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

without any sound Not 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 nred his last cartridge into
the brown Of 'em- There was a man
called Billy Fish. a good friend of
Us all, and they cut his throat. sir.
then and there. like q pig: and the king
kicks up the bloody snow and says:
We've had a 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
SO he did. all along O. one Of those
cunning rope bridges Kindly let me
have the paper cutter. sir. Il tilted
this way. They marched him across
that snow to a rope bridge over q ra-
vine with river at the bottom You
may have seen such They prodded
him behind like an OK D your
eyesr says the king. 'D'you suppose
I can't die like a gentleman He turns
to Peachey-Peachey that was crying
like child I've brought you to this.
Peachey,' says he. Brought you out
Of your happy life to be killed in KAT
tristan. where you was late command
er in chief Of the enperors forces.
Say you forgive me, Peachey.' ]
do says Peachey. Shake hands,
Peachey,' says he I'm going now
Out he goes. looking neither right nor
left, and when he was plumb In the
middle of those dizzy dancing ropes.
Cut. you beggarsF he shouts. And
they cut. and old Dan fell, turning
round and round and round. 10000
miles, for he took half an hour TO fall
till he struck the water. and could
see his body caught on a rock with the
gold crown close beside
"But do you know what they did to
Peachey between two pine trees7 They
crucihed him. sir. as Peachey's hand
will show. They used wooden pegs
for his hands and his feet; and he
didn't die. He hung there and scream
ed, and they took him down next day
and said It was a miracle that he
wasn't dead They took him down
poor old Peachey, that hadn't done
them any harm-that hadn't done
them any
He rocked to and fro and wept bit
terry. wiping his eyes with the back of
his SCARED hands and moaning like q
child for some ten minutes
They was cruel enough to feed him
up In the temple. because they said he
was more of god than old Daniel that
was a man Then they turned him out
on the snow and told him to go home
and Peachey came home in about a
year, begging along the roads quite
safe, for Daniel Dravet he walked be-
fore and said: Come along, Peachey
It's a big thing we're doing The
mountains they danced at night, and
the mountains they tried to fall on
Peachey's head. but Dan he held up
his hand, and Peachey came along
bent double. He never let go Of Dams
hand. and he never let go of Dams
head They gave it to him as a pres
ent in the temple, to remind him not
to come again. and. though the crown
was pure gold and Peachey was starv-
ing, never would Peachey sell the
same. You knew Right Worshipful
Brother Dravot. Look at him nowr'
He fumbled in the mass of rags
around his bent waist, brought out a
black horsehair bag embroidered with
silver thread and shook therefrom on
to my table the dried. withered head
OF Daniel DravotI The morning sun
that had long been paIing the lamps
struck the red beard and blind, sunken
eyes; struck, too, heavy circIet of
gold studded with raw turquoises. that
Carnehan placed tenderly on the bat
tered temples.
You behold now" said Carnehan
the emperor in his habit as he lived
the king OF Kafristan with his crown
upoa his head Poor old Daniel that
was a monarch oncev'
I shuddered, for, in spite of deface-
ments manifold, recognized the head
OF the man of Marwar Junction
Carnehan rose to go. 1 attempted to
stop him He was not fit to walk
abroad Let me take away the whis-
Ky and give me a little money" he
gasped- IT was a king once I'll go
to the deputy commissioner and ask
60 sit in the poorhouse till get my
health No. thank you. / can't wait
Till you get a carriage for me- I've
urgent private affairs-fn the south"
He shambIed out of the Office and
departed in the direction of the deputy
commissioners house. That day at
noon l had occasion to go down the
binding hot mall, and I saw a crooked
man crawling along the white dust of
the roadside, his hat in his hand.
quavering dolorously after the fashion
Of street singers at home There was
not soul In sight and he was out of
all possible earshot of the houses And
he sang through his nose, turning his
head from right to left
The son Of man goes forth to war,
A golden crown to gain
His blood red banner streams afAr.
Who follows in his trainr