The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-10

me Wen go 20 Bashkai until the
storm blows over,
"A little snow had fallen In the
night and everything was white except
the greasy fat clouds that blew down
and down from the north Dravot
came out with his crown on his head.
swinging his arms and stamping his
feet and looking more pleased than
Punch
For the last time. drop it. Dan.
says in a whisper. Billy Fish here
says there viii be a row.
"A row among my peopleF says
Dravot- Not much Peachey, you're
fool not to get a wife too. Where's
the girlT says he with a voice as loud
as the braying of a jackass- Call up
all the chiefs and priests and let the
emperor see IL his wife suits him
There was no need to call any one
They were all there ming on their
guns and spears round the clearing in
the center of the pine wood A depu
tatfon Of priests went down to the lit
tie empire to bring up the girl. and the
horns blew up fit TO wake the dead
Billy Fish saunters round and gets as
close to Daniel as 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
strapping wench she was, covered with
silver and turQuoises. but white as
death and looking back every minute
at the priests
shell do said Dan. looking her
over What's to be afraid OF, lassf
Come and kiss me- He puts his arm
round her. She shuts her eyes, gives
a bit of a squeak, and down goes her
face in the side of Dams flaming red
beard
The girls bitten mer says he
clappfng 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
Bashkaf lot, while the priests bowls in
their lingo, Neither God nor devil. but
a man. 1 WIS all taken aback, for q
priest cut at me in front. and the army
behind began firing into the Bashkai
men
Il tried to give some sort of orders
TO my men-the men O the regular
army-but it was no use. so fred into
the brown Of EN- with an English Mar
TIM and drilled three beggars in a line
The valley was full OF shouting. howl
ing creatures, and every soul was
shrieking. Not God nor a devil. but
only mani The Bashkai troops
stuck to Billy Fish all they were worth.
but their matchlocks wasn't half as
good as the Kabul bFeechioaders, and
four of them dropped
I'VE can't stand says Billy Fish
Make a run for it 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 4
down TO the bottom OF the valley alive ]
My own notion Is that Dan began
to go mad in his head from that hour
He stared up and down like a stuck
pig Then he was all for walking back
alone and killing the priests with his
bare hands, which he could have done
An emperor am l. says Daniel, and
next year I shall be a knight of the
queen
-'An right. DAM says 1, but come
along now while there's time
It's your fault says he. for not
looking after your army better 1 was
too heartsick to care. though it was all
his foolishness that brought the smash
I'm sorry. Dam says I. but there's
no accounting for natives This bust
ness is our Fffty-seven- Maybe We'll
make something out of 1t yet, wher
we've got to BashkaL'
Let's get to Bashkai them says
Dan, and when l come back here
again I'll sweep the valley so there
isn't bug in blanket left
I'VE walked all that day, and ali
that night Dan was stumping up and
down on the snow, chewing his beard
and mattertng to himself
There's no hope o. getting clear
said Billy Fish The priests will have
sent runners to the villages to say that
you are only men Why didn't you
stick on As gods TIL things was more
settled? I'm a dead man. says Billy
Fish. and he throws himself down on
the snow and begins to pray to his
gods
NEXT morning we was In a cruel
bad country-all up and down. No level
ground at all and no food either The
six Bashkai men looked at Billy Fish
hunsrywise as If they wanted to ask
something. but they said never a word
At noon we came to the top of q fat
mountain all covered with snow. and
when we climbed up into Ii. behold.
there was an army I'm 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 Engiishmen, 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