The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-01-25

wink deliberately at Amber the
while he broadly sketched for him his
ancestry and the manner of his life
at home and abroad.
Thunderstorm, Amber caught him.
self just as he was on the point Of At
tempting to drag the driver from his
seat and beat him into a more endur-
able frame of mind. He swallowed
tho hint and gave up the contest.
"Oh, very WE'LL" he conceded. Il
presume you're trying to say there
isn't another tonga to be had and 1t
can't be helped; but don't like your
tone. However, there doesn't seem
to be anything to do but take you.
How much for the two Of us?"
"Your servant, sahib? He cannot
ride in this tonga" asserted the driv-
er impressively.
HE can't. Why not?"
You can see there Is room for but
two. and l have yet another passen'
ger"
"Where?"
AT the first dak-bungalow, sahib,
whore the mail tonga broke down last
night This tonga, which I say IL an
excellent tonga, an aram tonga. ton
Ga for ease, Is sent to take Its place.
More than this. am hidden to 60 IN
haste; therefore there Is little time
| for you to decide whether or not you
will go with me alone. As for your
servant, he can follow by this after
Moons mail tonga"
Upon this ultimatum he stood, I'M
movable: neither threats nor bribery
awaited. It was an order. he said; he
had no choice other than to obey.
Shabash! Would the sahib be
pleased to make up his mind quickly
Perforce, the sahib yielded. "1t'u
be Labertouche; he's arranged this"
he told himself. THAT loafer said
he'd gone on ahead Of u.s." And
comforted he issued his orders to
Doggott, who received and 'acceded
to them with all the ill-grace imagin-
able. He was to remain and follow to
Kuttarpur by tho afternoons tonga.
Climbing aboard, tho virginian set
tied himself against the endless dis
comforts Of tAs ride which he fore
saw: the tonga was anything but IAN
aram tonga tonga for ease;" there
was no shade and no breeze. and
tho face Of tho land crawled with
heat-bred haze.
To a crisp cracking Of the whip
lash over the backs Of the two sturdy.
shaggy. fea-bitten ponies. the tonga
swept away from the station. swift
a. hunted fox with dusty plume.
Amber leaned forward, watching
the drivers face. "Your name. tonga
wallah?" he enquired.
Ram Nath, sahib." The man spoke
without moving his head, attending
diligently to the management Of his
ponies.
"And this other passenger, VIII,
awaits US at tho dak-bungalow. Ram
Mathis he, perchance, one known
both to you and to me?"
Ram Nath flicked the Tagging
ponies. How should known" he 70
turned brusquely
"One," persisted Amber. "whs
might be known by such name "a
say, Pink Satin?"
What manner of talk is this?" de-
named Ram Nath. II am no child
to be amused by a riddle. know
naught of your Pink Satin" He
bent forward, shortening his grasp
upon the reins. as II to signify thai
the interview was at an end.
Amber sat back, annoyed by the
fellows impudence yet sensitive to q
suspicion that Ram Nath was playing
his part better than his passenger
that the rebuke was merited by one
who had ventured to speak of secret
things in a land whose very stones
have ears. For all that he could say
their every move was watched by In
visible spies. of whom the rock
strewn waste through which they
sped might we'll harbor q hidden
legion. But perhaps, aftel
all, Ram Nath had nothing whatever
: to do with Labertouche. Undeniabl<
as had been his wink, 1t might vel
have been nothing more than an I'm
pertinence.
Meanwhile the tonga rocked and
. bounded fiendishly over an infamous
: parody of q road, turning and twist
ing between huge boulders and in and
{ out Of pebbly nullahs. Ram Nath tool
: ing It along with the hand Of mas
. ter. But all his attention was Of ne
3 cessity centered upon the ponies, ant
! presently his tulwar slipped from hi
knees and clattered upon the floor o
!. the tonga. Amber saw his chance ant
q put his foot upon It,
"Ram Nath 4" ha aaLed 1ent1v "hav1
r you no other Rrms?"
Il were fool had not" The mai
did not deign to glance round. "H'
hath need of weapons who doth tra1
t fic with the Chosen of the Voice
d sahib."
t (TO BE CONTINUED)
g By-Product From emelter Acid.
v 1t is announced by the geological
e | survey that the discovery of phosphate