Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-02

side the cave. After advancing for
several feet he found that he could
stand up and walk.
A voice came from behind a shelter
of the rocky wall that projected into
the chamber. 1t pleased Harvey that
1t was not the voice of Russian. for
Russians were the only people he had
any reason to fear.
II have spoken" said calm, stern
voice within the concealed chamber.
II have given the treasure as it should
be given"
But, no, my BROTHER" came voice
that seemed to Harvey to tremble with
emotion. 1t was a harsh, cold voice,
not like the other. You have done
well for yourself. You have done well
for the clans in the mountains. But
we have not Jared as we should. Was
it not our courage that made the accu.
mutation of this booty possibleW
yes; that is so," answered the first
speaker. "But am Palpak, chief Of
the Zannucks, and it was who plan
ned everything. The wealth that came
from the ameers people we We're COM
PEELED to hide here until the ameer's
soldiers had finished their search
among our villages, and the wealth
that came from the Buddhist temples,
which we found the most valuable Of
all, and the gold that came from the
paymasters of the Russian soldiers
whom we attacked and robbed. All
these are mine-mine! Do you under
stand, Domitan? 1t was Palpak, the
chief, who in the interest Of all his
people, downtrodden as they are by
the wicked ameer, strove to gain that
with which we could buy horses and
cattle and make the Zannucks wealthy.
l have given you enough. The rest
must be divided among the people,"
NO" said third voice, thick and
cultural. "Domitan is right, Palpak,
though you be chief. We We're with
you in all the ventures. 1t is not right
that you should rob us now"
Rob your cried Palpak angrily.
Rob you Of what? In the name Of the
white bull, Of what can rob you when
you have nothing save what I have
given you? I tell you I am working
not for wealth for you, my brothers, but
for the whole people. The Zannucks
have been downtrodden and robbed by
the ameer. He demands more tribute
than we possess. He taxes us for our
wives, for our cattle, and then his SOL
diers steal the cattle. He taxes us for
our families, and the soldiers steal our
children. Our boys are compelled to
enter the ameer's army, and our girls
curses upon the ameer and upon you
II you cannot see the justice of what
am doing. But the ameer has de-
sisted from his search. He has some
great affair now in progress. 1t is
time we took the treasure to the noun
ta1ns and distributed it among the PEG.
pie and then-begin again to PLAN"
ut shall not be so! swear it!''
There are three of us!' growled the
surly voice.
"And we are determined men!" said
one who had not spoken before.
do you intend to defy me?" de.
manded the one who called himself
Palpak.
The three laughed. 1--WE intend to-
you will see what we intend"
Harvey began to catch the drift Of
things.
"This," he reasoned, sis what is pop.
ularly called honor among thieves.
Here's band Of four who have been
successful in gathering treasure by
robbing everything and everybody to
enrich people Kept down by that mis-
cradle wretch of an ameer. And now
the only decent one, If there is such a
thing as decency among them, is to be
killed so that the other three can keep
the treasure instead of putting it to the