Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-06-30
tcous,nusd From Pave y

emperor zee II his wife suits him
There was no need to Gull any one.
They were all there leaning on their
guns and spears round the clearing in
the center Of the pine wood. A depu.
tation Of priests went down to the lit
tie empire to bring up the girl. and the
horns blew up at to wake the dead.
Billy Fish saunters round and gets as
close to Daniel us he could, and behind
him stood his twenty men with match
locks. not a man of them under six
feet was next to Dravot, and be-
hind me was twenty men Of the regu-
lar army. Up comes the girl. and q
strapping wench she was, covered with
silver and turquoises. but white as
death and looking back every minute
at the priests.
"'She'll do said Dan, looking her
over What's to be afraid Of, lass
Come and kiss me- He puts his arm
round her. She shuts her eyes, gives
a bit Of q squeak, and down goes her
face in the side Of Dams flaming red
beard.
"The girls bitten ,mer says he
clapping his hand to his neck. and
sure enough his hand was red with
blood. Billy Fish and two Of his
matchbox men catches hold Of Dan by
the shoulders and drags him into the
Bashkai lot. while the priests bowls in
their lingo. Neither God nor devil, but
q mani ] was all taken aback. for q
priest cut at me In front, and the army
behind began firing into the Bashkai
men.
II tried to give some sort Of orders
to my men-the men O. the regular
'army-but 1t was no use. so fired into
the brown Of 'em with an English Mar.
tint and drilled three beggars In line.
The valley was full Of shouting, howl.
ing creatures, and every soul was
shrieking, Not a God nor devil. but
only a man. The Bashkai troops
stuck to Billy Fish all they were worth
but their matchlocks wasn't half as
good as the Kabul breechloaders. and
four Of them dropped.
awe can't stand says Billy Fish
Make O run for 1t down the valley.
The whole place Is against u.s. There
wasn't more than six men. not count.
ing Dan. Billy Fish and me. that came
down to the bottom Of the valley alive
my own notion Is that Dan began
to 60 mad in his head from that hour.
He stared up and down like stuck
pig. Then he was all for walking buck
alone and killing the priests with his
bare hands. which he could hive done
An emperor um L. says Daniel. and
next year | shall be knight Of the
queen
"'All right. Dam says l. but come
along now while there's time
"It's your fault says he. for not
looking after your army better was
too heartsick to care. though It was all
his foolishness that brought the smash.
I'm sorry. Dam says l. but there s
no accounting for natives. This bust
ness is our Fifty-seven. Maybe we'll
make something out Of It yet. when
we've got to BashkuL'
Lets get to Bashkai then,' says
Dan, and when come back here
again III sweep the valley SO there
isn't a bug In blanket left
1--WE walked all that day. and all
that night Dan was stumping up ana
down on the snow, chewing his beard
| and muttering to himself.
"'There's no hope o getting clear,
said Billy Fish. The priests will have
sent runners to the villages to SHY that
you are only men. Why didn't you
stick on as gods till things was more
settled? I'm u dead man. says Billy
Fish. and he throws himself down OH
the snow and begins to pray to his
gods.
Next morning we was In cruel
bad country-all up and down. no level
ground at all and no food either. The
six Bashkai men looked ut Billy Fish
hungrywise as II they wanted to ask
something, but they said never word
At noon we came to the top Of fiat
mountain all covered with snow. and
when we climbed up into 1t, behold.
there was an army In position waiting
In the middle!
"The runners have been very quick,
says Billy Fish. with little bit Of
laugh. They are waiting for u.s.
"'We're done for. says Dan. They
are Engllshmen, these people. and It's
my blasted nonsense that has brought
you to this. Get back. Billy Fish. and
take your men away: you've done what
you could, and now cut for It. Carne-
ham, says he. shake hands with me
and 20 along with Billy. Maybe they
won't kill you. I'll go and meet 'em
alone. It's me. the king. that did It"
"Gor says |. I'm with you here.
Billy Fish, you clear out, and we two
will meet those folk
"T'm q chief says Billy Fish. quite
quiet 4 stay with you. My men
can 60
.The Bashkai fellows didn't wait for
a second word. but ran of. It was
cold-awful cold. I've got that cold In
the back of my head now. There's q
lump of 1t there"
Carnehan was shivering. and | fear
ed that his mind might go. | wiped
my face. took fresh grip OF the pite'
ously mangled hands and said. what
happened after thatT'
"What was you pleased to sayY
whined Carnehan. They took them
without any sound Not IL little whis-
per all along the snow. not though the
king knocked down the first man that
set hand on him-not though old
Peachey fred his last cartridge into
the brown of 'em. There was man
called Billy Fish. good friend of
US all. and they cut his throat. sir,
then aud there, like pig; and the king
kicks up the bloody snow and says:
We've had q dashed fine run for our
money. What's coming nextT But
Peachey-Peachey Taliaferro. tell
you, sir, in confidence as betwixt two
friends-he lost his head, sir. No. he
didn't neither The king lost his head.
30 he did, all along o. one Of those
cunning rope bridges. Kindly let me
have the paper cutter. sir. II tilted