The Washington herald., 1915-12-19
TALBOT MUNDY

'Soo VI hiS party
Inc old two-edsed sword wit, its jew
eled baskef-hilt stin hung from an old
sam Brown belt at his hip: and his mood
as ne rode was advertised by the tune
he played for the rocks to echo back
He had his precious baSpipes out. and
over his shoulder the beribboned drones
were monotoning their fierce accompa-
niment to Scots wha Haer'
Halt" rang a sudden order, and Dick
rifle to the challenge. and the music
ceased
Put Your hands up
The soldier spoke in Russian, but Dick
understood him.
Shoot. II you feel that wayr' he said
in English: then he legged his horss
forward. feeling nearly certain that tbs
Russian would not dare.
At the sound Of voices his whole party.
except Lancaster and the baggage train.
came canterinE up. Then a Cossack Of
fcer showed himself in the middle o.
the gap \and said something in a quiet
voice to the man who had CHALLENGED:
for answer. the rifle butt went to the
ground again.
Have a care. Sahib"' whispered Us
beg All. See the smoke of twenty fires
beyond the rise, They be many and we
but ten. for Lancaster sahib is no fight
animals
Are you certain we're in Persia -"
Dick asked
surely. Bahadur.''
Dicks strange eyes blazed. and had the
Russian had the luck to see him once
or twice In a fighting mood as Andry
lad. and Usbeg Ali Khan. ne would have
called up his regiment then and there
and finished the trouble before 1t could
T,tft he do ha
take OF thinking Dick an ordinary man:
and he had his orders. which gave him
very little latitude.
For the love o Scotland. give me a
weapon. somebody said Andry in fierce
undertones. and T.bcg Ali Kahn slipped
h!rl dagger. The rest loosened their
sa6ers in the scsbbards and looked to
their automatic pistols when they judged
the Russians eye was not on them.
Without another word to anybody Dick
rode on and they pressed in cluster after
him.
Halt" cried the Russian officer.
For whom" denaTded Dick. still ad-
vancinG. who are youc''
IT am commandant." he answered. "ot
this regiment OF Cossacks. and a present
I blockade this pass
He answered in English. and spoke
fairy well. although without much flu
ency.
ION whose behalf" asked Dick. ad-
vancinE closer vet.
''On Persia's behalf" said the Cossack
officer
Then show me your authority" said
Dick. still advancing.
Here Is my authority he smiled.
pointing down the gap.
Down two sides OF tho natural Rmrhi-
thrster a regiment stood ny its arms: n
"a ~ off Ia 10
horses grazed at the nd OF picket ropes.
sadd!ed and ready
There is no road this way" sEcored
the officer. doing his hest to pick quar-
rel on the first. directest line that Offered.
We don't allow Eritishers or AfShans Or
robbers OF any kind
Dick had reached a sudden resolution,
and before the Russian plan was changed
his was in action and gaining speed. \
that ten good fighters lack to give them
the advantage over Numbers
''Forwa ard.' he shouted. nnI tho I'D
steel cur q wide swath through the Rus
Sian ranks In the direction least expected
The Russian had expected in another min
Ute I" be shooting down the pass al ever
lcnStheninG range. for II was fair to
guess that Dick would retreat and Try to
Get his party once more mounted. Their
guess proved right. but in ono way only
Dick charged like a sudden uhirlwind fvr
their horses and not his
il was the football field again. the IN
expected dash at an unexpected ance.
by resolutc swift runner. well-bacEcC
UP. and then. again. tn" unexpected
Each had Il horsc-even Andry- had =
horse S"for" the Russians w-e quite
sure what the move meant
Silent. except for drumming hoors.
down a laia a
this tim" the pu-suers dared not fire for
fear of hitting the remaining horses that
were squealing at their picket ropes
The Persians. snipinG from he
tween the boulders. saw burst around
the corner into view a ten-man party
that. like the Duke of wellington
would have been worth as many thou
sands to any side. They roared a well
come to them.
snipers. and horde of savage riflemen
swept down the hillSidcs. yelling.
"Zindab bad Dee-k-Antonee SHAH In
another minute Dick was riding in the
midst Of a surging mob that. mob or
not. was sweeping the Cossacks back
to where they came from: II was no
longer a question OF whether to retreat
or not. The Russians were caught
mapping. outnumbered and intent on
getting away. Within fiv. minutes they
had lost their commanding officer and
fifty men.
At the head Of a rabble that was
fired by such new hope ss to chang"
il into stuff for making armies. Dick
swept back through the ampnithcater
driving the CoSSackS through it at tho
lower end. He reached the narrow
gap himself in hot pursuit in time to
see Il woman Gailop up. riding astTid"
OH a Cossack horse. lie knew hsr in
stantly, and she knew him. She waved
to him. and he did not answer.
lie watched her Sssticulatins. He saw
her rally the rctrcIiinS CosSacks and got
them TO line up again. And then he
saw her send one Cossack forward with
a white flag So he waved a handkor-
chief in answer.
Bon jour, monsieur le bandit" tho
Princess Olga laughed at him. II have
come TO ask you for our Cossack wound
ed. and to offer you your baggage Will
you exchange? 1t seems We have no
prisoners"
send my things and nv mems along
with MIR. Lancaster" said Dick, and
I'll have your wounded carried through
the gap"
She sent the flag bearer gallopins back
for Dicks belongings.
Dick watched the Cossacks lower down
driving his pack horses in little timd
bunch toward him. and then for nearly
4 minute looked at the princess. seeming
almost to scorch her with his calm.
strong eyes. She felt him read her in
ncr secrets, and loved him the more
for It.