The Lamar register., 1891-09-12

"Oh, that's you Hamertonl was
just going to send for you. There's a
row up Khunaz way james OF the
police wounded. Ghazis again killed
alot of people. I'm ordered to send
an intelligent officer to investigate the
thing and renogt- You'll have a
tlcklish job but I can rely upon you.
I've been thinking whom you had bet
ter take You see, ! can spare only
one or two, either Bates or Thomp
son. Bates has the longest head, and
yet Thompsou-well if it came to
blows, somehow / should prefer
Thompson. But as you like"
As he said this the Colonel instinc-
lively glanced at the pile OF papers be-
side him. Batesis name happened to
lie uppermost, with its every question
snugly and neatly answered. Thomp-
sons had frisked off gayly in the
draught of the open door, and was
Just saved from being chewed under
the table by Hamerton's puppy, who
had followed his master in.
at shall belittle Billy" MaiorHam-
erton said to himself; and proceeded
to the discussion OF further details
concerning escort and commissariat
arrangements for the small expedi-
ton.
A little before nightfall they started,
party OF fifteen in all: the two Eng
lish officers-Bllly in a state OF the
widest Joy, and bursting with impor-
ance-a duffedar; and twelve Sewars
of the Khunaz Horse. A second tele-
gram had been received soon after the
first saying that the Ghazis, who were
few IN number, had taken themselves
of; that a native hospital assistant
was in charge OF James the wounded
police officer; that he was to be
brought back here, because there was
no other European doctor nearer
than Quetta.
Hope we come across the beggars,"
Billy said, gleefully.
But the Colonel, who had ridden
out q little way with the party, and
had wished them good luck" found
himself saying something like aprayer
in his heart for the safe return OF the
two men, who were, in his opinion,
the very pick OF the regiment.
In times OF peace these inglorious
| little brushes with sneaking Ghazis
are not among the pleasantest feat
ures of service in Afghanistan. To an
old soldier they SAVIOR too much OF
that potting from behind hedges with
which the Irish peasantry have famil-
iariZed us, and to which no military
glory is attached. He does not care
about sending out good men to furn-
ish targets for skulking devils who
have no ground OF quarrel, but are
merely possessed OF a fanatical desire
to spill Ferringhee blood. Wherefore
the Commanding Officer was i'll at
ease, and for the next two days there
foil l,,ll lnIG
everybody in camp. Like the infiuen-
"a, it attacked them all, from the
| Colonel downward, only as Kipling
says that is another story.
1t was in the spring OF 1890 that
the influenza came sweeping over All
| ghanistan, death-laden from Euro
| pean cities. 1t was when April had
cast it's brief ethereal spell upon this
| barren spot, and had woven fairy
carpet OF flowers all over the plain,
| teaching the grim landscape the mean
| ing of smile. Only for few beauti-
ful days i'll all the year is the ground
moist and fragrant, and covered with
/ delicate short-lived blossoms. Like
| lovely ghosts they come and go-the
white wild hyacinth bells, the small
red tulip, the exquisite purple iris. 1t
was with these sweet visitors that the
influenza came, dealing suffering and
death among the lonely scattered out
| posts, where comforts are few and
luxurles for the sick unprocurable.
But in this January, the plain was
barren OF any verdure or vegetation,
save for leatless scrub that grows
| low upon the earth and gives out a
| fragrance resembling that OF wild
| thyme. And you could see right away
| to the horizon in one direction, and
as far as a chain of low rocky hills in
the other.
Upon the third day after the depart
ure of the expedition the Colonel rode
| out to reconnoitre along with the
doctor. who was always game for a
ride. The Commanding Officer was
more anxions than he allowed to ap
pear. Somehow a two years solourn
| in those dreary wilds draws men very
| close together when they are made OF
good stuff. The party ought to have
returned ere this, and the Colonel's
heart was disquieted within him. He
was scanning the horizon carefully,
when suddenly he pull~d up and shad-
| ed his eyes.
whats that little cloud OF dust,
doctor? Is it devil or couple OF
! horsemen?"
The doctor, whose eyes were young
er, answered that it was no devil,
but horsemen, and that they were
making for camp.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the Colonel
with his field-glasses up, sit is-it's
Thompson and Sowarl"
In another moment they were cut
| ting across to meet them.
Billy was riding length or two in
front, and his iaded horse pulled up
OF its own accord as he neared the
approaching riders. The Sowar
saluted, and remained stolidly i'm
movable in the background. Both
men and horses were caked With dust,
! and wore a weary, detected air.
Were bringing in James all right,
SIR" answered Billy in response to
the Colonel's questioning gesture.
''But we had fight-Ghazis, this
side Khunaz. Hamerton's badly
wounded. I've come on for the
doctor; his only chance. The black
fellow bolted who was looking after
James. Can the doctor go at once,