New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-24


euce, higher. there were deodars and howery
slopes higher still. the bones OF the mountains
stuck out SriUir. and In The luil or the storm
the boom OF descending avalanches pierced ths
Oakley. who haI been climbing uncharted re-
gious by moonlight which isl not easy sxer-
else -reot sbfveri1e into shelter as the storm
swept past him. IL had been daylight for two
hours. He had eaten an insufficient breakfast OK
chocolate and dried apricots, h. was noddlnS
with sleep and exhaustion. he snapped at tbs
lean. wiry Punjabi who stood at the entrance 70
his refuge. Ioins Eirded and stan in hand
II am not golnE any iurtnrr JhlS morning.
YusuS he said. do YOU suppose have been
brought UP 20 hanging on by my eyebrows 20
nothing in the dark Go away. and c9L me 81
II. 7 should like a Bombay curry, and some
oatmeal pOrridge. and some herrings. gallon %
hot coffee for bara hart. please"
YUsuf NahOmet smiled The snow lashed him
IN the face; he stopped 70 bring himself under
the lee OF the rock The wind went roaring
they spoke.
There are many kos between the Sahib and
the food he desires he said. 7. too. have hun
gered little But there are only a few KOS q
the place I spoke OF. the place where We must
wait, and we must get there before they do
We have travelled upon our feet all through the
night. they viii march at daybreak. The SahtO
said were TO allow eight hours margin.
and II we do not 60 forward now We shall not
have It."
"On our feet? On our knees and elbows. you
mean" Oakley said He looked at a pair %
bleeding palms. and mOurufully at the state OF
his breeches. IRE you sure you are going %
strike the road At the right spot
4usuf stepped out OF their refuge for mo-
nent-
There is Hara Devil ~ said and he pointed
10 a towering white peak fve-aUd- twenty miles
away There is Shaws. behind the lower ridge.
which is fifteen kos from 10, and they must pass
20 Shawa- We have come as straight as the
birds fly"
Il would I were bird chaurad Oakley in his
own tongue. He stopped. grCauiCE. and laced uD
a boot. he readjusJed the straps Of his KNAPP
sack and screwed up his TASK Come on then
I suppose pieces OF us may get there. If not the
whole Thank goodness the storm is passing
He hmped out. and they moved slowly. Slant
Ing their heads against the wind. t0.llE over rl-
rough ground under the ribbed and drift. ai e-n...
working d0ggedly down toward -l- valley .--
tween them and parallel ridge that was 1ar--
ing in the middle distance. ID appeared to Dol -
straightforward piece OF work. descent and ss-
cent equally and smoothly divided, but Oakley
had learned by experience that things ir the up
lands OF kalsi are not what they seem There
were many Intervening subsidiary clefts and
pockets 70 negotiate He stumbled after mis-
guide and resigned himself 20 his fate
Yusuf. testing the uneven ground with his
lathI. watched every fold OF the hiiisides Ee
plodded on. re was, in spite OF extreme cold
and Serni-starvatl0u and many bruises. enjoy
ing himself immensely Fe had found the work
he loved. He was a trained sleurh hound. bred
20 track men through the ursavo-v intrigue %
a hill Eaja's court or out upon the mountains:
but be was born fighting man. whose militant
qualities had been TOO long. IN his own opinion
unemployed The fascination % shadOwinE tho
RaJa's northern visitor, brushing against him I'm
the narrow alleys Of the foul little city upon the
hilltop. seeming him under his disguise burr0v-
n 2
SUIT or his purpose had been good but it was
not to compare with the Erappie that he prom
ised himself should end this race across a barren
land. He and Oakley had gone 20 many pains
to conceal their progress: they had skfrted habl-
tations. lain hidden by dav and toiIsd forward
bv night: thev had robbed Orchards aod zen
rOosts 10 get supplies. he had not permitted his
charge 10 show himself except on rare and
safe occasions. he swung forward gleefully In
20 the open now: the goal was IN sight. he vas
fretring 70 throw caution 70 the winds and meet
the enemy face TO face.
could have told his nationality and any modsr-
ately intelligent being would have seen that
there was something unusual IN the manner %
his travelling. without a COolle or a gun case
or a pack pony he was The trt1rnp card no.
20 be played until the end % the game and
Yusuf cherished him tenderly He halted now,
after a couple OF miles upon their way and
turned 20 address him. They had cropped
down until they were under the ridge: there
corners; and though the wind whistled and piped
like a lost SOUL the great cold had departed ani
some scruooy vegetation was making shift 20
live between the powders
Yusuf pointed 10 a faint zigzag which VA.
scored on the slope above them and which de-
scended and lost itself IN distance toward tbs
There is the shawa Road" be said. tr,1u,-
phantly- Did I not say we had Cous straightr
they viii then descend tO--us. Now u remain.
Tor me 70 ind safe hiding place for the Sahib.
and think I shall find IL below the crest OF tbs
ridge where the great stones lie"
He moved on again working dlagouaI1y u N.
slope and going cautiously from cover to cover
and Oakley followed him. They drew near
enough 20 the road 20 70 flr what 10 was
q rough. narrow track marked out BY the oh
structlons that had been rolled away from IL:
and presently they were within ffry yards or r.
and YusuE moving 20 and fro like terrier Sc
lected the ambush.
Vow. n the Sahib pleases. he NAV sleep" he
said. inviting repose upon bed az flnts behind
q bulS1nE shoulder Of rock Il climb vet a little
further. 20 the brow OF the hiu 20 see what there
may be 70 b seen IL is not yet noon: they VIII
not come until close upon sunset
You had much better IL close and wait Cor
them" Oakley said. stretching himself orr
YEARLY You can do no good by poking about
at the TOP OF the hill and you may expose your
SELF and 30 great harm"
Yusuf looked down az him with the fash ~ an
eye his nostriIs duated.
II cannot rest now" he said TT is wears
since saw q good hght; 10 goes Oh my head"
Oakley threw the note OF command into his
voice. He was not quite as Indifferent as he pro-
fessed % be. lie had looked forward 10 this
day through many weary ones. but now he So
himself TO throw cold water on Yusuf Afahouet's
lust OF battle.
7 say that you shall be stili" ne said. and
the Puntabt settled unwilliuglv or his heels
Don't run away with the idea that there "a
going 20 be a scrap please remember 10 e the
Keep quiet. and simmer down ID ia YOUR vyarrb
/ think, took the last" He ran over hls gen
eral Instructions Don't smoke and don't wan
der. and rouse M ar the first sight OF our
friends. or at the end Of my SPELL FTe wriuvIad
his back against the rock. unhuttoned Ma can
and made ~ snug inspected his revolver ana
niobled a biscuit spread with beef ierIv In eva
his mind: he slept the healthy sleep OF a sol
der, with his gloves for a plIlou