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

of the Dwellings" on the secret army
maps, and it has been burned so often
by Khinjan rioters. as well as by expe
ditiOns out of India, that a man who
goes on a long journey never expects
to lind it the same on his return.
1t was lined on either hand with
motley dwellings, out of which mot
lier crowd of people swarmed to stare
at King and his men. There were Hin
dus-sycOphants, keepers of accounts
and writer's to the chiefs (since lit
eracy is at premium in these parts).
In proof of Khinjan's catholic taste
and indiscriminate villainy, there were
women of nearly every Indian breed
and caste, many of them stolen into
shameful slavery, but some of them
there from choice. And there were lit
tie children-little naked bratS with
round drum tummies, who squeaied
and shrille6 and stared with bold eyes.
: Perhaps n thousand souls came out
to watch, all told. Not an eye of
them all missed the government marks
on Kings trappings, or the govern
ment brand on the mules, and after a
minute or two, when the procession
was halfway down the street, a man
reproved a child who had thrown
stone, and he was backed up by the
others. They classified King correct
ly, exactly as he meant they should. AS
a hakim-a man of medicine-he could
fill long-felt want; but by the brand
on his accoutrementS he walked an
openly avowed rObber, and that made
him a brother in crime. Somebody
cuffed the next child who picked up a
stone.
He knew the street of old, although
it had changed perhaps a dozen times
since he had seen it. 1t was a cTl-de-
sac, and at the end of it, just as on his
| previous visit, there stood a stone
mosque, whose roof leaned back at a
steep angle against the mountainside.
1t was famous mosque in its way,
for the bed sheet of the Prophet is
known to hang in it, preserved against
| the ravages of time and the touch of
infidels by priceless Afghan rugs be-
fore and behind, so that it hangs like
a great thin sandwich before the rear
stone wall. King had seen it.
Toward the mosque the One-eyed ruff
fan led the way, with the long, leisure
ly-seeming gait of a mountaineer. At
the door, in the middle of the end OF
the street, he paused and struck on the
Intel three times with his gun butt.
And that was a strange proceeding, to
say the least, in a land where the
mosque is public resting place for
homeless ones, and all the faithful
have a right to enter.
A mullah, shaven like a mummy for
some unaccOuntable reason-even his
eyebrows and eyelashes had been re,
moved-pushed his bare head through
the door and blinked at them. There
was some whispering and more star
ing, and at last the mullah turned his
back.
The door slammed. The one-eyed
guide grounded his gun-butt on the
stone, and the procession waited
watched by the crowd that had lost its
interest sufficiently to talk and joke.
In two minutes the mullah returned
and threw a mat over the threshold. Il
turned out to be the end of long mar
row strip that he kicked and unrolleC
in front of him all across the floor Of
the mosque. After that 1t was not 81
astonishing that the horses and mule:
were allowed to enter.
(which proves l was right aftel
all" murmured King to himself.
In steel box at Simla is a mem
orandum, made after his former visi
to the place, to the effect that tn,
entrance into Khinjan caves nigh
possibly be inside the mosque. No
body had believed it likely, and he hat
not more than half favored it himself
but it is good, even when the next stel
may lead into a death-trap, to Sc
ones first opinions confirmed.
He nodded to himself as the QUITE
door slammed shut behind them, fo
that was another most unusual circum
stance.
A faint light shone through slitlik
) windows, changing darkness int
, gloom, and little more than vaguel
, limiting at the Prophets bed sheet Blu
for d section of white wall to eithe
side of it. the relic might have SCENE
, part of the shadows. The mullah stoo
, with his back to it and beckoned Kin
nearer. He approached until he coul
see the pattern on the covering rug
and the pink rims round the mullah'
q lashless eyes.
"What is thy desire?" the muIla
: asked-as q wolf might ask what
p lamb wants.
Audience with her" King al
r swered, and showed the gold bracelt
l.. on his wrist.
r The red eye-rims of the mulla
+ blinked time or two. and though /
7 did not salute the bracelet aS Other
had invariably done, his Tanner III
g derwent a perceptible change.
d THAT is proof that she knows the
What is thy name?"
4 "Kurram Khan, hakim."
. 1--WE need thee in Khinjan cave.
r But none enter who have not earne
right to enter! There is but one Ike
@ Name it tr'
# King drew in his breath. He hs
o hoped Yasmini's talisman would pro,
'. 70 be key enough. The nails of h
II left hand nearly pierced the palm, b
= he smiled pleasantly.
II "He who would enter must slay
d man before witnesses in the teeth
n written law!" he said.
Ie "And thou"
r, ~ slew an Englishman :" The boa
d made his blood run cold, but his e
1t preston was one of sinful pride.
lie Whom? When? Where?"
"Athelstan King-a British arrfic
It, sent on his way to these Hills
ty spy"
IN 1t was like having spells cast
" himself to order!
ne where is his body?"
N, ASK the vultures! Ask the kites
I'd And thy witnessesP"
ly Hoping against hope, King turn
he and waved his hand. AS he did