Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-13

COR ismail to carry information to her,
supposlng that to be his job. And after
II minute lsmal rolled into shadow
and was gone. King gave him twenty
minutes start, letting his men rest
their legs and exercise their tongues.
Now that he was out of the mullah's
clutches-and he suspected Yasmini
would know of it within an hour or
two. and before dawn in any event
he began TO feel like player in game
of chess who foresees his opponent
mate in so many moves.
If Yasmini were to let the mulah
and his men into the caves and to join
forces with him in there. he would Mt
least have time to hurry back to India
with his eighty men and give warning.
He might have time to call up the khy-
Der jezailchis and blockade the caves
before the hive could swarm. and he
chuckled to think of the hope of that
On the other hand, if there was to
be n battle roWl between Yasmini and
the mullah, he would be there to watch
it and to comfort India with the news.
"Now we will go on again, in order
to be close to Khinian at break of day"
he said. and they all got up and obeyed
him as If his word had been law TO
them for years. OF all Of them he was
the only man in doubt-he who seemed
most confident of all.
They swung along into the darkness
under low-hung stars, trailing behind
Kings horse, with only half dozen of
them Il hundred yards or so ahead rs
an advance guard, and all of them ex-
pccting to see Khnjan loom above each
next valley, for distances and darkness
are deceptive In the "HillsH even to
trained eyes. Suddenly the advance
guerd halted. but dia not shoot And
Us King Caught up with them he saw
they were. talking with someone.
l,,.s Ne had to ride up close before he
recognized the, Orakzai Pathan.
\ "Salanm!" Said the hfellUw with a
kgrin.t II bring one hundred and
|. eievEn!" ~, ), ~
AS lie spoke graveyard shadows rose
out nf4he darkness around and leaned
| on rides.
Il DE We men. al ex-soldlers OF, the
NaJ2" King asked them t''"
: "Aye!' they growled 10 chorus. j
/. 'Who gave you leave to Gomez" King
asked.
"None! He told us of the pardons
and we camel"
7 "Ayev said the Orakzai Pathan,
drawing King aside. "But she gave
me leave to seek them out and tempt
them !"
Sand what does she intend?' King
asked him suddenly.
"She? Ask Allah who put the spirit
in her! How should know
1--WE will march again, my brothers :"
King shouted, and they strcamed along
behind him, now with no advance
guard, but with the Orakzai Pathah
/ striding beside Kings horse, with a
great hand ON the saddle. like the
others. he seemed decided in his mind
that the haki,n ought not to bo allowed
much chance to escape
Just as the dawn was tnting the
/ surrounding peaks with softest rose
/ they topped Il ridge. and Khinian lay
below them across the milewidc bone
dry valley. And while they watched.
and the Khnjan men were beginning
! to murmur (for they needed no last
view Of the place to satisfy any long
ingsD none else than Ismal rose from
rup. He tugged and King backed his
horse until they stood together apart
"She sends this message" said Is
mail. showing his teeth in the most
peculiar grin that surely the Hills
ever witnessed. "Many of her men,
who have never been in the army, are
none the less true to her. and she will
not leave them to the mullah's mercy
They will leave the caves in little
while. and will come up here. They
are to go down into India and be made
prisoners If the srkar will not enlist
them. You are to wait for them here.
as that NJ her messagey' King
asked him.
NAY. That Is none of 1t This is
her message. THOU SHALT KNOW
THIS DAY. THOU ENGLISHMAN
WHETHER OR NOT SHE TRULY
LOVED THEE. THERE SHALL BE
PROOF SUCH AS EVEN THOU
SHALT UNDERESTIMATE
Ismall slipped away and lost himself
among the men, and none of then
seemed to notice that he had beer
away and had come again. 1t was ;
little more than an hour after dawr
and the chilled rocks were beginning tC
grow warmer when the head of n pro
ccsson came out Of Khinjan gate ant
started toward them over the valley
In all more than Ave hundred mer
emerged and about hundred womer
and children. Then:
"Muhammad Amin comes - shouted
voice from crag top.
They snuggled into better hiding
and there was no thought now Of leav