The Irish standard., 1915-05-15

1.-The contrack only lasted till such
time as we was kings, and kings We
have been these months past says ORA
vot, weighing his crown in his hand.
You go get wife, too, Peachey.'
Don't tempt mel says. L will
not have any dealings with woman,
not till We are dam site more settled
than we are now. Let's lie of al
bit and see If we can get some better
tobacco from Afghan country and run
in some good liquor, but no women
"'For the last time of answering 1
WILL said Dravot and he went away
through the pine trees looking like q
big red devil.
But getting wife was not SO easy
as Dan thought. He put it before the
council and there was no answer till
Billy Fish said that he'd better ask
the girls. Dravot id them all round.
What's wrong with me?' he shouts,
standing by the idol Imbra. Am q
dog or am l not enough of man for
your wenchesY He walked out of the
council room, and the others sat still,
looking ut the ground.
"'Billy Fish, says to the chief Of
Bashkai, what's the difficulty here3
A straight answer to true friend
You know says Billy Fish. How
should man tell you who know ev-
erythlng? How can daughters of men
marry gods or devils? It's not proper
"a sod can do anything says 1. If
the king is fond of a girl he'll not let
her die She'll have to- said Billy
Fish. There are all sorts Of gods and
devils in these mountains, and now
and again Il girl marries one of them
and isn't seen any more. Besides. you
two know the mark cut in the stone
Only the gods know that. We thought
you We're men till you showed the sign
of the master
Il wished then that we had explain
ed about the loss of the genuine Sc
crets of master Mason ut the first
so of, but l said nothing All that
night there was n blowing of horns in
u little dark temple halfway down the
hill. and heard II girl crying tit to die
One Of the priests told us that she was
being prepared to marry the king. The
girls a little bit afraid says the priest
She thinks she's going to die. and they
are a-heartening Of her up down in tho
temple
"'Hearten her very tender. Them
says Dravot, 'or III hearten you with
the butt Of gun so that you'll never
want to be hcnrtencd again
Il got up very early In the morning
while Dravot was asleep, and saw
the priests talking together in whIs-
pers and the chiefs talking together,
too. and they looked Mt me out of the
corners Of their eyes.
"'Whut is up, Fish?' l says to the
Bashkai man. who was wrapped up in
bis furs and looking splendid to behold.
81 can't rightly say says he, but IL
you can induce the king to drop all this
nonsense about marriage you'll be do
Ing him and me and yourself great
SERVICE
""That do believe says l. But
sure, you know. Billy. rs well rs me,
having fought against and for us. that
the king and me are nothing more
than two Of the finest men that God
Almighty ever made. Nothing more.
! do assure YOU
""rhnt may be- snys Billy Fish. and
yet should be sorry If 1t was He
sinks Ills head upon his great fur cloak
for minute and thinks King says
he. be you man or god or devil. I'll
stick by you today. have twenty Of
my men with me. and they will follow
me. Well 30 to 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 thax
Punch.
"'For the last time. drop it. Dam
says In Il whisper. billy Fish here
Mys there will he II row.
"a row among my pcople! says
Dravot. Not much. Pcachcy. you're
Il fool not to get wife too. Where's
the girl? says he with Il voice as loud
MS the braying of II iackass. Call up
all the chiefs and priests and let the
emperor see If his wife suits him.
'"Tlerc was no need TO call any one.
They were all there leaning on their
guns and spears round the clearing in
the center Of the pine wood. A depu-
tntion 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 n 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 4
stripping wench she was, covered with
silver and turquoiscs. 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, Iass7
Come and kiss me- He puts his arm
round her. She shuts her eyes, gives
a bit Of squeak, and down goes her
face in the side of Dams flaming red
beard.
1.-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 0f hic