The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-02


next six months. because
Dravot did lot couldn't
- see the hang Of. and he learn
ed their lingo in way ] never could.
They were afraid of me and the
army, but they loved Dan. He was
the best of friends with the priests
and the chiefs, but any one could come
across the bills with complaint. and
Dravot would hear him ont fair and
call four priests together and say what
was to be done. They sent me
with forty men and twenty rifles. and
sixty men carrying tnrquoises. into
the Ghorband country to buy those
handmade Martini rifles that come out
of the ameer's workshops at Kakul,
from one of the ameer's Herati regi
ments that would have sold the very
teeth out Of their mouths for t1r-
quoises. We got more than 100 hand
made Martins, 100 good Kohat jezails
that'll throw to GOO yards, and 40 man
loads of very bad ammunition for the
rifles.
"DravOt was too busy to attend to
those things. but the old army that
we first made helped me, and we turn
ed out 500 men that could drill and 200
that knew how to hold arms pretty
straight. Even those cOrkscrewed. hand
made guns was miracle to them. Dra-
4 vot talked big about powder shops and
70 nd in
pine wood when the winter was COM
ing on.
81 won't make nation. says he.
TIL make an empire! These men aren't
niggers; they're English! Look at their
eyes, look at their mouths. Look at the
way they stand up. They sit on chairs
in their own houses. There must be
a fair 100000 Of 'em in these hills.
The villages are full o. little children.
Two million people-25O.OOO fighting
men-and all English! When everything
is shipshape III hand over the crown
this crown I'm wearing now-to Queen
Victoria on my knees. and she'll say.
Rise up, Sir Daniel Dravot.' Oh, it's
big! It's big. tell you! But there's so
much to be done in every place-Bash-
kai, Khawak. Shu and everywhere
else. It's big country, and somehow
you can't help me. Peachey. in the way
/ want to be helped
SEQ to your blasted priests then: !
said. and ! was sorry when ] made
that remark. but it did hurt me sore to
find Daniel talking so superior when
I'd drilled all the men and done all he
told me.
.'Don't let's quarrel. Peachey,' says
Daniel without cursing. You're king.
too. and the half Of this kingdom is
yours. but can't you see, Peachey. we
want cleverer men than us now-three
or four Of 'em, that we can scatter
about for our deputies. There's anoth-
er thing. too. The winters coming
and these people won't be giving much
trouble and if they do we can't move
about. l want wife
"'For Cords sake leave the women
aloner says. We've both got all the
work we can do. though am a fool.
Remember the contrack and keep clear
o. women
% The contrack only lasted till such
time as we was kings. and kings we
have been these months past says ORA
vot, weighing his crown in his hand.
you go get wife, too, Peachey.'
Don't tempt mev says. Il will
not have any dealings with woman.
not till we are dam site more settled
than we are now. Let's lie of a
bit and see If we can get some better
tobacco from Afghan country and run
In some good liquor. but no women
"'For the last time Of answering !
WILL said Dravot, and he went away
through the pine trees looking like
big red devil.
but getting a wife was not so easy
as Dan thought. He put 1t before the
council and there was no answer till
Billy Fish said that he'd better ask
the girls. Dravot id them all round.
What's wrong with me?' he shouts,
standing by the idol Imbra. Am ! a
dog or am not enough of man for
your wenchesy He walked out of the
council room, and the others sat still.
looking at the ground.
Billy Fish,, says l to the chief of
Bashkai, what's the difficulty here?
"a straight answer to a true friend.
you know says Billy Fish. How
should man tell you who know ev-
serything? How can daughters Of men
marry gods or devils? It's not proper.
/ ss# y I. rod can do anything, sayssI. II
s1he king = fond Of girl he'll not let
4 1l,s hayo ~ sat1 Billy
( TIL ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = Is gods 81
4 Ss & y 81 ~ snf