The Princeton union., 1905-08-03
6be Wings ef the
BY LOUIS
TRACY
Morning
Copyright. 1908, by
Edward J. Clode

wv years dSO, SdulD. l killed.
What was the name Of your colo
nel?"
"Kurnal I-shpence-sahib, brave
man, but of no account on horse.''
jerks well remembered Colonel
spence-a fat, short legged warrior,
who rolled off his charger if the ami
NAL so much as looked sideways. Mir
Jan was telling the truth.
"You are right, Mir JAM What is
Tuang S'Ali doing now?'
"Cursing, sahib, for the most part.
His men are frightened He wanted
them to try once more with the tubes
that shoot poison. but they refused. Ee
could not come alone, for he could not
use his right hand, and he was wound
ed by the blowing up of the rock. You
nearly killed me, too, sahib. I was
there with the bazaar born whelps By
| the prophets beard. it was a fine
stroke
"Are they going away, then?"
"No. sahib. The dogs have been
whipped so sore that they snarl for re-
venge. They say there is no use in
firing at you, but they are resolved to
kill you and the miss sahib or carry
her off if she escapes the assault"
"What ASSAULT"
Protector of the poor, they are build
ing scaling ladders-four in ALL Soon
after dawn they intend to rush your
| position. You may slay some, they
say, but you cannot slay threescore
Taung Sail has promised gold to every
man who survives if they succeed.
They have pulled down your signal on
the high rocks and are using the poles
for the ladders. They think you have
charm, sahib, and they want to use
your own work against you"
This was serious news. A combined
attack might indeed be dangerous,
| though it had the excellent feature that
! it it failed the Dyaks would certainly
| leave the island. But his sky sign de-
stroyed! That was bad. Had vessel
CHANGED to pass the swinging letters
would surely have attracted attention.
| Now even that faint hope was dis
| PEELED.
"Sahib, there is worse thing to tell,'
said Mir Jan.
"Say on, then.'
Before they place the ladders against
the cliff they will build a fire Of green
wood so that the smoke will be blown
| by the wind into your eyes. This will
| help to blind your aim. Otherwise you
never MISS -.......... .r. ..
'That will assuredly be awkward,
Mir JAM .'-."
1T will, sahib. Soul Of my father, if
we had but half troop with U.s.
But they had not, and they were both
so intent on the conversation that they
were momentarily off their guard. Iris
was more watchful. She fancied there
was light rustling amid the under
growth beneath the trees on the right.
And she could hiss, too, if that were
the correct thing to do.
So she Kissed.
jerks swarmed halfway up the lad
der.
Eyes, Iris,'' he said.
II am not sure, but imagine some
thing moved among the bushes behind
the house."
"All right, dear. will keep a sharp
lookout. Can you hear us talking?'
Hardly. Will you be long?'
another minute
He descended and told Mir Jan what
the miss sahib said. The native was
about to make a search when jerks
stopped him.
"Here''-he handed the man his re-
volver-'1 suppose you can use this?'
Mir Jan took it without a word, and
jerks felt that the incident atoned for
previous unworthy doubts of his dark
friends honesty. The Mohammedan
cautiously examined the back of the
house, the neighboring shrubs and the
open beach. After a brief absence he
reported all safe, yet no man has ever
been nearer death and escaped it than
ne during that reconnaissance He, too,
forgot that the Dyaks were foxes, and
foxes can lie close when hounds are a
trifle stale.
Mir Jan returned the revolver.
"Sahib,' he said, with another sa-
laam, Il am disgraced man. but if
you will take me up there with you /
will fight by your side until both my
arms are hacked off. am weary of
these thieves. Ill chance threw me in
to their company. I will have no more
Of them. If you will not have me on
the rock, give me a gun I will hide
among the trees, and I promise that
some of them shall die tonight before
they find me. For the honor Of the
regiment, sahib, do not refuse this
thing. All I ask is if your honor es.
capes that you will write to Kurna]
1-shpence-sahib and tell him the last
act of Mir Jan, corporal in B troop
jerks was profoundly moved. He
reflected how best to utilize the serv-
Ices of this willing volunteer without
exposing him to certain death in the
manner suggested. The native misin-
terpreted his silence.
II am not a rascal, sahib,' he ex-
claimed proudly. II only killed man
because''-