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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 1917)
I . YWp, fTtoriip -, v RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF . By Talbot Mundy Coprrisht by thsBobU-MtrrUl Company A Story That Combines the Thrill of Modern Detective Fiction With the Romance of Arabian Nights Tales King f the Khyber Rifles WHEN ISMAIL AND THE OTHERS COMPOSING KING'S GUARD DISCOVER THE CLEVERNESS OF HIS DISGUISE THEY ARE FIRST PUZZLED, THEN DELIGHTED. 8ynopsls. At (ho beginning of 11m world wnr dipt. Atholstnn King of tho British Indlnn nrmy nnd of Its secret service, Is ordered to Delhi to meet Ynsmlnl, n dancer, nnd bo. with her to Klnjnn to meet tho outlaws there who nre snld by spies to bo preparing fonn Jlhnd or holy wnr. On his wny to Delhi King quietly foils n plnn to nssasslnnto him nnd gets evidence thnt Ynsmlnl Is nftcr him. Ho meets Rcwn Gungn, Ynsmlnl's man, who snys she hns nlrendy gono north, nnd nt her town houso witnesses queer dnuces. Ismail, nn Afrldl, be comes his body servant nnd protector. Ho rescues somo of Ynsmlnl's hlllmcn nnd tnkes them north with him, tricking the Itnngnr Into going nhend. The Itnngnr deserts hlra nt n dnngerous time. Ho meets his brotlier at All Masjld fort. CHAPTER VIII -Continued. Tho pneks wcro laid on tho ground, and tho mules shook themselves, while tho Jackals thnt haunt tho Khyber came closer, to alt In a ring nnd watch. King dug a flashlight out of ono of tho packs, gnvo it to Ismail to hold, Bat on tho other pack nnd began to write on a memorandum pad. It was a minute beforo ho could pcrsundo Ismail that tho flashlight was harm less, and another mlnuto beforo ho could get him to hold it still. Then, however, ho wroto swiftly. In the Khyber, a mile below you. Dear Old Man I would like to run In and tea you, but circumstances don't permit. Several people sent your 'their regards by me. Herewith so two mules .and their packs. Make- any use of tho mules you like, but store the loads where I can draw on them In case of need. I would llko to have a talk with you beforo taking the rather desperate stop I In tend, but I don't want to bo Boon entering- or leaving All Masjld. Can you come down the pass without making your In tention known? It Is growing misty now. It ought to be easy. My mon will toll you where I am and show you tho way. Why not destroy this lottor?-Athclstan. Ho folded tho noto nnd stuck a post ago stamp on it in lieu of a scnl. Then he examined tho packs with the aid of the flashlight, sorted them and ordered two. of tho mules reloaded. "Yon three 1" ho ordered then. "Take tho loaded mules Into All Masjld fort. Take this chit, you Give it to the ahlb In command there." "To hear Is to obey 1" said the near est man. They took tho mulcs"lcadlng reins and beforo they had gono ten paces were swallowed in tho mist that had begun to flow southeastward. The night grew still, except for tho whim , pcrlng of Jackals, w Ismail came nearer and squatted at 'King's feet Darya Khan camo closer too. King had tied tho reins of tho two horses and tho ono remaining mule together In a knot and wus Bit ting on tho pack. Solemn, almost motionless, squatted on their hunkers, they looked like two great vultures watching an animal die. i They sat In sllcnco for flvo minutes. Then suddenly the two hlllmen shud dered, although King did not bat .an eyelid. Din burst Into being. A volley ripped out of tho night and thundered down the pass. "How-uttI Hukkums dar?" came the Insolent challenge half a minute after It the proof positive that All Mnsjld's guards neither slept nor were afraid. A weird wall answered tho chal lenge, and there began a tossing to nnd fro of words, that was preludo to a shouted Invitation: "Ud-vancc-frrrennen-orsss-worrul!" English can bo as weirdly distorted as wire, or any other supplo medium, and native- levies advance distortion to tho point of art; but tho langunge sounds no less good In tho chilly gloom of a Khyber night Followed another wait, this time of half an hour. Then a mnn's foot steps a booted, leuthcr-hccled mun, striding carelessly. Not far behind him wbb the softer nolso of sandals. The man began to whlstlo "Annlo Laurie." "Charles? That you?" called King. "Thut you, old man?" A man In khaki stepped Into tho moonlight. He was so nearly tho Im ago of Athelstan King that Ismail nnd Darya Khnn stood up nnd stared. Athelstan strode to meet him. Their walk was tho same. Anglo for angle, line for line, they might have been ono van and his shadow, except for three quarters of an Inch of stature. "Glad to see you, old man," said Athelstan. j "Sure, old chap l" said Charles; and they shook bands. "What's the despcrato proposal?" caked the younger. 