Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-16
THE VALLEY OF DEATH.
A Tale Of the Last Afghan War.
CHAPTER IAN ASIArIC BEAUTY.

A Tale OF the Last Afghan War.
CHAPTER IAN AsIArIC BEAUTY.
Evening in AfghanStan, on fine October
day III ISL; the city of Cabul lying outspread
IN all the beauty OF its countless gardens and
many colored towers beneath the sunset
glory, the massive tomb Of Baber the Mogul
standing out like giant sentinel against the
crimson sky; the red light fading slowly over
the wide green plain around, dotted with
white villages; aud framed in a ring of pur-
pie hills; the little river dancing and spark
ling amid its clustering trees, and here and
there along the endless ranks of wooden
houses few turhaned figures gliding forth
to enjoy the refreshing GOODNESS of the COM
ing night.
But the peaceful scene harmonzes i'll with
the stalWart figures in white frOcks that come
tralnping along the main street. showing the
light hair and clear blue eyes of the English
man beside the lank, wiry frame and dark,
lean yisage Of the Seapo!-heedng as little
the fierce looks darted at them from either
side as the CLEAN cast on their bayonets bv
the setting sun.
Aghanistan has been invaded and overrun
The great Amer, Dost Mohammed himself,
is on his way to Peshawur as a prisoner,
aud sixteen Thousand troops hold Cabul in
the name OF Shah Soojah, the new king,
whom British bayonets have forced upon the
men OF the mOuntain.'
But the invaders, flushed with their easy
victory, and ill-restrained by their command
er, are already beginning to lose their disci-
pine.
An experienced leader would augur mis-
chief from the sounds of boisterous merri-
ment echong on every side and to and fro,
as Unlike as possible to wary soldiers in the
heart OF an enemy's country.
At the corner OF the principal streets three
Or four of the loudest brawers had halted
and spread themselves out as if to stop some
one who wished to pass.
"Holloa, Bill?' cried rough voice; "'ere's
prize. Who'll bid for share?
share and snare alike, as good comrades
OUGHT shouted a second, with coarse
laugh. Lets have a look at the little bag
gage
Aud so speaking he tore away the vail of
the slight figure which his comrade had
seized, revealing the face of young native
girl of sixteen.
The next moment the aggressor started
back with howl of pain, as the small katie,
which is every Afghan wOman's inseparable
companion, gashed his. extended hand from side
TO side. But the frall weapon was ms SANITY
wrested from her, while half dozen strong
hands seized the struggling form in their
brutal grasp.
Just at that critical moment blow, which
the late Senator Morrissey himself might
have applauded sent the foremost assailant
sprawling on his back, while the others re-
coied right and left before the shock of a tall
figure that came bursting in among them,
scattering them in all directions.
wow, then! who the deuce are you, SHOW
in in where you amt WantedM growled one
OF the soldiers, pugnaciously.
Ike newcomer deigned no reply, but silent
ly threw back his cloak, displaying to the
startled group the uniform of line officer,
and the badge Of their own regiment.
by Jingon' muttered the challenger. with
look Of dismay, "here's prettyjob."
You call yourselves Englishmen?" cried
the officer, in a voice almost inarticulate with
passion. us this how you keep up the honor
Of the old flag? You shall hear at this tto-mor
row mornlng,b be assured of that! Be off with
your
The crestfallen brawlers SUNK away with
out word.
Then the rescued girl took her protectors
hand in both her own, and pressed it lightly
to her forehead, with an almost royal dignity,
which, in one scarcely beyond the years OF
childhood, astonished even the unimaginative
Englishman.
Though voted model officer by his supe
riors, and an insensible brute by the ladies Of
Peshawur garrison Captain st. Clair was moi
yet so thoroughly ''pipe-cla as to have lost
his appreciation of feminine charms: and he
could not but own that this young beauty Of
the wilderness, with the fire of her Afghan
blood in her deep, lustrious eyes, and the sup
pie grace Of the Oriental in every line of hel
perfect figure. made such picture as he had
IL.
Ia spite of himself, his voice softened as he
asked i'll her own language:
"dave they hurt you, my poor child?''
Il would have hurt them, had they not
snatched away my knife" answered the
Afghanne, proudly, as she pointed to thu
ants wound. ''The daughter of Akbar Khar
knows how to defend herself"
"Akbar Khan" echoed St. Clair, recalling
with a sense of vague uneasiness for which h
could not himself account, the name of the
terrible chief whose influence among the hill
himself, But how came you here, then, whe1
your father is far away in the south"'
II come-to vista friend of my fathers,
said the girl with a momentary hesitation
which did not escape her questioner.
''Shc's lying, the little fOxn' thought he
'but it's no business of mine"
II was going back" she continued, "to tn,
friends who waiting for me in yonde1
village, but I found the city gates Shut
If that is your only difficulty" said the cap
tain, "itis soon mended. Come with me-"
few minutes brou CAT them to the cas-
tern gate, and two words sutficed to open it.
AS the girl passed through the deep, shad
owy archway, she looked wistfully back t.
her preserver, and paused for a moment as
about to speak.
her lips, and St. Clair stroled back to hi
quarters, with half smile upon his face a
the thoughts of a romance which the senti
mental subalterns would have reioiced in fall
ing to the lot of an 'old stager' like himself
Little did he dream that upon this seemin.
trivial occurrence hung not merely his owl
life, but that OF every man in the Englsl
army.
CHAP. H.-GATHERING OF THE vULTUREs
Sixteen days had passed since Captain st
Clair's adventure, and the night Of the 5th O
November found him slowly pacing tn
street where it had occurred.
AS he stood mnsing, hidden by the SHADOW
OF projecting corner, two Afghans cam,
slowly up the deserted street.
Just as they passed him, he heard one sal
to the Other:
"All is WELL then: for the hill tribes ar
with us to q man if Akbar Khan but lift a fin
gern
1T is said that the khan would have helt
back" rejoined the other, "for he knew tina
the Feringhees (Europeans) are strong, bu
when he heard that these dogs (may Allah
consume themD had insulted his own daugh
ter Gulpyaz, when she came hither in tn
last moon with his message to the chiefs o
ri hnc 4ho4x