If nnyming, ran gu mm ou iwuer. wjur- tenny wns placed under orders not to talk, so those who say they know cx- actly what happened In tho room be- twecn the tlmo When the door WBS shut on King and tho tlmo when he knocked to have It opened und called for tho general, are not telling the truth Whnt Is known Is thnt finally the general hurried through tho door and ejaculated, "Well, Im d nil be- tovo he tld close It ngnln. Tho sen- try (Punjabi Mussulman) has sworn to thnt over a dozen campflrea slnco 1,10 uuy And It Is known, too, for tho sentry ns tukeu oath on It and has told the Story SO Blliny times WlthOUt mUCll variation thnt no ono who knows tho man's record doubts tiny longer It Is Known innt wneu iuu uuur "v" again King and the general walked ui wim me iiuumir unC iu.. And the RangUr IjlU HO turban Oil, wns not a Rnngar at nil, hut She, and how anybody enn ever have mistaken her for a man, even In man's clothes nnd with her skin dnrkened, wns be yond tho sentry's power to guess. Ho for one, etc. . . . But nobody be lieved thnt part of his tale. As Yussuf bin All said over tho campflre up tho Khyber later on, When she sets out to dlsgulso her self, she 1h what Bho will be, and be who says lie thinks otherwise has two tongues nnd no conscience 1" What Is surely true Is that tho four of them Tnsmlnl, tho general, Cour- tenny and King sat up all night la n room In tho fort, talking together, whllo a succession of sentries over strained their cars endeavoring to hear through keyholes. And the sentries henrd nothing and Invented very much. But Pnrtan Singh, tho Sikh, who carried In bread and cocon to them nt about live tho next morning, nnd found thrai still talking, heard King sny. "So, In my opinion, sir, there'll bo uo jihad In these pnrts. Thero'll bo sporadic raids, of course, but nothing n brigade can't deal with. The heart of the holy war's torn out and thrown awny." 'Very well," said tho general. "You can go up the Khyber again and Join your regiment." But by thnt time the Rnngnr's tur ban was on ngnin and tho tears were dry, nnd it was Pnrtan Singh who TAL1 He Said He Was Nearly Sure H Heard Weeping. throw most doubt on the sentry's tal nbout the golden hnlr. But, as the sentry said, no doubt Pnrtan Singh was jealous. Thero Is no doubt whntover that the general went back to Peshawur In the train at eight o'clock and that tha Rangar went with him In n separate compartment with about a dozen hill men chosen from among those who had como down with King. And It Is certain that before thoj went King had a talk with tho Rangai in a room alone, of which conversa tion, however, the sentry reported aft cr.Tard that ho did not overhear one word; and he had to go to the doctoi with a cold in his car at that He said he was nearly sure ho heard wceplngi But on tho other hnnd, thoso who saw both of them come ont wero certain thnt both were smiling. It Is quite certain that Atnclstnn King went up the Khyber again, fox tho official records say so, aud they never lie, especially In time of war. He rodo n coal-black mare, and Courtenay called him "Chlkkl" a "lifter." Some say the Rangar went to Delhi Some say Yasmlnl is ta Delhi. Some say no. But It Is quite certain that be fore be Btafted up the Khyber King showed Courtenay a great gold brace let that he had under his sleevo. Five men saw blm do It. And If that was reaUy Rewa Gunga In the general's train, why was the general so painfully polite to him? And why did Ismnll Insist on riding In the train, Instead of accepting King's sffet to go up the Khyber with him? One thing Is very certain. King wa right about the jihad. Thcro has been none In spite of all Turkey's and Ger many's efforts. There have been spo radic raids, much as usual, but nothing one brigade conld not easily deal with. tho press to Uie contrary notwithstand ing. King of the Khyber rifles is now a major, for you can see that by turning up the army list. But if yon wish to know Just what transpired In the room In Jamrud Fort while the general nnd Conrtenny wait ed, yon muRt nsk King If yon dnrej for only ho knows, and one other. It Is not likely you can find the other. But it Is likely that you may hear from both of them ngnln, for "A wom an and Intrigue nro ono I" ns India says. The war seems long, nnd the world is lnrge, and tho chnnces for In trigues nro almost Infinite, given such combination as King and Yasmlnl and a lovo affair. And ns King Bays on occasions "Kuch dnr nahln hnl 1 There Is no such thing ns fear I" Another ono might sny, "Tho roofs the limit I" And bear In mind, for this Is Impor tant: King wrote to Yasmlnl a letter, In Urdu from tho mullah's cave, In which he ns good as gave her his word of honor to bo her "loyal servant" should she choose to return to her alle giance. He is no splitter of hairs, no qulbbler. His word Is good on the dnrkest night or wherever bo casts a shadow In tho sun. "A man and his promise a womaa nnd Intrigue nro one!" (THE END.) Invented Cherqkee Alphabet Scquoynh, Inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, was one of tho great men of the Indian race. He was a half breed, whose English name wan George Guess. His father was a who man and his mother a full-bloM in. dian woman. " &?Z