Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-04-29

far otherwise. A yawning precipice Of
about 200 feet deep on the bride hand
and a path consisting entirely of bowl
ders. which goats might jump or a man
scramble over. on the very brink, was
almost too much for the horses. These
gallant creatures had far weaker nerves
than their riders, and. though each man
dismounted and led his horse, walking
In front with the b1idle reins behind his
back. the agony Of fear made them
sweat, as the galloping had yet failed
to do. 1t was painful to see the fear
distended nostrils. the glaring eyes and
the treInble Of every muscle In their
hard-kntt frames.
The clash of the hoofs and the omin.
GUS slide as the hard iron hit the unre-
lenung bowlder made both man and
horse thrill with absolute terror. 1t
was simply awful. Nothing but the
lust OF blood, when man hunts man
the greatest and most exciting hunt of
all-could have steeled ne hearts Of
the pursuers. Nothing but the blind
trust In company, which drives the
warhorse into the deadly charge-the
hideous companionship Of perfect fear
could have enabled the horses to suc-
ceed in this awful enterprise. Their
groans sent cold shudder down the
spincs of the men. Tears started to
Bakshan Khan's eyes at the agony of
his beloved mare. He vented his feel
!ngs In curses, and so did his white
brother. The passage did not last
twenty minutes. 1t might have beer
twenty hours
All reached the plain in safety. But
the horses Were spent with terror. The
came!s were seen not half a mile ahead
making for the ravines as fast as blows
could urge them. The Englishman pull
ed out his flask and, pouring a few
drops on his handkerchief, wiped the
horses nostrils. Then he mounted.
Bakshan Khan breathed into his mares
nostrils. and Gurdit Singh mounted
and spurred. Wazir Khan, calling
aloud on Allan, mounted, too. At first
trot-feeble and uncertain; then, rs
they felt good, firm ground, a gallop.
The horses regained courage with pace
The camels neared the ravines as the
pursuers raced hard for them. In that
supreme moment there was nothing
known of race or creed or color. The
Bnuch, Sikh, Pathan and Enghshmnn.
each swearing indiscTiminately at each
other, raced for blood.
Another 300 yards. A camel's lead
ins rope breaks and the jaded brute
sta nds still. A yell of Joy from the pur-
suers. A couple of shots from tho
Waziris. Bakshan Khan pulls up, and
Is off his mare like 4 streak of light
ming. A shot from his rife hits the
man who Is striving to drive the camel
on. The rest sweep on with q yell!
Another 200 yards to crossI They have
them! MOI
They reach the brink OF the first
ravlne TO find nothing. In a way in
conceivable, except to an actual be-
holder, there remains only solitary
camel and a dying man bleeding from
q bullet wound in the back of the neck.
The rest are as clean gone as II the
earth had swallowed them UP.
1t is hopeless to search those endless
ravtnes. The horses were quite done
up. Eight hours hard going across
that dreadful country at an average of
ive miles an hour make It far more
desirable to make for home as quickly
as possible. So they loaded the dead
Mashud on the camel, and, after rest
Ing & couple Of hours, Legan to wend
their weary way home by the easiest
ways known. The horses found water
and grass about nightfall, and the sew
en- weary and hungry Inen forgot oil
differences of race and religion in con-
sidering their safety and relief In that
dangerous desert. Each man put his
provisions out on a fat rock, and then,
under cover of the dark, each went
alone and took his share. The Mussul-
man drank from the English flask, tho
Sikh ate the Mussulman's chupatties,
the Englshman took and smoked pin
Of the blessed opium. Surely God sent
that drug for mans solace In his hour
of utmost need.
1t was nearly noon next Jay when
the pursuers returned to tn. Sost. After
taking six hours dead sleep 1t was
time to attend to business. Habibullah b
bad recognized his camoi and also the
dead man as a man he had met on the
road near Mir All Khei, who had said
he was a coolie on the road. The great
question now was how to get the re-
manning eight camels back. At the
instigat1on of Bakshan Khan the fol-
lowing device was adopted: rope
was hung from one OF the big beams
supporting the roof OF the gate, and
Bakhtaw war, mounted on a ghi-box, was
placed with the moose around his neck.
In this position he was told before his
fellow prisoner that unless the camels
return safe and sound before the third
sun his corpse would be burned on the
dungh!lls below the post. The other
doing duty for a shirt, soundly aogge3
and then hunted out Of the post de
fenseless. 1t had previously been as
| certained that the two were cousins
and that Bakhtawar was the son Of a
man having some influence. The dead
mans corpse was not to be burned un-
less the camels failed 10 return. He
| was also an influential person-or had
been.
All that ROW remained wns to wait
| and trust that the camels would be re-
stored. IT WAS a game Of grab. The
young Mahsud bore himself with a
| calm Indifference to his fate. He even
pretended that he was a Ghazi, and as
such could not burn. One could not
] but admire his courage. None the
| less was he carefully guarded under a
Sikh guard, no Mussulman being allow
| ed to approach him, for tho faith OF
Islam b as the faith Of Freemasons
] and ne cath Of tho Sikh a % strong az