New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-24
An Encounter If, High Places.
BY MAYNE LINDSAY.

qualities touch Of military genius and the
gift OF popularity among them. but he had
rather more money than is good for young
soldier he had gayiy impercIneut air that an
moved elderly persons and no had weakness
for eScapades. High authorities. who knew that
youth Is not a. rule. hopeless Udlddy. smut
their eyes To- many Of his pranEs. for the good
that was I'm him II was not, In fact until ne
had flung a native police inspector IN the Ny
MOORE Lake az II o'clock IA the morning lW the
face of half the bazaar that their ror"eaFance
showed signs Of coming 70 an end OdA4ey
pleaded that the man was iusoieut, and possibly
the defence helped him little. But ne was
told that ANYHOW this kind Of thing would not
do. and he was invited to take leave-a long
Ieave-Out Of India They meant him. perhaps.
to go home and make friends unto himself or
against a day Of reckoning. but because oakley
suspected they meant it, he announced that he
was going to- shoot owls poll across the border
land re packed his gun cases, ana rev
weeks later ne walked I'm upon Colonel Silver,
who tho British Resident at GuHbad. and
drag upou the errarIc wheel Of Anna Singh,
Naharajah of Feristan. He had traversed the
first stage Of his journey. Feristan lies apped
in the skirts of the great mountain ranges be
hind the northwest gates Of India, it is a smiling,
bounteous place. and some day it will be the
playground of more people than the tired Anglo
Indians who now dawdle up its lakes and camp
among Us pleasant groves
Young men I'm difficulties often brought them
tC Silver. ScapegraCe on enforced holiday was
nothing new 10 him. He stroked his white mus
tache when Oakley. whom he had known from
ovable child 10 man. gave him jaunty version
= his crime.
You have been let Off very lightly" he said
II W. an uuEenrI eruauly. stupid exhibition or
II temper. and it might have been used 20 show
hat man who cannot command himself IS not
At 10 command others You had better wipe IL
out bv doing something to prove your regret
something. let me say. more useful than climb
ing into Central Asia"
Oakley shrugged his shoulder
What else is there TO dor he said There
isn't a little war anywhere"
And II there We're you could hardly expect 20
be picked for it after this" Silver said severely.
nd
I passed in Russian two years ago. Oakley
said. I don't think I'm keen about any more
examining at present" He took pace 10 the
open doorway and stood looking upon SHIN
msring river and the cool shade OF the plane
trees about It. a boat hoated by with a young
man loIling IN the stern and fox terrier blink
ing on a cushion at the sunshine
Cant you give me something 20 do. colonel?'
he said persuasively. You have plenty OF tan
gled threads in your plgeOnhOIes; You might
set me to Unravel one Of them"
Colonel Silver did not speak for a moment
right figure. and he appeared 10 turn the matter
over in his mind.
You mean that?" he asked
Yes, I do" said Oakley; and this time there
was eagerness in his voice.
The Resident rose from his chair. took a large
scale map out OF a drawer. and unroIred 70.
Did you not Try once to cross Kalsi2" he
said, and his fingers moved UP 70 where the
shading Of mountain ranges lay outside the
dotted border Of Feristan-
Oakley followed the finger.
YES I tried it." he said Il was tur1ed hack
after ten days marching-starved cut. YOU
know; couldn't get a soul 20 supply me with
coolies or fodder. The Khan doesn't want US
there
The Kalss do not. I think" Silver said.
They are afraid We may discover their hid
den route into Turkestan. and want 10 gain
possession Of il. That is nonsense. OF course.
we could not police # even II we knew it, There
are other people U whom IL might be userul. but
they are not this side Of the watershed
Il thought the whole thing was a myth"
ooh. 70" Silver said 1T exists; but no one
finn inns ~
and ample cOmmissariIt. and he viii not get
them from Jehan Beg OF present. There are.
however. more ways OF learning a road than
travelling over II, and / believe some one has
made use Of them within the last fortnight. A
messenger came down 70 me only yesterday
afternoon. and he assured me that there IS a
white man from the north In KaIsI at this
moment. and that he Is believed 70 have had
access to the Khan Now. IL Jehan Beg had not
wanted him. he would not have let him get
there: or. az least, he would never let him set
cut alive But IT is probable that he VIII get
away. by the way he came, through Shawa:
and II the surUises I draw from my Information
are correct ne viii take plan Of the kalsi
Passes with him"
oakley gazed at him. harsfre on his words
1T IS really rather an important Incident" said
Colonel Silver. He rolled up the map and re-
turned IL to- a drawer. 1T may be a mares
nest no doubt. but Yusuf is not I'm the habit
of discovering mares nests. I think the I'M
able credit His method of prrSudding the Khan
was probably quite simple; but 70 set 70 him
without attracting the attention OF half kaIsi he
must have travelled light am sure ne did not
try TO get through with a string OF pack ponies
AMI hampers o. saltwater"
I won't-next time" oakley said softly.
suppose ] We're TO cut across 20 the road from
ShaWa- SCppCse-Oht suppose two peO-
pie ran up against each other accidentally
among the mountains there2- Does your man
know enough 10 keep one 20 the trail2 / don't
believe there IL any meum and tuuru at fourteen
thousand feet. % isn't the rule In Kalsi. I'll
swear, But IL may be OF our own
fellows"
1t is not the colonel assured him Yes.
Yusuf knows a good deal: he IL a wonderfully
acute person. his only fault is that his un-
checked methods are little too Asiatic 10 use
In a delicate affair II would be neces-
sary 70 get the plan-to destroy IL I understand
II is very COmpuCated-uot to be carried in a
mans head Ye-es. it might be done" he medi-
tated. but IL would not be easy. and Il would
not be SAFE q shooting owls poll
can I this Yusuf2'' Oakley queried. He
added gleefuiiy- You are going 20 let try.
you need not deny 1t. SIR You don't say things
without reason"
Don't To- said Colonel Silver 1T is not
quite settled yet. Charles He became a little
distracted. he thinking OF the young
county To BE- sure. he had younger broth
ers.
Oakley was watching him with the zest OF
coming enterprise written upon his face. Silver
would have chosen him upon bis merits out OF
a thousand h. too. knew that ne good
stuff. and he came OF a fine breed
You had better come here at G. he concluded. |
looking at his watch. and hear what Yusuf has |
to say"
A snowstorrn. wild and sIeety. danced It's way
over the southern spurs 81 the watershed. There I
We're valleys embedded in them pygmy valleys
among the giants. Ktere few huddled villages 4
looked up al precipices. and bOwlder strewn de-