Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-16

Nothing whatever happened. Their
arms ceased aching and grew numb.
They advanced another two hundred
yards and another vOlley ratified among
the rocks on either hand, frightening
one of the mules so that it stumbled
and fell and had to be helped up again.
When that was done, and the mule
stood trembling, they all faced the
wall. But they were too weary to hold
their hands up any more. Thirst had
begun to exercise its sway. One of
the men was half delirious.
"Who are ye?" howled a human be-
ing, whose voice was so like q VOLTS
that the words at first had no meaning
He peered over the parapet, hundred
feet above, with his head so swathed
in dirty linen that he looked like a
bandaged corpse.
"What will ye? Who comes unin-
vited into Khinjan?"
King bethought him OF Yasimini's
talisman. He held it up, and the gold
band glinted in the sun. Yet, although
a Hillman's eyes are keener than an
eagles, he did not believe the thing
could be recognized at that angle, and
from that distance. Another thought
suggested itself to him. He turned his
head and caught Ismail in the act of
signaling with both hands.
aye may comet" hOwled the watch
man on the parapet, disappearing in
stantly.
King trembled-perhaps as q race
horse tremblcs at the starting gate,
though he was weary enough to trem-
BILE from fatigue. But that passed. He
was all In hand when he led his men
up over a rough stone causeway to q
door in the bottom of high battle
mented wall and waited for somebody
to open 't.
The great teak door looked as IL 1t
had been stolen from some Hindu tenn
pie. and he wondered how AMI when
they could have brought it there across
those savage intervening miles. High
above the door was q ledge of rock
that crossed like bridge from wall to
wall, with a parapet of stone built
upon it, pierced for riflc-fire.
AS they approached a Rangar tur-
ban, not unlike Kings own, appeared
above the parapet on the ledge and q
voice he recognized hailed him good
humoredly.
"Salaam aleikoum !"
"And upon thee be peace ~ King an
| swered In the Pashtu tongue, for the
"Hills" are polite, whatever the other
principles.
Rewa Gunga's face beamed down on
him, wreathed in smiles that seemed to
include mockery as well as triumph
Looking up at him at an angle that
made his neck ache and dazzled his
eyes, King could not be sure, but II
seemed to him that the smile said
Here you are, my man, and aren't you
in for it?" He more than half sus
pected he was intended to understand
that. But the Rangar's conversation
took another line.
by jovew he chuckled "She ex
| pected you. She guessed you are {
hound who can hunt well on a dr.!
scent, and she dared bet you will com,
in spite of all odds But she didn'
expect You in Rangar dress! No, b!
jove! You jolly well will take tn,
wind out of her sailsv'
King made no answer. For one thing
the word hound" even in English, /
not essentially a compliment. But h
had better reason than that.
did you find the way easily?' tn
Rangar asked; but King kept silence.
"Is he parched? Have they cut hi
tongue out on the roadT'
That question was in Pashtu, direct
ed at Ismail and the others, but Kin
answered 1t.
"Oh, as for that" he said, salaamin
again In the fastidious manner Of a n,
tive gentleman, "T know no othe
tongue than Pashtu and my own Rs
jasthani. My name is Kurram Khan.
ask admittance"
He held up his wrist to show III
gold bracelet, and high ,ver his hea
the Rangar laughed like a bell.
"Shabash !" he laughed "Wen done
, Enter, Kurram Khan, and be welcom
? thou and thy men. Be welcome in he
namew
, Somebody pulled a rope and ii
. door yawned wide, giving on a kind {
: courtyard whose high walls allowed Z
! view of anything but not blue SIX
q Through a gap under an arch in a fl
corner of the courtyard came on
eyed, lean-loOking villain in Afri,
. dress who leaned on a long gun an
sared at them under his hand. Aft,
), a lelsurely consideration of them /
q rubbed his nose slowly with one finge
spat contemptuously, and then use
4 the finger to beckon them, crooking
II queerly and turning on his heel. f
= did not say one word.
= King led the way after him on foo
l. for even in the "Hills" where cruel
!, is virtue, man may be excused,
. economic grounds, for showing mer
N to his beast. His men tugged Il
e weary animals along behind hi
through the gap under the arch al
" along an almost interminable, smel
n maze of alleys whose sides were t
d walls Of square stone towers, or SON
% times of mud-and-stone-w walled CO..
ID pounds, and here and there of she,
a. slab-sided cliff. Like Old Jerusale
IS the place could have contained a ci
re- war of a hundred factions, and ST
ID have opposed stout resistance to
In outside army.
ID Alley gave on to courtyard, and fit
y, square to alley, until unexpectedly
at last seemingly blind passage turn
sharply and opened on a strail
n, street, Of fair width, and more tn