The morning call., 1890-06-24
A WOMAN OF CASHMERE

II w OlnAIt VI O1Ah--A-'h-
WI HAN-ALI has escaped exclaimed
NgI%f Young British officer. bursting uncefe.
iEASN moniouSly into my tent one uight, cary
kSAS in tile Afghan war, away in the mount
ans al the northwest OF India. -, . A..
was connected with London daily al t1e
time but that was no reason why Sn9aid no.
sIeer 0cca slOnailv or why, after siX-and-twenty
hours al labor should be particularly pleased
at being thus tudely dragged from sleep peioie
my head had been an hour upon Tue plilOm.
Only three hours before, by simple accident
such as now and then enables man 70 seem
more important In the world thah ne leai,y i 81
had all alone, captured that same hndn-A IL cone
of the most prominent OF The feDei leaders, anu,
slugie.handed, brought my prisoner 10 the near
esI English station, this camp Ia The hyDer fass.
Having thus stepped aside from my pen plaetice
TO do what my associates oil the SWORD hau peen
yaiuly Tying for weeks TO accomplish, ana nav
ing no iii Will TO tile Ali, but rather having
gown TO like him In the short time when we
had passed together. was not IN the least uls
turbed that, Immediately alter had turned nm
over 10 military authority. he should nave gwen
that sutbortfy tile slip. At the best II was no
affair OF mine ana there was nothing 10 milgaie
nv Indignation that The sprig OF an officer should
have disturbed my sleep Simply 10 ahuouuce ~
Inc that Khan-Ali had escaped.
- Well WHY didn't you come and wake me up
and tell Inc OF il, instead OF gong TO LOOK 1or
=" Ana didn't 90 the poor fellow exclaimed
Then seeing the hole ia the mill stone, ne addeu
more family: There ale enough out looking 1or
'.rhey need not trouble themselves" l replied
drowsiIv If khan-All has escaped he viii not
be recaptured. Ouce in lifetime Is an that you
can play that Trick on such as lie. by the way,
"rhafs The worst of it," the young fellow
mutlered. now vlslbly affected. 1T was 4
| hsasIiy fiuke OF mine. Colonel Nichols is In
command, you know, and was put ID charge
| OF lie guard. The Colonel has been In bad
| way ever since We came here. He's SO damnedly
set up at being put IN command OF THIS paltry
little station that ii has injured hls-Well, uges-
| ton, | fancy; and we poor fellows nave TO suffer.
| had only tour SepoyS gwen me loI Tue guar u
and directly | discovered that one oil them was q
relative OF lie AIRS. You know very well mat
there is mol one OF these black dogs Dut VIII turn
! on an English officer II il IS for native, and
| much more for Il relative l went 10 colonel
! Nichols and told him that the guard was too
small anyway, and asked especially Il l eo9ia
| not lave another man in the place oil SaJad, the
/ Airs nephew. lie cursed like the devil, and
| told me that il l could not control my sub0Idi-
mates might 90 back home. SO returned 10
| lie puaId-house | bad all the lights outside
| extiugulshed and torch put inside, and tile
| door left open, that could see all that went
| on | stationed two SepOys Inside the door and
! two lust outside, while sat on rock ten feet
! away, with my revolver in my hand, and hardly
| dared TO Wink, even for Keeping my eyes on
| mar interior. The Old bird was III chains, OF
! coursr but he managed 10 sail around little
Tor while; then he settled down In the fafthest
! corner from The light, with his lace 10 me wall.
/ | could see him distinctly. lie lay on lie floor
! with his gieaI-Coat rolled about him. IL
/ was a colo evening, aud, seeing him wrap
PED up and 6 GomtS,taOe' so mIde cale5 f
! a Sepoy, and sent HIM 10 my tent 10 bring IL. 1t
/ was one Of the men inside who answered. Stand
jug with ms back to the light could not see his
faee INT | knew by his red stiip- In his git die
mat II was Salad. ] was so glad TO have him out
! of The way lEuI did not mind Ills being long
| time about returning with the oyereOat III IL
| suddauIV occurred 10 Inc that lie might have gone
! upOn some message for the All 10 followers "ho
were, perhaps, just outside the camp 10 tell
| them how small Il guard lie lad and how easily
! they could sci HIM Zee. Just then hhan-All
! moved as though lie were wide awake aud wait
! inc for something | called the other fellow from
! inside aud sent Inn for Salad aud my oyelcoat,
! and told Lin 10 report III three minutes, Willie
/ IoOk nv place inside The guard house, ready to
/ shoot anything that moved In ten minutes the
| fellow was back with lhe oVercOdt. but without
| Salad Then | knew there was mischief, and de-
| IeTmned 10 remove The prisoner at once to my
! own tent, where l should at least be near the
| home regiments. ! told him 10 get up He
| rrunled but did not move. Then klcNed HIN
| noI hard, you know lie sprang TO his Ieet aud
! faced me On, my God II was Salad Khan
! All was the man had sent 10 get my OyereOat
| more than hall an hour before" Here the poor
! fellow Groke down completely and began 10 ny;
| in spite OF his uniform, You Know, Colonel
| Nichols" be sObbed, Il thought lie would shoot
| me when | reported 10 him. l wish he had.
