The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1917-11-16

eighty Jards 5rfore IL began TO curve,
and its dIa was like the voice Of all cre-
alton.
Isnail came and stood by King in
silence, taking his hand. as little child
might. Presently he stopped and
picked up a stone and tossed it over.
"Gone :" he said simply. THAT down
there is Earth's Drink"
And this is the Heart OF the Hills
men boast about?'
Nay 1t is not!" snapped Ismail.
Then, WHERE"
But the one-eyed guide beckoned i'm
patiently, and King led the way after
him. staring as haEim or prisoner or
any man had right to do on first ad-
mission 70 such wonders. Not 10 have
stared would have been TO proclaim
himself an idiot.
They soon began TO pass the mouths
of caves. Some were above the road,
now and then at crazy heights above
il, reached by artificial steps hewn out
of the stone. Others We're below,
reached from the road by means of lad
ders, that trembled and swayed over
the dizzying waterfall. Most of the
caves were inhabited, for armed men
and sullen women came 10 their en-
frances to stare.
Ears grow accustomed to the SOUND
Of water sooner than to almost any
thing. 1t was not long before Kings
ears could catch the patter Of his mems
feet following and the shod clink OF
the mule. He could hear when IsmaA
whispered:
BE brave, little hakim! She loves
fearless mem"
At last the guide halted, in the mid
die Of a short steep slope where the
path was less than six feet wide and
narrow cave mouth gave directly onts
IL.
Be content to rest here!" he said,
pointing.
Thy cave?" asked King.
Nay. Gods / am the caretaker,'
The "Hills" are very pious and po-
lite, between the acts of robbing and
shedding blood.
"Allah, then, reward thee, brother! J"
answered King. "Allah give sight 10
thy blind eye! Allah give thee chill
dren! Allah give thee peace, and 10
all thy house,
The guide salaamed, half-mOckingly,
half-wonderlng at such eloquence,
paused in the passage to point Into
the side caves that debouched to either
hand, turned on his heel and staiked
out Of the cavern. Ii was the last
King ever saw of him.
King turned back ard looked into
the other caves-saw the weary horse
ana mule fed, watcrcd and beddea
down--toOk note Of the running water
that rushed out of rock assure ana
gurgled out of sight down another one
examined the servants cave and saw
that they had been amply provided
with blankets. There was nothing lack
ing that the most cxacting traveller
could have demanded at such dis
tance from civilization. There was
more than the most exacting would
have dared expect.
'Ismail. ~ he shouted, ana jumped ut
the revolver cracklike echo Of his voice.
Ismal came running.
make the men carry the mules
packs into this cave. You and Darya
Khan stay here and help me opea
them. Remember yc are both assist
ants OF Kurram Khan, the hakim"
"rhey will laugh at MS! They win
laugh at us" clucked Ismail but he
hurried to obey. while King wondered
who would laugh.
Within an hour a delegation came
from no less II person than Yasmini
herself. bearing her compliments, and
hot food savory enough to make
brass IDOLS mouth water. by this time
King had his sets OF surgical instru-
ments and drugs and bandages all laid
out on one OF the beds and covered
from view by blanket.
II was only one more proof OF the
British army's everlasting luck that
| one of the men, who set the great brass
| dish OF food on the floor near King,
hnd u swollen cheek. and that he
should touch the swelling clumsily as