The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-15
ETHE MAN WHO 5
WOULD BE KINGS
c0oa43t9o0Qao e0.Nooca4ao8
Continued from Page ~

\SOuIIluCu lIOlu IdS0 (.)
wasn't more than six men, NOT count
ing Dan, Billy Fish and me. that came
down to the bottom of the valley alive.
my own notion Is that Dan began
to 60 mad in his head from that hour.
He stared up and down like 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 shall be a knight of the
queen
"'All right, Dam. says 1, but come
along now while there's time
Its your fault says he. for not
looking after your army better was
too heartsick to care. though it was all
his foolishness that brought the smash
"'1'm sorry. DAM says l. but there's
no accounting for natives. This bust
ness is our F'ifty-seven. Maybe we'll
make something out Of it yet, when
we've got to Bashkai.'
"'Let's get to Bashkai then,' says
Dan, and when come back here
again I'll sweep the valley so there
isn't bug in blanket left
I'VE walked all that day, and all
that night Dan was stumping up and
down on the snow, chewing his beard
and muttering 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 till things was more
settled? I'm dead man. says Billy
Fish. and he throws himself down on
the snow and begins to pray to bis
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
hungrywise as If they wanted to ask
something. but they said never word.
At noon we came to the top of a fat
mountain all covered with snow. and
when we climbed up into it, behold.
there was an army in position waiting
q 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 Englishmen, 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
you could, and now cut for 1t. Carne-
ham, says he. shake hands with me
and go along with Billy. Maybe they
won't kill you. III go and meet 'em
alone. It's me, the king, that did It,"
"'Go! says l. I'm with you here.
Billy Fish, you clear out. and we two
will meet those folk
"T'm chief says Billy Fish. quite
quiet. 4 stay with you. My men
can 60
1.-THE Bashkai fellows didn't wait for
a second word. but ran off. 1t was
cold-awful cold. I've got that cold In
the back of my head now. There's
lump Of it there"
Carnehan was shivering, and | fear
ed that his mind might go. wiped
my face, took fresh grip Of the pite-
ously mangled hands and said. what
happened after that?"
"What was you pleased to sayr'
whined Carnehan. "They took them
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 fred his last cartridge into
the brown Of 'em. There was man
called Billy Fish. good friend Of
US all, and they cut his throat, sir.
then and there, like pig; and the king
kicks up the bloody snow and says:
We've had dashed fine run for our
money. What's coming nextY But
Peachey-Peachey Taliaferro. 1 tell
you, sir, in confidence as betwixt two
friends-he lost his head, sir. No, he
didn't neither. The king lost his head.
80 he did. oil along o. one of those
cunning rope bridges. Kindly let me
have the paper cutter. sir. 1t tilted
this way. They marched him across
that snow to u rope bridge over a ra-
vine with river at the bottom. You
may have seen such. They prodded
him behind like an OK. D. your
eyes! says the king. 'D'you suppose
I can't die like 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 lite command
er in chief Of the emperor's forces
Say you forgive me. Peachey.' 4
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 beggars" 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 I 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 trees9 They
l crucifed 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 miracle that he
wasn't dead. They took him down.
poor old Peachey. that hadn't done
them any harm-that hadn't done