The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-05

lie iSoSeC &WIS i....- mem ana
through the wiu,.ow. aEJ rs long as
the khan was quiet on tie floor he
I thought he'd be safer II the room with
hin with his r@c.. :.aiust the door
An h"-r later Somel-iI;, possessed him
TO wonder if the rr.-Jner was dead.
With his pistol in uNr hand lie drew
back the blanket with the other. The
khan was gone. irons and all, and
Balaya WAS under JIe blanket.
"Of course | promised what Quarter
main asked and told him that if it real
~ came to anything serious, could DO
good deal more: so lie went off
comforted and was asleep in a sec
Ond
Hours later-that didn't seem min
utes-I started UP, wide awake and
clutchinS my pistol. | knew that some
one out of order was in the tent. 1t
was the first gray light of morning
and as soon as my eyes were used to it
discovered a figure, wrapped in
wOmans sarai. outlined on the other
side. One of the officers had given up
his bed to me for the night and it was
probably some camp follower accus-
toned to coming there at that hour
Angry over another disturbance
threw my head down on the pillow,
muttering that l was the wrong man.
But the woman replied:
1T is the sahib whom | seek Bio
vance give him rest
"'She will without your help re
torted, but the voice went right on:
1t is the Sahib who made Khabeer
Khan prisoner He is gone again. The
trail of the serpent has crossed his
track. \, hare leaped upon the right.
An ass prayed at the starting He is
safe Her voice was nothing if not
musical and oriental courtesy is always
soothing. l was dropping off TO sleep
again when through the fog l caught
the words, 4 went with him, sahib,
until he sent me back to YOU Then
was up again instantly.
"'Sent you back to me to kill me, did
he, because he couldn't do it himself?
Well. why didn't you make try while
was asleep? Did | wake up too quick
for you! 1t isn't the easiest thing i'll
the world to do while I'm awake. Get
out of those shadows. Pull the flap
and stand in the light where l can
have look at you. We might meet
again
"She did just that, and as the light
fell over her-my word, she was a
beauty, For moment | sat and
stared. | never saw a handsOmer wo-
man in my life. She held the curtain
back with a bare arm as perfect as
ever sculptor modelled and i'll the same
soft music said: 1T was you, sahib. and
not the khan who spoke those words:
but if it would save the life of one |
love to kill you | would not wait Kha-
beer Khans bidding. l would do it
| I'd do it with these empty hands And
with all respect to my proverbial pow
ers of self preservation l honestly be-
| lieve she could and would. Heavens
how her eyes flashed and her teeth
| clicked and glistened. Then she went
| on, like Il summer breeze: These are
| the words of khabeer Khan. He said
The sahib is both brave and kind. Go
to him. He will hear you and help
| you to save Balaya if he can
'Balaya" l muttered. The fellow
| who took the khan's place last nightT
And l saw tears glisten like diamonds
on her cheeks as she replied, He is the
light cf my eyes, the breath of my
| body, the father of my children
Yes, yes; but he's n traitor" in
| terrupted, for the thing was getting too
sentimental for me What would your
khan say was right for Il man who
cheated him as Balaya has cheated
u.s.
"She answered instantly: Death
But sahib, am not the khan; neither
am | Balaya. They do not speak 1t
is who plead for him. Balaya expects
to die. He told the English officer what
he was and asked to be sent away.
He might have killed the officer or fed
with the khan. He did his duty to a
relative, then waited to die for it as u
| British soldier. 1t is | who am plead
ing for his life.
| Il knew that l had not one spark of
influence with the colonel. | did not
think size would have, but l advised
her to 90 to him. She replied: L went
to his bed, sahlb, as l came to yours,
and looked into his face. but there was
| nothing there for me-
'''And after that you want me to
try exclaimed. My word. he'd only
laugh Mt me-
Her reply was peculiar, but there
was certain wisdom in it that was
profound. She said: He will answer,
Let him de- But go to him. sahib.
Let him once be truly told that Balaya
is not traitor deserving death. Give
him the opportunity to show mercy.
He will not show it. but then, when
the time arrives that the sun of my
heaven must be touched by clouds that
shall darken it, the voice of woman
will speak to him He will hear and
will heed it. He will bow his forehead
in the dust to me, and the fountain of
my life shall not be unjustly Quenched.
IF | were an artist my life would
not be endurable till | accomplished
the impossible and portrayed that wo-
man as | saw her then. her head thrown