Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06
and I didn't oush. TO speak TO

mourntully, and I didn't ought 10 speak 10
you"
Very early the mex. morning he climbed on to
the roof OF the house-that was not forbidden
and bebeld Miss Allardyce going for ride.
where are you going?' cried Wee Willie
forward
Now the cantonment in which the one
hundred and ninety-ffth lay was
bounded on the north by a river-dry in
winter. From his earliest years Wee Willie
WinEie had been forbidden to go across the
river, ana had noted that even Coppy-the
almost almighty Coppy-had never set foot
beyond It, Wee Willie Wrinkle had once been
read TO out of big blue book the History Of
the Princess and the COLLINS most wonder
ful tale of land where the COLLINS were al
ways warning with the children Of men until
they were defeated by one Curdie. Ever since
that date II seemed to him that the bare
eiack and purple hills across the river were in
habited by COLLINS. and, in truth. every one
had said that there lived the bad men Even
In his own house the lower halves Of the win
do~s we're covered with green paper on &C.
count OF the bad men who might, il allowed
clear view, ire inso peaceful drawing rooms
ana comfortable bed rooms. Certainly. be-
yond the river, which was the end of all the
EARTH lived the bad men. And here was Mai
Ailardyce's big girl, Coppy's property, pre-
pairing to venture into their borders, What
would Copy say if anything happened to her?
III the COLLINS ran off with her as they did
with Curdie's princess? She must at all
hazards be turned back.
The house was still. Wee Willie Wrinkle re-
hected for moment on the very terrible wrath
OF his father, and then-broke his arrest. IL
was a crime unspeakable. The low sun thre W
his shadow, very large and very black. on the
trim garden paths, as he went down to the
stables and ordered his pony. 1t seemed 10 him
IN the hush OF the dawn that all the big world
had been hidden to stand still and look at Wee
Willie Winkie guilty of mutiny The drowsv
groom handed him his mount, and since the
one great sin made all others insignificant Wee
Willie Wrinkle said that he was going to ride
over to Copy Sahib. and went out at foot pace,
stepping on the soft mold of the flower bor-
ders.
The devastating track Of the pony's feet was
the last misdeed that cut him off from all
sympathy of humanity. He turned into the
road, leaned forward and rode as fast as the
pony could put foot to the ground in the direc-
ton of the river.
But the iiveliest Of twelye-two ponies can do
little against the long canter of Waller. Miss
A!iardyce was far ahead, had passed through
the crops, beyond the police post when all the
guards we're asleep, and her mount was scatter
ing the pebbles Of the river bed as Wee Willie
Wlnkie left the cantonment and British India
behind him. Bowed forward and still fogging.
Wee Willie Winkle shot into Afghan territory.
and could just see Miss Allardyce a black
speck, Pickering across the stony plain. The
reason OF her wandering was simple enough.
Copy, in tone of too-hastily-assumed
authority, had told her over night that she
must not ride out by the river. And she had
gone to prove her own spirit and teach Copy
a lesson.
Almost at the foot of the inhospitable hills
Wee Willie Wrinkle saw the Waller blunder and
come down heavily. Miss Allardyce struggled
clear, but her ankle had been severely twisted.
and she could not stand Having thus demon.
strated her spirit she wept copiously, and was
surprised by the apparition OF white, wide.
eyed child in khaki. on a nearly spent pony.
Are you badly, badly hurted?" shouted Wee
Willie Wrinkle, as soon as he was within range.
"You didn't ought to be here"
Il don't know, said Miss Allardyce ruefully
ignoring the reproof. Good gracious, child
what are you doing here?"
You said you was going acwoss We wiver ~
painted Wee Willie Wrinkle, throwing himsel,
off his pony. "And nobody-not even Copy
must go acwoss We wiver, and came after you
ever SO hard, but you wouldn't stop, and now
you've hurted yourself, and Copy will be
angwy wiz me, and-Fve bwoken my awwest
I've bwoken my awwestr'
The future colonel Of the one hundred and
| ninety fifth sat down and sobbed In spite Of
the pain In her ankle the girl was moved.
Have you ridden all the way from the can
comments, little man? What for?
You belonged to Copy. Copy told me
| II saw him kissing you, and he said he wa,
fonder of you van Bell or We Butcha or me
| And 30 l came. You must get up and come
back. You didn't ought to be here Wis is 6
bad place and I've bwoken my awwest"
II can't move, Winkie," said Miss Allardyce
with groan. I've hurt my foot What shall
do?'
She showed readiness to weep afresh, which
steadied Wee Willie Wrinkle. who had beer
brought up to believe that tears were the deptf
Of unmanliness. Still, when one is AS great {
sinner as Wee Willie Wrinkle even q man may
be permitted to break down.
"Winkie," said Miss Aliardyce "wheu you'yt
rested little ride back and tell them to SEND
out something to carry me back in. II hurtl
| fearfully."
The child sat still for little time and Mis-,
Allardyce closed her eyes. The pain was nearly
making mlai1i her faint She was reused by Wee
Willie Wrinkle tying up the reins on his pony,
neck and setting 1t free with a vicious cut Of
| his whip that made it Wicker. The little ami
NAL headed toward the environments.
"Oh, Wrinkle! What are you doing?"
"Hush" said Wee Willie Wrinkle. .'veres 9
man coming-one Of We bad men. must sta,
wiv you. My faver says q man must always
look after girl Jack will 60 home, and ver
vey'll come and look for us. Watts why lei
him CO."
Not one man. but two or three, had appeared
from behind the rocks of the hills, and the
for just in this manner were the COLLINS won
to steal out and vex Curdie's soul Thus had
they played in Curdie's garden-he had seen
the picture-and thus had they frightened the
princess nurse. He heard them talking Il
each other and recognized with Joy the bas-
tard Pushto that he had picked up from one
OF his fathers grooms lately dismissed. People
who spoke that tongue could not be the bad
men. They were only natives, after all.
They came up to the powders on which Miss
Aiiardyce's horse had Numbered.
Then rose from the rock Wee Willie Wrinkle
child of the dominant race, aged six and
three-quarters, and said briefly and en-
phatically, ''Jaow The pony had crossed the
river bed.
The men laughed, and laughter from natives
not tolerate. He asked them what they
wanted and why they did not depart. Other
men with most evil faces and crooked-stocked
guns crept out Of the shadows Of the
hills, till, soon, Wee Willie Wrinkle was face to
face with an audience some twenty strong.
Miss Allardyce screamed.
"Who are your" said one Of the men,
81 am the Col. Sahib's son and my order ID
that you 60 at once. You black men are fright
ening the Miss Sahib. One of you must run
into environments and take the news that the
Miss Sahib has hurt herself, and that the
colonel's son is here with her."
"Put our feet into the trap" WAS the laugh
ing reply. Hear this boys speechr'
Say that I sent you'll, the colonel's son.
They will give you money"
what is the use of this talk? Take mn the
child and the girl, and We can at least ask for
the ransom. Ours are the villages on the
heights" said q voice in the background
These were the bad men-worse than Qob-