Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-12-29

AilIIS' / am minded to go back and
seek that pardon 1t would feel good
to stand in the ranks again, with a
stitf-3acked sahib out in front of me.
and the thunder of the gun-wheels GO
ing by. The salt was goodl Come
thou with me %
The pardon is for deserters," King
objected, mot for political offenders"
"Haugh!" said the Puthan. bringing
down us fiat hand hard on the hakims
thigh. - will attend TO that for thee.
| will obtain my pardon first. Then
Will l lead thee by the hand to the
karnal sahib and lie to him and say.
This Is the one who persuaded me
against my will to come back to the
regiment"
Thou art a dreameri" said King.
Unite my hands; the thong cuts me-"
The Pathon obeyed.
Dreamer. am /? 1t is good to dream
such dreams. BY Allah, I've a mind
to see that dream come true! / never
slew a man on Indian soil, only in
these Hills l will go to them and
say, Here ami l am a deserter.
seek that pardonr Truly l will go!
Come thou with me. little hakimy'
Nay" said King. II have another
thought. You who were seen to Stay
a man, and l who am political offend
er, do not win pardOns so easily as
that. They would hang US unless we
came bearing gifts"
Gifts? Has Allah touched thee?
What gifts should We bring? A dozen
stolen rifles? A bag of silver? And
am the dreamer, am ~"
may" said King. u am the dream
er. There are others in these Hills
others in Khinjan who wear British
medals?"
The Pathan nodded. Hundreds.
Men fight first on one side, then on the
other, being true to either side while
the contract lasts. In all there must be
the makiugs of many regiments among
the Hills"
King nodded. He himself had seen
the chieftains come to parley after the
Tirah war Most of them had worn
British medals and had worn them
proudly.
IF we two" he said, speaking slow
~, could speak with some of those
men and stir the spirit in them and
persuade them to feel as thou dost.
mentioning the pardon for deserters
ond the probability of bonuses to the
t1me-eXpired for re-enIistment; If we
could march down the Khyber with a
hundred such, or even with fifty or
with twenty-five or with dozen men
we would receive our pardon for the
sake of service rendered"
Good"
The Pathan thumped him on the
back so hard that his eyes wntered.
awe would have TO use much eau
ton" King advised him, when he was
able to speak again
'Ayel If Bull-with-a-beard got wind
Of it he would have us crucihed. And
If she heard Of it"
He was silent Apparently there
were no words in his tongue that could
compass his dread Of her revenge. He
vas silent for ten minutes, and King
SIT still beside him, letting memory
Of other days do its work--me,nory Of
the iong clean rcgimcntal lines, and Of
order and decency and OF justice hand
ed oIt to all and sundry by gentlemen
who did not think themselves too good
to wear native regiments uniform.
an Two days / could do the drill
again rs well as ever" ne said at last.
Then there was silence again for If
teen minutes more. Il could always
shoot" lac murmured; Il could always
shoot"
When Muhammad Amin came back
they had both forgotten to replace the
lashing on Kings wrists, but the null
lah seemed not to notice it.
Come" he ordered, with a sldewise
jerk of his great ugly head, and then
stood muttering impatiently while they
obeyed.
They marched downward through
ntcrminable tunnels and along lodges
poised between earth and heaven, UNI
I'll they came q. last to the tunnel lead
ing TO the one entrance into Khinian
caves. Just before they entered 1t two
more of the mullah's men came ND
with them leading horses. One horse
was for the mullah. aud they helped
King mount the other, showing him
more respect than is usually shown Il
prisoner in the "Hills."
Then the muIlah led the way into the
tunnel. and be seemed in deadly fear.
The echo of The hoof-beate irrifated
him. file eyed each hole in the roof as
IL T5smiui might be expected 10 shoot
down 81 MIN or dreuch him with boll
ing oil ana hurried PAS each OF them
mt trot, only TO draw rein Immediate
ly afterward because the noise was too
great.
1t became evident that his men had
been ot work here too for at Intervals
along the passage lay dead bodies Vas
mini must have posted the mcn there.
buJ whore was She? Zach Of Them law
dead with knife wound tn bis back. |
and the mullah's men possessed them-
selves of rifles and knives and car
+,f1 ..,e vt.irEra ~ blood f7..t t.f