The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-09

weapon. Then he went quietly down
ward. Nearing the ground. he saw
the native who saiaamed deeply an
was unarmed The poor fellow seem
ed TO be very anxious 10 help them.
What is your Nance" demanded the
sailor.
Mir Jan. sahib. formerly. corporal in
the kunlaon regiment"
When did you leave the ,regiment:"
Two years ago. sahib. Tskilled''-
What was the name of your colo
nel?'
.'Kurnal I-shpence-sahib. a brave
man, but of no account on ashorse."
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 Jan. What is
Tuang SAIL doing now?'
"Cursing, sahib. for the most part
His men are frightened. He wanted
them 10 try once more with the tubes
that shoot poison. but they refused. He
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. / was
there with the baZaar-born whefos. By
the prophets beard. it was Il fine
stroke
Are they going away, then?"s
mo. sahib. The dogs have. been
whipped so sore that they snarlsfor 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 assanlt:"
Protector of the poor, they aretbuild-
ing scaling ladders-four in ALL Soon
after dawn they intend to rush1 your
position. You may slay some. they.
say, but you cannot Stay thretScore.
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 'haye
a charm, sahib, and they want to, use
your own work against you"
This was serious news. A combined
attack might indeed be dangerouA
though it had the excellent feature-that
if it failed the Dyaks would certainly
leave the island. But his sky sign de-
stroyed. That was bad. Had q. vessel
CHANGED to pass the swinging letters
would surely have attracted attention.
Now even that faint hope wass dis
PEELED.
"Sahib, there is worse thing to4tell."
said Mir Jan.
Say on, them
Before they place thesladders against
the cliff they will build n fire of green
wood so that the smoke will be blown
by the wind into your leyes. This will
help to blind your aim.s Otherwise you
never miss
THAT will assnredIy be. awkward
Mir jan
1T will sahib. Soul of my father, IL
we had but half troop with GUS
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 a light rustling amid the under
growth beneath the trees On the right.
And she could hiss. too, iflthat were
the correct thing to do.
So she Missed
jerks swarmed halfway uptthe lad
der.
YES. Iris he said.
II am not sure, but 1 Imagine some
the house"
"AII right. dear 1 will keep a.sharp
lookout Can you hear us talkingg'
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.
l,se,
volver-"I suppose you can use this.'
Mir Jan took it without n 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 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
trifie stale
Mir Jan returned the revolver.
.Sahib.' he said. with another sa-
laam. Il am a disgraced man, but IL
you will take me up there with -,u I
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. / will have no more
of them. If you will not have me on
the rock. give me gun. / will hide
among the trees, and / promise that
some of them shall die tonight before
they find me. For the honor Of the
regiment safib, do not refuse this
thing. All / ask is If your honor es-
capes that you will write to KurnaI
I-shpence-sahib and tell him the last
act OF Mir Jan, corporal in p 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.
Il am not a rascal. sahib,'' he ex-
claimed proudly. II only killed man
because
Listen. Mir Jan. You cannot well
mend what you have said. The Dyaks,