Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-12-01
fender would scurry into bounds AMID
the teers cf any who had seen.

/
drew King down into the cramped
space beside him, close enough to the
arena to be able to catch the guards
low laughter. But he was restless. He
wished to get nearer yet, only there
seemed no room anywhere in front.
Then guard threw his shield down
| with clang and deliberately fired his
rifle at the roof. The ricochetting bull
let brought down a shower of spllnt-
cred stone and stalactite, and he
grinned as he watched the crowd dodg.7
to avoid 1t.
Instantly hundred men rose from
| different directions and raced for the
| arena, each with curved sword In
| either hand. The yelling changed back
into the chant. only louder than before,
and by that much more terrible. Gym
balls crashed. The music box resumed
It's measured grinding of the "Marseil-
| laise." and the hundred began an
Afridi sword dance, than which there
is nothing wilder in all the world Its
| like can only be seen under the shadow
of the Hills
| Ismail seemed obsessed by the spirit
of hades let loose-drawn by it, as by a
magnet, although subsequent events
| proved him not to have been altogether
| without plan. He got up, with his
| eyes fixed on the dance, and thrust
! himself and King next to some Orak-
zai Pathans. elbowing savagely to right
| and left to make room. And patience
! proved scarce. The nearest man
reached for the ever-ready Pathan
knife but paused In the instant that
his knife licked clear. From a swift
side glance at Kings face he changed
to Iull stare, his Scowl slowly CIV
| ing place TO a grin as he recognized
him.
"Allahw He drove the long blade
back again.
"Well met haklm! See-the wound
heals finelyY
Barring his shoulder under the smelly
sheepslIin coat, he lifted n bandage
gingerly to show the clean opening out
of which King had coaxed bullet the
day before. 1t looked wholesome and
ready to heal.
Name thy reward, haklml We
Orakzai Pathans forget no favors !"
(Now that boast was true one.)
King nodded more to himself than to
the other man. He needed, for in
stance, very much to know who was
planning a jihad, and who "Bull-with-
aboard" might be; but it was not safe
to contide just yet in chance-made ac-
quaintance. A very fair acquaintance
with some phases of the East had
taught him that names such as Bull
with-a-beard are often almost photo
graphically descriptive. He rose TO his
feet to look. A blind man can talk. but
1t takes trained eyes to gather Informal
ton.
The din had increased, and Ii was
safe to stand up and stare because all
eyes We're on the madness in the mid
die. There were plenty besides him
self who stood TO get better view,
and he had 10 dodge from side to side
to see between them.
"pm not to doctor his men. There
fore it's a fair guess that he and are
TO be kept apart. Therefore he'll he as
far away from me now as possible,
supposing he's here"
Reasoning along that line, he tried
to see the faces on the far side, but the
problem was to see over the dancers
heads. He succeeded presently, for
the Or0kZai Pathan saw what he want
ed and in his anxiety to be agreeable,
reached forward to pun back n box
from between the ranks in front. Its
owners offered instant fight, but made
no further objection when they saw
who wanted il and why. King Won
dered at their sudden change of mind
He found Il man soon who was not
interested in the dancing, but who had
eyes and ears apparently for every
thing and everybody else. He watched
him for ten minutes, until at last their
eyes met. Then he sat down and
kicked the box back to it's owners. lie
| touched the Pathans broad shoulder.
The man smiled and bent his turbaned
head to listen.
opposite" said King, nearly ex-
actly Opposite-three rows from the
front counting the front row as one
there sits "a man with a black beard.
whose shoulders are like a bulls. AS
he sits he hangs his head between
| them. Look See Tell me truly
what his name Is -
The Pathan got up and strobe for
ward to stand on the box Kicking aside
the elbows that leaned on It and laugh
/ ing hen the owners cursed him. He
stood on 1t and stared for five minutes.
counting deliberately three times over,
striking finger on the palm Of his
/ hand to check himself
-with-a-bcardt !" he announced
1T last, dropping back into place beside
/ King. "Muhammad Amin. The mullah
Muhammad Amin.
/ "An AiGhanf" King asked.
''He says he is an Afghan. But IN
! less he ties he is from Ishtamboul
/ (Constantinoplc)."
Itching to ask more questions King
the &akip Kurram Khan-bllnked
mildly behind his spectacIes and looked
/ Ike one to whom a savage might safe
{ L.