'Til tell you when we aro alone." His brother nodded and stood a step side. The three who bad taken the , bote to the fort camo closer partly to call attention to themselves, partly to claim credit, partly becauso tho outer alienee frightened them. They elbowed Ismail and Darya Khan, and ono of them received a savago blow In tho 'stomach by way of retort from Ismail. Before that spark could sturt an ex plosion Athelstan Interfered. "Iomalll Take two men. Go down tho pass out of earshot, and keep watch I Como back when I whistle thus hut nn ponner!" Ho put fingers between his teeth and blew until the night shrilled back at hltn. Ismnll pelzcd the leather bag and started to obey. "Leave that bag. Leave It, I say!" "But some man may steal It, sablb. now shall a thief know there Is no money In It?" "Leave It and go I" Ismail departed, grumbling, and King turned on Darya Khnn. "Tako tho remaining men nnd go up the pass!" ho ordered. "Stand out of earshot and keep watch. Come when I whistle I" "But this ono has a bellyache where Ismnll smote him I Can a man with a bellyache stand guard? His moaning will betray both him and met" ob jected "Lord of tho Rivers." "Tako him and got" commanded King. "But" King was careful now not to show his bracelet. But thcro was something In his eyo nnd in his attitude a subtle, suggestive somcthlng-or-othcr about him that was rather more con vincing thnn a pistol or n stick. Darya Khnn thrust his rl lie's end Into the hurt man's stomach for encouragement and started off In tho mist "Como nnd ncho out of the sahibs' sight 1" he snarled. In a minute King and his brother stood unseen, unheard In the shadow by a patch of silver moonlight. Athel stan sat down on the mule's pack. "Well?" said the younger. "Tell me. I shall have to hurry. You see I'm In chnrgo back there. They Baw mo como out, but I hope to teach 'cm a lesson going back." Athelstan nodded. "Good 1" he snld. "I've a roving commission. I'm or dered to enter Khlnjan enves." Ills brother whistled. "Tall order! "What's your plan?" "Haven't one yet Know more when I'm nearer Khlnjan. Yoa can help no end." "How? Namo It 1" "I shall go In disguise. Nobody can put tho stain on as well as you. But tell mo something first Any news of a holy wnr yet?" His brother nodded. "Plenty of talk about one to come," he said. "Wo keep hearing of that lashkar that we can't locate, under a mullah whose name seems to change with tho day of the week. And there aro everlasting tales about, tho 'Heart of the Hills.' " "No explanation of 'em?" Athelstan asked him. "None! Not a thing 1" "D'you know of Yasmlnl?" "Hifcrd of her, of course," said his brother. "Has sho como up tho pass?" His brother laughed. "No, neither she nor n coach nnd four." "I have heard she's up tho pass ahead of me," said Athelstan. "She hasn't passed All Masjld l" said his brother, and Athelstan nodded. "Are tho Turks In tho show yet?" asked Charles. "Not yet But I know they're ex pected in." "You bet they'ro expected In l" Tho young man grinned from ear to ear. "They'ro working both tides under to prepare the tribes for It They flatter themselves they can set alight a holy war that will put Tlmour Hang to shnmc. You should hear my jczallchies talk at night when they think I'm not listening l" "Tho Jeznllehles'll stand though," said Athelstan. "Stnko my llfo on It I" said his brother. "They'll stick to tho Inst man I" "I can't tell you," said Athelstan, "why wo'ro not attacking brother Turk beforo he's ready. But my