| haven't any swell friends 10 back me up, and he
! knows it, But have Gear old mother at home
and poor little sister, aud am all they nave in
| lie world 10 lie proud OF. Goodness knows II
! fsu't much, but II viii go hard with them when
| tnis comes Out, and before was put under ar
| resi- | wanted TO come TO you'll drln't want TO
| disturb you for | thought that If told you how
| ii was you would not De 100 nara On me III your
:" Nv dear boy" I said, now thoroughly sorry
| for him, Will 10 Just as NEAR right Oy you as
| can. Now 20 away and let me sleep shall be
| much better able 10 help You II nave little
| rest"
| asIeep Ii seemed but moment 1t must, how
| ever have been hours later when was suddenly
| reused again by the distinct impression that
| there was some one in The tent. Long drilling
! world where instant action is often
| all that saves one, made II but second nature
| that in spite Of my fatigue, before had fairly
| reused to OnsciOuSneSs was sitting upright IN
| bed, graSping my revolver
| Then looked about NE. The morning would
soon be breaking. lie clear gray light OF one OF
those siIvety dawns, common IN that desert
| Iabie-land OF the Hmaiayas, was stealing through
the swinging door OF my mountain tent.
| waited but a moment when movement
among the shadows, al the Opposite sue Oh lIt
tent, discovered a Mohdm!nedan woman crouch
ing against the canvas. Even In The gray light
ilere was something very beautiful 10 her face
and even I'm that position something strangely
graceful in ner form. A peculiar luster i'll hel
dark eyes held me III silence iii had suflclent'
lv colec ed myself to realize that upon her face
there was no Maynard smile nor any expression
of fear al being detected IN crime. lustead, to
my surprise, | discovered that she was crying
ana her hands we're clasped III the Mussulmal
manner OF inplOrln9 protection.
Evidently she was not OF that vast army Of
| wanton camp-followers or of that other OmnI
present company OF camp thieves, constantly
| lurking In lie ldtl VI lIiO SDiulcl III luNli.
looked at her in establishment, but she did not
move IL grew lighter ana my eyes more ac
customed to The shadows, and still j watched tl1
convinced that Iiy first impressions were cot
rect aud that Of all the beautiful women OF the
famous Cashmere Valley she was by far the
most beautiful that ii had ever been my lot tC
see Her skin was stained with the band hue OF
The Orient; but frankly admit Today, alter hav
ing seen her and known her better, that or al
Tie lovely women IN the , wiue WOfda Gt Ueauty
| rested on Such was the phantom, silent and
STILL which disturbed my sleep, IN The gray light
of tie silyery dawnng, away IN that mysterious
\ land OF siihouettes.
Why are you here?" asked at last. I'm the
name OF Allan, tell HE why are you here?"
| Because you are here, Saheb," she replied
without moving; and her voice had a soft sivery
sound, almost as though II came out OF Tie morn
Ing light. -, -.
tie more stefuly.
are great"
loneed courtesy OF a Mussulman Introduction
aud my temper was not III stale 10 treat with
delay, even when the musical voice OF The Cash
mere uttered The COMMONPLACE OmplnentS, and
rather ruduly, ! interrupted them.
''Yes, yes, know all that But what has 1t to
do with yuur being htre?" asked abruptly
ION, Saheb, you made the great khan-Al
prisonefi No one else could have done H." she
replied, with a lremot In her voice.
| For some reason, she was certainly trying hard
to be courteous, and regretiing my rudeness,
repeated tie question more gently.
"He has escaped, - she rep led family.
80 l have heard" | mutttred, lying down
again. 1t IS one OF the hardest things in The
world to obtain direct answer from a native Of
the Orient ] was doubtless only some spray Of
superstition which had brought her TO my lent
and / was altogether 100 tired to try longer &c
fathom il. "YOu don't want me TO get up aud &C
on hunt for HIM again, l suppore?' l asked
by way of farewell, before | should be quite
asleep again.
.SaheI," she said "you are WISE but you
| could not find him again; you are brave, but you
could not capture him. The trail of the serpen,
has crossed tie track. The hare has left his