The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-07-05
STORY WITHOUT END.
MYSTERY or TWO BEINGS WHO
CROSSED THE NARRAToR's PATH.

whose Knife Was stained with blood,
The Young Girl who Presented Silver
Rlng-wers tho Two Conneetsds
Il was ON tho I'd OF January, 1879, |
that General Roberts left Hazar Pr
Ziarat 10 subdue the Khost district an
unsophisticated country where the rev.
enue had hitherto been collected in cop
per. and up TO this date the semblanoe
Of the rupee had not been known
HAzAr Pr ziArat (the shrine Of q
thousand alphabetically old men) was
hardly even n village. and only the day
preceding some ak or seven had been
added 10 the number Of santa ~ .
batch Of murderous mArAuGers had been
executed. and dying In the faith. shout
ing the fAtmAh and acknowledging
nothing but piesy In their attempts on
infldel life, their oopsss had doubtless
rendered their graves sAnctihed ground.
and 20 added 10 the ziArAt--in thass
parts . holy grove gsnerAlly Of olive
20 fell which IL dissertation
A the Tenth hussArs spread oheerily
into order covering the advance their
bright pouch belt buckles(tho last glitter
left after even stirrups had been dulledl
sparkling In the bright sunlight a. they
threaded among the camel thorn sprin-
killed. over the plain. the writer diverRed
from the advance, having 20 convoy
with small escort Of cavalry and in
fantry long train Of some 900 empty
camels ordered 10 the advance base to
fll up with supplies Myway lay among
hills bordering the right bank q the
Kurrum river and soon lost sight Of
the force moving on Mntoun and fin.
ishod the days march without any I'D.
venture On the 3D. Of January the in
cidents beiell which now seek TO mar.
rate
In a lonely valley party Of my Sikh
infantry brought before re Pathan
prisoner, saying: Here il a man who
has been caught conoealing his arms IL
has been ordered by General Roberts
that all such shall be dispatched. May
we kill him?"
now TINS was nAiu hANlllY.
The young man appeared by his head.
gear 20 be Waziri. "A not unfriendly
tribe, which. however. furnished not q
few lawless dcpredators His only arm
was the long Afghan knife. necessary
for his own protection perhaps, and In
the cold weather Il appeared not unnAt-
ural that no should wrap himself In his
thin outer colored scarf. worn somewhat
after the fashion Of 4 plaid. His face
was handsome, open and fearless hut
such was the mien Of all Afghans-often
seen on the most cold blooded hendS
could not, however. though de-
tcrmined 20 fulfill the spirit Of instruo-
, tiona, at once hand him over to the bay
onei. and, saying, "Oh, his knife Il only
for harmless Use or protection. ! took
Il from him and drew IL. ltwas thickly
coated with fairly fresh blood.
For moment | could have handed
him over e. death, hut reason told me
that this was no additional evidence Of
murdcr Hc might have slain a goat o.
sheep, he might have met AN enemy II
fair fight-qucstions Of course were use
less Finally, with some misgivings a
= towhether was strictly oboying order
! and amid the soowls and murmurs o
o the Sikhs. who were quite strange 10 m!
= command. gave the young man bacl
d his knife and sent him ON his way
n He left gracefully and courtcously
L. showing neither in his smiling face no
Il in his elastic gait one single sign o
guilt or fear. and soon his erect hgur
was lost 90 my view over the brow Of
low hill.
y some hours Of march followed, am
n the care Of massing the long, unwield.
line Of camels in a column ON each small
Al plain, before again filing the next pass
Il aprccaution necessary 90 enable my rea
guard 20 b. within hail In case Of attac
ON 50 tempting and easy prey, full
. absorbed me and drove the preceding in
~ cident clean from my head
Suddenly | became aware q a youn
y Pathan girl running beside my hors
T. and holding mp TO me n silver ring ~
b with turquoise. This seemed % me
very unusual act from n MuSsulma
and Pathan. where seclusion IL :
strictly the rule. and had no idea rs {
the meaning she wished % convey, m
; pushtoo being unequal 20 the dialect sh
'. spoke, and indeed scanty enough at a
" times However. seeing that ! wa
meant o. take the ring. ! did 80, Oh
al girl about H. showing that she mean
| should take Il from her Even the
she mndo mo- effort % leave, and $,
A., imagining perhaps that she wanted moi
4, ey for some purpose, | offered her fc'
:, rupees. which she refused pctulantly.
:; turned 10 the Hindoo sowars who rod
" behind me and asked what IL all mean
but they only laughed unpleasantly, |
II 90 say, "What can n Mussulman IN
woman mean except what "a conteml
tiblc" 80 that, angry at their scorn an
possible misconceptions, flung tho 81
10 back her ring and babe her BECOME 81
10 left, mutteung and apparently still an
Az ious 60 explain, but troop Of horsem'
iO now appeared ON The plain, and whir
- ing their long lanoos round their hea'
cantered shouting toward us The sil
n, infantry closed their files and prcpar
10. to receive them. and l went forward