job Is to help make the holy war seem unprofit able to the tribes, so that they'll let tho Turk down hard when ho calls on 'cm. Every day that I can point to forts held strongly In tho Khyber Is a day in my favor. Thero aro sure to bo raids. In fact, the moro tho merrier, provided they'ro spasmodic. Wo roust keep 'era separated keep 'em swarm ing too fast while I cow other seeds among 'em." His brother nodded. Sowing seeds wns almost that family's hereditary Job. Athelstan continued: "Hang on to All Masjld llko a leech, old muni Tho dny ono raldtng lash kar guts command of tho Khybcr's throat, tho othcrs'll nil billcve they'vo won l Ins name. Nothlna'U stop 'cm! Look out for traps. Smash 'cm on sight. But don't follow up too far!" "Sure," said Charles. "Help mo with tho stain now, will you?" With his flashlight burning ns if its battery provided current by tho week Instead of by tho minute, Athelstan dragged open tho mule's pnek and pro duced n host of things. He propped a mirror against tho pack and squatted In front of It Then ho passed n lit tle bottle to his brother, nnd Charles attended to the chln-strnp mnrk that would have betrayed him a British of ficer In any light brighter than dusk. In a few minutes his wholo face wns (Inrkcncd to ono hue, and Charles stepped back to look nt It. "Won't need to wash yourself for a month!" he snld. "Tho dirt won't show l" Ho sniffed nt the bottle. "But that stain won't come off if you do wash never worry I You'll do finely." "Not yet, I won't I" said Athelstan, picking up a little safety razor and be ginning on his mustache. In a mln uto he had his upper Up bare. Then his brother bent over him and rubbed In stain whero tho scrubby mustache had been. After that Athelstan unlocked the leather bag that had caused Ismail so much concern and shook out from It a pile of odds and ends at which his brother nodded with perfect under standing. The principal Item was a piece of silk forty or fifty yards of It that he proceeded to bind Into a turban on his head, his brother lending him a guiding, understanding Anger nt every turn. When that was done, the mnn who had said he looked in the least like a British officer would havo lied. One after another he drew on native garments, picking them from tho pile beside him. So, by rapid stages he de veloped Into n nntlve hakim by creed a converted Hindu, like Rewa Gunga ono of the men who practice yunnnl, or modern medicine, without n license nnd with a very great deal of added superstition, trickery nnd guesswork. "I wouldn't trust you with a ha'pen ny!" announced his brother when he had done. "The part to a T." "Well tako these Into the fort for me, will you?" His brothcrTcnught the bundle of discarded European clothes and tucked them under his arm. "Now, remember, old man ! We've got to bold tho Khyber, and wb can't do It by rid ing pell-mell Into tho first trap set for. us I Bo a coward, if that's tho name you care to give It You needn't tell mo you've got orders to hunt skirmish ers to a standstill, becauso I know bet ter." "How d'you know better?" "Never mind ! I've been seconded to your crowd. I'm your senior, and I'm giving you orders. Hit hard when yoa havo to, but for God's sake, old man, ware traps I" "All right," said his brother. "Then good-by, old man I" "Good-by, Athelstan 1" They stood facing and shook bands. Where had been a man and his reflec tion In the mist, there now seemed to be the same man and a native. Athel stan King had changed his very na ture with his clothes. Ho stood like a native moved like one ; even his volco was changed, as If like the actor who dyed himself all over to act Othello he could do nothing by halves. "'By, Charles 1" Officers In that forco aro not chosen for their clumsiness, or Inability to movo silently by night. His footsteps died in the mist almost as quickly as his shadow. Beforo he had been gono a minute the pass wns silent as death again, and though Athelstan listened with trained ears, tho only sound ho could detect was of a jackal cracking n bono fifty or sixty yards away. CHAPTER IX. King repacked tho loads, putting everything