The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-18

other. The man pressed both hands
backward into the yielding cushions.
He Strengthened his arms and sat
upright.
"Guns!" he muttered "Guns!"
He stayed there for moment pull
ing his drink-bemused faculties to.
gether. Guns" he told himp sif,
that means bigger engage emit
guns" He tried to recollect why
guns should be at work here in
Afghanistan. His brain was working
in disjointed manner. Certain
things he remembered, the rest was
wooliness that he could not olsen
tangle.
He recollected dreamily tina. once
he did not know how long ago-he
had predicted trouble. Not for him.
self. because he no longer took an
interest in these things-not worth
it-but trouble for Afghanistan.
He'd had an argument with Fruiz,
the fat sheep owner, or it might
have been one of the women, any
how, he'd said there. would be
trouble. Tho Russians, he recalled
that, had been trying to get in with
the Amir, and Sher Ali was shifty.
He had cold-shouldered the British.
too. Then, oh, yes, he remembered
that, they had killed some one,
police officer. Cavagnari, wasn't it?
He had known Cavagnari little in
the old life, before he got into
trouble down there in India. A very
decent man, Cavagnari.
He remembered distinctly saying
there'd be trouble then. 1t was a
bad business. But, of course, II was
nothing to do with him. He had
given up all those things, stepped
aside years ago. He had gone his
own way. He had chucked the old
life-turned Mohammedan-read the
Koran, bowed to the East and all
that-for what it mattered-aI,d had
lived life he liked. Still, he had
said that the Afghans must expect
trouble.
As he sat there, other disconnected
whiffs Of memory drifted into his
head. Wasn't it one Of the women
who had said the British were up at
Kabul; had smashed Sher All, had
fortified the place, and were now out
and about fighting the tribea? He
remembered there had been fighting.
He had heard 1t in the distance: the
long and secret mutterings Of the
guns. That was the explanation.
The women hadn't told Kim,
naturally Nadia wouldn't let 'em do
that. Nadia was afraid. afraid she'd
lose him, the puss, afraid he'd get ex-
cited; and then the Afghans, always
suspicious because they thought
white man couldn't change his spots
rot that-would kill him.
Still he had heard. He had heard
them chattering. He'd been having
the usual evening and was lying
down. only he hadn't been as far
gone as they supposed--and he'd
heard. He hadn't heard much be.
cause he'd given up all those things,
didn't excite himself about them any
longer, SO he hadn't paid attention.
But he'd heard enough.
The valley was diapered in an ex-
quisite manner by the irrigation ter
races and the orchards and patches
of cultivation that clothed these ter
races. The irrigation nullas ran
through these patches like the out
line Of some richly intricate and IRE
sponsibly involved design. The floor
of the valley was like an enamel
jewel, little blobs and lozenges of
vivid color being contained by the
convoluted outline Of the irrigation
cuts. Toward the end Of the valley
the ground was clearer, naked.
From side to side of this cleared
space moved thic~s and solid line of
advancing men. The ens5 of this
extraordinary line were two miles
apart. The moving mass pust have
contained at least 10000 souls.
The big man drew himself little
nearer to the opening in the tent.
His interest flickercd up. He was
like an Emperor of Rome suddenly
confronted with a spectacle organ
lied to surprise and to please him.
His faded and calloused senses
quickened, even through the atrophy
begot OF indulgence.
AS he looked, pickets, leading
lunches of saddled horses, trotted
into view on the left and right. They
came from under the trees Of an
orchard, and went forward several
hundred yards. They wheeled about
and waited. At their heels there
broke out OF the trees four long