Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-08-29
l,,,eIode,l from fir-t pase.

sepoy. Hadn't the faintest notion OF
his drill, and so on
.swhat on earth am TO say for you,
sirT' he had asked angriBy, tapping the
bundle Of uncompromising papers at
which Billy glanced With rueful de.
spair in his honest ewes. You are dis
tinctly careless. wanting In tact, use
less at office work what's the use Of
complaining Of your writers, sir-inat
tentiye and arguuentative. Ridel OF
course; and that's about all you're 6t
for That and tennis, but unluckily
these won't advance you in your pro
fession. nor gain you respect, nor ht
you for a command.
Then the colonel bad stolen look
at the frank. bright face, and thought
for the millionth time how ridiculous It
all was The lad was honorable and
brave. Why not trust to time and
training to do the restl He wanted a
tight hand over him of course. but why
be forced to send up nasty, disparag
ing report Of him to headquarters1
Somehow the colonel could not find
II in his heart to do it, and was still
worrying over It when telegram was
brought in addressed ITO the officer
commanding. This was followed
shortly by a knock at the rough door
opening outward ON to the cold, wind
swept inclosure, a struggle to shut the
same, and a tall, smart looking officer
entered, helmet in hand.
"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
lot OF people. I'm ordered to send
an intelligent officer to investigate the
thing and report You'll have a tick
lish job, but can rely upon you. I've
been thinking whom you had better
take. You see, | can only spare one Of
two-either Bates or Thompson. Bates
has the longest head and yet Thomp-
SON well, If 1t came to blows, somehow
| should prefer Thompson. But do as
you like"
As he said this the colonel instinc-
lively glanced at the pile Of papers be-
side him. Bates name happened to
lie upperlnost, with its every question
sInugly and neatly answered. Thomp-
sons had frisked off gayly in the
draught Of the open door, and was but
Just saved from being chewed under
the table by Hamerton's puppy, who
had followed his master in.
''lt shall be little Billy" said Major
Hainerton to HIMSELF and proceeding
to the discussion of further details con-
cerning escort and commissariat ar.
rangements for the small expedition.
A little before nightfall they started,
a party of fifteen in all; the two Eng
lish officers Billy in a state of the
widest Joy and bursting with import
ance-a dufTedar, and twelve Sowars of
the Khunaz Horse. A second telegram
had been received soon after the first
saying that the Ghazis, who were few
in number, had taken themselves off;
that native hospital assistant was in
charge of James, the wounded police
and 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
a little way with the party, and had
wished them good luck, " found him
self saying something like prayer 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 features OF
service in Afghanlstan. To an old sol
der they SAVIOR too much of that pot
ting from behind hedges with which
the Irish peasantry have fainiliarized
us, and to which no military glory Is
He does not care about
sending out good men to furnish tar
gets for skulking devils, who have no
ground of quarrel, but are merely pos.
'essed of fanatical desire to spill Fer
ringhee blood. Wherefore the com
officer was i'll at ease, and for
the next two days there fell dullness
and n malaise upon everybody in camp.
Like the influenza II attacked them all,
from the colonel downward, only, as
Kipling says, that is another story.
II was in the spring OF 1890 that the
influenza came sweeping over Afghan
stan, death laden from European cit
es 1t was when April had cast its
Drief ethereal spell upon this barren
pot, and had woven fairy carpet of
lowers all over the plain, teaching the |
yrim landscape the meaning of a smile,
only for few beautiful days in all the
year is the ground moist and fragrant,
md covered with delicate short lived
blossoms. Like lovely ghosts they
,ome and go--the white wild hyacinth
bells, the small red tulip the exquisite
purple iris, ID was with these sweet
visitors that the influenza came, deal
ng suffering and death among the |
onely scattered outposts, where com
'orts are few and luxuries for the sick |
inprocurable
But In this January the plain was
barren of any verdure or vegetation,
ave for leahess shrub that grows
ow upon the earth and gives out a fra
yranee resembling that of wild thyme.
And you could see right away TO the
horizon In one direction and as far as a |
,hain of low, rocky hills in the other
Upon the third day after the depar-
.ure of the expedition the colonel rode