buck carefully Into tho big leather envelopes and locking tho empty handbag, after throwing In a few stones for Ismail's benefit Then ho went to sit In tho moonlight, with his back to a great rock and waited thero cross-legged to glvo his brother tlnio to mako good a retreat through tho mist When thcro was no more doubt that his own men, nt all events, had failed to detect tho lieutenant, bo put two fingers In his mouth and whistled. Almost at onco ho heard sandals como pattering from both directions. As they emerged out of tho mist ho sat client and still. It was Darya Khan who camo first and stood gaping at him, but Ismail was a very close sec ond, and tho other three were only a llttlo behind. For full two minutes nfter tho man with the soro stomach had come they all stood holding one another's arms, astonished. Then "Our sahib King sahib whero Is he?" asked Ismail. "Gone I" Even King's voice was so completely changed that men who had been reared nmld mutual suspicion could not recog nize it "But thero aro his loads! Thcro Is his mule!" "Hero is his bag!" said Ismail, pouncing on It, picking It up and shak ing It. "It rattles not as formerly! Thero Is moro In It than thero was!" "His two horses and tho inulw aro here," Bald Dnrya Khan. "Did I say ho took them with him?" asked the hakim, who sfit still with his back to n rock. "Ho went becauso I camo I Ho left mo hero In charge! Should ho not leave tho wherewithal to mnke one comfortable, since I must do his work? Hah 1 What do I see? A man bent nearly double? That means a bellyache ! Who should have a belly ache when I havo potions, lotions, balms to heal nil Ills, mngtc charms nnd talismans, big and llttlo pills nnd at such n llttlo price I So small a price! Show mo the belly and pny your money! Forget not tho money, for nothing Is free except air, water and tho Word of God I I havo paid money for water beforo now, and whero Is tho mullah who will not take n fee? Nay, only air costs nothing I For a rupee, then for ono rupee I will heal the soro belly and forget to he ashamed for taking such a llttlo fee!" "Whither went the sahib? Nay show us proof I" objected Darya Khan ; and Ismail stood back a pneo to scratch his flowing beard and think. "The sahib left this with mel" said King, nnd held up his wrist The gold bracelet Bewa Gunga had glvu him gleamed In the pale moonlight. "May God be with thee I" boomed all five men together. King jumped to his feet so sudden ly that all flvo gave way In front of him, and Darya Khan brought his rifle to tho port. "Hast thou never seen me before?" he demanded, seizing Ismail by the shoulders and staring straight into his eyes. "Nay, I never saw thee !" "Look again I" He turned his head, to show his face In profile. "Nay, I never saw thee!" "Thou, then I Thou with the belly! Thou I Thou!" They all denied ever hnvlng seen him. So ho stepped back until the moon shone full In his face and pulled off his turban, changing his expression at the same time. "Now look I" "Ma'uzblllah I (May God protect us!)" "Now ye know me?" "ncc-yee-yee 1" yelled Ismail, hug ging himself by tho elbows nnd begin ning to dance from side to side. "Hce-yce-yeel What said I? Said I not so? Said I not this Is a different man? Said I not this is a good one a man of unexpected things? Snld I not there was magic In tho leather bag? I shook It often nnd tho magic grew! ncc-yee-yee! Look at him! See such cunning! Feel him! Smell of him I He Is n good one good I" Three of tho others stood and grinned, now that their first shock of surprise had died away. The fourth man poked among the packs. There was little to see except gleaming teeth and the white of eyes, set In hairy faces In the mist But Ismail danced all by himself among the stones of Khyber road and he looked llko a bearded ghoul out for an airing. "Hee-yee-yeo I Sho smelt out a good one! Hec-yee-yee! This Is a man 1 In a Few Minutes His Whole Face Wat Darkened to One Hue, and Charles Stepped Back to Look at It after my heart! Hee-yee-yee! God preserve me to see the end of this I This ono will show sport I Oh-yee-yee-ycol" King watched