The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-05
e Elaa~c.r.-.1 All
Needed
BY EUGH WAKEFIELD


ME veteran war correspondent,
Db;l T,o,,,I e,+ ~, ,1,.I- ,.,.,,I-

Phil Conrad. sat on deck slnok-
ing and talking old times with
the captain. who once com
manded a government transport and
wore the "R. n. r.
Colonel Quartermain says he owes
life and everything else to you" said
the captain.
(which l deny" Conrad replied. Il
simply held my tongue where he was
not at fault and l had no business to
NEEDLE. Id just come through the en-
.emy's lines with dispatches in the At
CHAN war. | was near the British po-
sitiOn when. quite Unexpectedly to us
both, l ran plump into Khabeer Khan,
the most dangerous leader in the dis
trict. also alone.
1T was only Il question of first call.
! got it. The khan surrendered with
out a protest and walked humbly be
fore me into camp.
ut was 4 big plume for me. of
course. however little l deserved it.
when early in the evening l handed
over my prisoner and delivered my
dispatches. I'd been twenty hours on
foot, and after eating all could con
veniently cover l went TO bed in the
tent allotted me and was asleep in no
time
Heavens, how the fellow shook me
before l dragged my eyes open. And
there stood Quartermain, holding II
lighted vesta and looking like a ghost.
1t was his first commission. and he was
the Scaredest thing l ever saw. lie
simply gasped, 'Khabeer Khan has cs-
capped" and stood staring till the vesta
burned his fingers. Then he jumped,
threw it away, lighted another and be-
gan to stare again.
Il didn't care. 1t was rather pleas
ing that | had captured him and
brought him to camp alone when the
whole detachment couldn't keep him
there single night, but it worked the
mischief with me to he pulled out of
sleep that way by a green junior lieu
tenant, and Swore at the youth. You
ask him. He'll admit it in spite of the
epaulets he wears today. l swore till
j he dropped his second vesta and didn't
dare to light fresh one. What the
deuce ails you anyway I asked, com
ing round to wake me up? DO you
think I've got him here under the bed
or will go out again and find him for
you?
HE was meek as lamb and re-
piled: L didn't come for that He's
gone for good. l only came to ask a
favor of You for my mother and sis
ter. I'm all they've got. you know.
They gave up everything to purchase
my commission and at the very start
this beastly fiuke will knock me out of
1t. God knows | would keep still II
could suffer alone, but on top of the
rest to have them buried in shame is
tough. and | thought if l could explain
it to you you'd let me down easy in
the papers for their sake This is the
last chance I'll have free. so had to
wake you up. I'm sorry
I'D have promised anything. hands
down, to get him away. but the poor
fellow had to rehearse the whole or
collapse. The khan had been ironed
and put in the two room hut used
as a guardhOuse. and Quartermain
with four sepoys-for goodness knows
why-detailed as special guard
zone of the sepoys, named Balaya
confessed that he was a relative Of
the khan and asked to be relieved 1t
was an extremely honorable thing for
him to do. don't you know. for Hin
doc is bound by every law he knows to
defend a relative. even if it includes
the murder Of an English officer.
Quartermain understood it and sent
word to the colonel commanding. ask
ing that Balaya he removed. But that
colonel was an ineffable ass who con