The Washington herald., 1915-12-19
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the only landing place two men
fought savagely. with tearing fingers
hot kissing. face to face.
From out of the mist to seaward came
the unexpected. deadened thump Of oars,
but the two fought on.
A sail developed out of the immeasur-
able haze. It swayed and grew nearer.
silent, slack draped. shadowy.
a rudder surgled as an angle changed.
But the two on shore lay locked in
their hate hold-deaf. dumb-oblivious.e .ex-
cept to blood lust.
The creaking of the weary oars. began
again. and u heavy-beamed unpainted
native craft crept. shoreward. head on.
to the slow flap of an untitled sail.
4 giant leaped from the bows. face
forward. ready for happenings. He
caught the hellish fasp of breath. fought
for between clenched fingers. and leaned
forward with one hand to his ear.
They'll be fechtin'. Mr.. Dicky. close
at ham,"
Make fast then and wait for me-"
The giant dragged the anchor over
board. and plunged it into clay with one
sweep of his tremendous arms. The
action was instant. but he had not
finished before another man stood be-
side him, who surely seemed lord Of
all he looked at; stood and looked as
Viking never did-for the Vikings were
slaves to superstition. and this man,
Dick Anthony, was free. He had
strange old claymore hung to his side.
Dick stopped, and stopped to look
closer into a patch of trampled grass.
Andry MacDougal crouched behind him
like a well-trained hound in leash. Dick
seized a human leg and tusGed at 1t;
but there was no response.
Andry moved and chose another leg
from out the tanGle. He pulled as II
he were helping to get an anchor up
and the instant they were wrenched
apart each turned on his rescuer: and
numb, dumb. breathless-they had spite
enough remaining TO be dangerous. Dick
had to kneel on his man and squeeze
the fight out of him.
Andry carried his half-throttled savage
TO the waters edge and ducked him un-
til he was too weak to demonstrate; then
he laid him on the grass.
See yon"' he grinned. pointing.
Dick followed the direction of his fin
ger. stopped where the grass had been
trampled by the fighting. and picked up
a little leather bag.
At the same instant, at the sight Of
the same small bag in Dicks hands. the
men who had fought TO a stalemate re-
covered breath, will. reason. or at least
instinct. Instinctively Dick and Andy
glanced. each to make sure that the other
was alert. They glanced back, and there
was nothing where the two had been;
they had vanished like frightened ami
mails.
Did the bag have a deal O. silver in
it," wondered Andry.
Cold" said Dick.
From the boat tl,at had borne them
out of uneNpectedness the rowers and
their chief-eight men in turbans-were
pitching their belongings to the shore in
hurried silence.
DO you happen to recognize this place,
leg Ali Khan" Dick asked
Nay. sahib! But recognize dry land
and know that Allah made it,
Would you care to sail farther, and
try for a better landing"
God forbid. sahib:' The Afghan step
ped ashore. and bowed his stateliest.
Didn't like it. eh?'
May devils rot the boat and Russians
ride in it,: swo-c Usbeg Ali Khan.
Russian gunboats are securing the
Caspian now for a sight of it," said Dick. !
Andry pricked up his ears; Usbes Ali
Khan stroked his black beard. and his
seven waited silently in line. as became |
the henchmen of a warrior.
Burn the boat. Andry," ordered Dick. |
A moment later smoke came from the |
half-decked-over afterpart Two minutes |
more, and a tongue of flame licked up. |
They watched until a Caspian ripple lap
ped over the sizzling bulwarks like the |
lip of Nemesis and there was nothing |
left but embers staining the smooth sea. |
Dick turned to see eight Afghans with |
word from Csbeg Khan they drew. Eight |
blades shot upward. shimmering in the |
morning sun. Eight pairs of level, Asiatic /
eyes looked into Dicks.
And so, in the cool of a Trans-Caspian n |
morning, the last OF the Anthonys took |
his first stecl-tipped salute. and answered /
it. The claymores jcweled hilt went to
his own lips, and he knew then that !
he and these eight men stood pledged Gin
the bond unbreakable-thc soldiers.
1t was Andry who broke the spell.
What's yon?" he asked. pointing.
"A horse" said Dick. "A horse graz
ing
Eight of the ten had been war taught
in the trick of looking quickly: Andry
had learned In the army and at sea: yet
Dick was quickest Centering from a
horse that grazed with an empty saddle
on his back. all eyes searched out the
plain in widening rings. In a moment
Dick was off. running head forward. with
drawn sword, and the others-not yet
why they ran-were streaming
after him. Andry last.
Then they all saw what Dick had seen
at once. and yelled in chorus.
But no yells ever scared a pricked pig
from his quarry. Gray. red-eyed, foam
ing at the mouth. squealing and grunt-
ing with Indignation, the sreat-sreat-
of all the boars was suuan-
dering the minutes. trying to turn a man
over and so gore his stomach The boar
bled where a lance had touched him, the
man where the four-inch tushes had
ripped through his clothing in n dozen
places 10 the skin. But the man still
lived, and still had wit. and strength