tho faces of the other four men. He saw them slowly waken to understanding of what Ismail meant by "worker of spells" and '"magic In tho bag" and knew that ho had oven greater hold on them now than Yas mlnl's bracelet gave him. "Ma'uzblllah 1" they murmured as Is mail's meaning dawned and they recog nized n magician In their midst "May God prefect us I" "May God protect mel I have need of It!" said King. "What shall my new namo be? Give ye mo n name! Khan Is a tltlo of respect Since I wish for respect, I will call myself Khan. Namo mo a vlllngc tho first name you can think of quick 1" "Kurram," said Ismail, at a hazard. "Kurram Is good. Kurram I ami Kurram Khan Is my nntno hencefor ward i Kurram Khan the dakltarl" "But where Is the Bahlb who came from the fort to talk?" asked the muu whose stomach ached yet from Ismail and Darya Khan's attentions to It "Gone 1" announced King. "Ho went with the other one 1" "Went whither? Did any see him go?" "Is that thy affair?" asked King, nnd tho man collapsed. It Is not considered wise to the north of Jnmrud to argue with n wizard, or even with a man who only claims to bo one. This wns n mnn who hnd changed his very nature almost under their eyes. "Even his other clothes have gone 1" murmured one man, he who had poked about among the packs. "And now, Ismail, Darya Khan, ye two dunderheads I ye bellies without brains! when was thero ever a dak! tar a hakim, who had not two assist ants at the least? Have ye never seen, ye bllnder-than-bats how ono man holds a patient while his bolls nre lanced, and yet another, makes the hot Iron ready?" "Aye! Ayol" They had both seen that often. "Then, what aro ye?" They gaped at him. Were they to work wonders too? Were they to be part and parcel of the miracle? Watch ing them, King saw understanding dawn behind Ismail's eyes and knew he was winning more thnn a mere ad mirer. He knew It might be days yet might be weeks before the truth was out, "but it seemed to him that Ismail wns nt heart his friend. And there aro no friendships stronger thnn those formed in the Khyber and beyond no more loyal partnerships. The 'Hills' nre the homo of contrasts, of blood feuds that last until the last-but-one man dies, and of friendships that no crime or need or slander can efface. If the feuds are to be avoided like the devil, tho friendships are worth hav ing. "There Is another thing ye might do," he suggested, "if ye two grown men are afraid to see a boll silt open. Always there aro timid patients who hang back and refuse to drink tho medicines. Thcro should be one or two among the crowd who will como forward and swallow the draughts eagerly, In proof that no harm results. Bo ye two thcyl" Ismail spat savagely. "Nay! Blsmlllahl Nay, nay! I will hold them who have boils, sitting firmly on their bellies so or between their shoulders thus when the bolls are behind 1 Nay, I will drink no draughts! I am a man, not a cess pool I" "And I will study how to heat hot Irons 1" said Darya Khan, with grim conviction. "It Is likely that, having worked for a blacksmith once, I may learn quickly I Phaughgbgh! I have tasted medaceen I I havo drunk Apsln saats (Epsom salts)." He spat, too, In a very fury of remi niscence. "Good l" said King. "Henceforward, then, I am Kurram Khan, the dakltar, and yo two are my assistants, Ismail to hold the men with bolls, and Darya Khan to heat the Irons both of ye to bo my men nnd support me with words when need bel" "Aye!" said Ismail, quick to. think of details, "and these others shall be tho tasters I" "Wo will not drink tho medicines!" announced tho man who had a stom ach uche. "Nay, nny!" But Ismail hit him with tho back of his hand In tho stomach again and danced away, hugging himself nnd shouting "nee-yce-yce I" until tho Jackals Joined him In discontented chorus and tho Khyber pass becamo full of weird howling. Then suddenly tho old Afrldl thought of something clso and camo back to thrust his faco close1 to icing's. "Why bo a Rangar? Why bo a Raj put, sahib? Sho loves us hlllmen bet ter I" "Do I look llko a hlllman of the 'Hills'?" aske'd King. "Nay, not now. But he who can work one miracle can work another. Change thy skin onco more and bo a true Hlllman I" "Aye I" King laughed. "And fall heir to a blood-feud with every second man I chance upon 1 Better bo a converted Hindu and be despised by somo than have cousins In tho 'Hills' 1 Is that clear, thou oaf I" "Aye I Tbon art more cunning than any man I ever met I" The great Afrldl began to rub the tips of his fingers through his straggly heard In a way that might mean any-thlng.