The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-30


Pandai Zakia Rhel Malik was not clear
in his mind as to which of these two i'm
portant facts was the more concerned in
making in his sacred duty to kill some
body, but of the necessity for such q
killing he was entirely certain.
There would have been no delay what
ever in fulfilling this obligation of it had
not been for the Snider- AS it was MaliS
the younger had to wait. He waited
patiently. An Afridi tribesman who viii
lie for twenty-four hours in white hot
sand with a blue hot sky blistering
every part of him that has not been
roasted by the sand, in order to have one
exceedingly long shot at a British column
can afford to wait for such a prize as
Athira and her fortune, even though the
latter had somewhat diminished by the
various drains on it.
Then there came another interruption
| in the shape of a holy war against the
! British. When the tribes are up" blood
feuds are suspended by unwritten but
/ binding law. So for almost a year. dur
! ing which the Afridis played the parts
of hunted wolves now running and doubt
! ing in their mountain Businesses, now
/ bursting out of ambush and cutting up
some weak British force, Athira's hus-
! band and the person who desired to sue
/ coed him in the usual way fought side by
I side But when the machine guns finally
as British machine guns really do in
I the end-got somewhere on the side of
mountain, with the Afridis penned nicely
below, and began to shoot swiftly and
with excellent aim, the Afridi uprising
VISA over at once. And those who had
escaped the guns and the nasty lances
that waited at the opening of the valley
went home by secret ways and were good
Afridis again, with their weapons snugly
hidden away.
In his fear Of the evil and sharp-eyed
British, who would be sure to come nos
ing around the villages after arms, Athir-
to succeed as husband for once did not
dare to carry his Snider rife openly. And
Pandai Zakla Khel Malik. who had taken
UP his Ittlt private feud on the instant
that the machine guns had ended the
other feud, saw it, for he had crept UP
to the house to spy out the land, having
tired of waiting. With the Snider thus
delivered over him, the rest was sim
plicity itself. He lay down snugly in the
high grass on a little hill behind the
house, and when his rival and cousin ap
peared in the morning one good, steady
shot made Athira a widow again.
That was some time in the early part
of 1900. For time all was happy. Athira
of course, married Pandai Zakla, and he
deducted from his rivals store a gener-
Gus sum to square the headmen of the
village. He felt safe then, for he had
looked around and had found any more
y he hao
full woman.
That was some time IN the early part Of
1900. For a time all was happy. Athira,
of course, married Pandai Zakls, and he
deducted from his rivals store a gener-
or; sum to square TIE headmen Of the
village. He felt safe then, for he had
looked around and had not found any
more relatives who ever had wooed the
beautiful woman.
But trouble came from an unexpected
source. Madu, the son from the second
marriage, became 16 years old last spring,
and at once demanded his share of the
various legacles of the various fathers
ard stepfathers he hac had. Also. he de-
manded blood money on three counts
first, for the murder of his fathers uncle,
who had been Athira's first husband; sec
ond, sfor the murder Of his father, and
third, for the murder of his uncle, who
also was his stepfather. Then, in addi-
ton he demanded a large payment for
his mother. He held that she had passed
directly to Pandai Zakal Khel Malik from
his uncle and stepfather, and therefore
was fairly to be considered as part of his
inheritance, and, as such. vas his to sell
if any one wished to marry her. But
Pandai Zakla retorted ingeniously that he
had not obtained her from Madu's uncle,
but had simply taken back what had
originally been his fathers.
To this argument only one answer could
be made in self-respect. Madu made it.
He went into the house, took the family
Snidr. placed it softly and lovingly
against Pandafs back and with one af-
fecionate pun of the trigger snuffed cut !
the hfe of his stepfather, fathers cousin. |
and stepfathers cousin.
With all their fine liberality Of thought |
and feeling the village headmen saw
something irregular in this. and the dis
pute that followed concerning the ethics !
of blood feuds stirred up enough trouble |
to reach the ears OF the Sikh policeman. |
AS soon as he appeared on the scene the |
Afridis hastily decided TO let bygone be |
bygones and to accept fair payment in |
blood money and thus close the unpleas- |
ant incident. But it was too late. The |
white men took it UP with strange ser
iousness. and the word went forth that |
an Afridi was to be taken and hanged. /
AS It would never do to lose a good fight /
ing man for such a trihe as a murder, |
every hillman promptly made it a per
sonal matter, and Madu has disappeared |
entirely.
Athira is as beautiful as ever, but IS /
somewhat puzzled as to just how she can /
properly get married again. She is a lit |
tie inclined to fee lannoyed at her sons |
III -considered an embarrassing action.
Astounded the Editor.
Editor s. a. Brown, OF BennettsYille, |
s. C, was once immensely surprised.
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