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