-and King seemed to druw con siderable satisfaction from It, as If It wcro a sign language that Just then ho needed a friend, and ho certainly did not proyoso to refuse such a useful one. "And," he added, w if It were an uftcrthought, Instead of his chief rea son, "if her spccinl man Rcwn Gunga Is a Rangar, and Is known ns a Ran gar throughout the 'Hills,' shall I not tho moro likely win favor by being a Hangar too? If I wear her bracelet nnd nt tho samo time am a Rangar, who will not trust me?" "True I" agreed Ismail. "Truo! Thou nrt a maglclnn 1" But the moon wns getting low and Khyber would bo dark again In half an hour, for the great crags In tho dls- "Kurram Kahn Is My Name Hencefor ward 1 Kurram Khan the Dakltarl" tnnco to either hand shut off more light than do the Khyber walls. The mist, too, was growing bicker. It was time to make a move. King rose. "Pack the mulo and bring my horse!" he ordered and they hur ried to obey with alacrity born of new respect, Dnrya Khan attending to the trimming of the mule's load In person instead of snarling at another man. It was a very different little escort from the one that had come thus far. Like King himself, It had changed Its very nature In fifteen minutes! They' brought the horse and King laughed at them, calling them Idiots men without eyes. "I am Kurram Khan, the dakltar, but who in the 'Hills' would believe It? Look now look yo and tell me what Is wrong?" He pointed to the horse, and they stood In a row nnd stared. "Tho saddle?" Ismail suggested. "It Is a government urrflcer's saddle." "Stolen 1" said King, and they nodded. "Stolen along with the horse 1" "Aye I" "Shorten those stirrups, then, six holes at the least I Men will laugh at me If I rldo like a British arrflcerl" "Aye I" said Ismail, hurrying to obey. "Now," he said, gathering the reins and swinging into the saddle, "whe knows the way to Khlnjan?" "Which of ns does not?" "Ye all know It? Then ye all are border thieves and worse! No honest man knows that road I Lead on, Darya Khan, thou Lord of Rivers I Forward march I" So Darya Khan led the way with his rifle, and King's face glowed in ci rcttellght not very far behind him as ho legged his horse up tho narrow track that led northward out of the Khyber bed. It would be a long time before ho would dare smoke a cigar again, and his supply of cigarettes was destined to dwindle down to nothing beforo that day. But he did not seem to mind. "Cheloh I" he called. "Forward, men of tho mountains 1 Kuch dar nahin hal I" "Thy mother and tho spirit of a fight wero one I" sworo Ismail just In front of him, stepping out llko n boy going to n picnic. "Sho will lovo thee 1 Allah I Sho will lovo thee! Allah 1 Allah!" Tho thought seemed to appal him. For hours after that he climbed ahead In silence. Comes the big adventure for King he arrives at the entrance to Klnjan caves and learns he must prove he has slain an Eng lishman before the guard will admit him. (TO I3B CONTINUED.) "N.. nausTorm insurance in ucrmany. tj uausiorm insurance in more exten sively carried on In Germany than In any other country. During the last 45 years the German hall Insurance companies havo collected the enormous sura of 1,144,709,000 marks (mark 23.8 cents), In premiums, and have paid out 002,420,000 marks in indemni ties. During tho year 1016 the com panies realized a profit of 7,000,075 marks, which was much In excess of their average earnings, and tho busi ness of the year showed an Increaso in insured values of 404,000,000 marks Scientific American. i X f f i- M 1 GUiBP5'BWvT I I ff. ,aw ,rtMuaK.- -. .. .jftjK, OWJfcfJK., m.. -tltJV-&ui uhAuudtf. ri a . l nt ,
