Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-14
CHAPTER III.

Delhi boasts a round half-dozen rail-
way stations all of them designed with
regard to war. 50 that to King there
was nothing. unexpected in the fact
that the train had brought him to an
unexpected station. He plunged into
it's crowd much as man in the mood
might plunge into whirlpool. The
station screamed echoed, reverberated,
hummed. At one minute the whole
building shook to the thunder of
grinnmg regiment an instant later II
clattercd to the wr0ughtsteel ham
mer of thousand hoofs, as led troop
horses danced into formation to invade
the waiting trucks. Soldiers of nearly
every Indian military caste stood about
everywhere. Down the back Of each
platform Tommy Atkins stood in long
straight lines, talking or munching
great sandwiches or smoking.
Threading his way in and out among
the motley swarm with a great black
cheroot between his teeth and sweat
running into his eyes from his helmet
band, Athelstan King strobe at ease
at OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
and almost awfully happy He was
not in the least less happy because
perfectly aware that native was fol-
lowing him at a distance, although he
did wonder how the native had con-
trived to pass within the lines. At the
end of fifteen minutes there was not a
glib staff officer there who could have
deceived him as to the numbers and
destination of the force entraining.
"Kerachi :" he told himself. chewing
the butt of his cigar and keeping well
ahead Of the shadowing native. He
did not have to return salutes because
he did not look for them. Very few
people noticed him at all. although he
was recognized once or twice by for.
/ mer ,0eSsmates. AT his lesure--in his
own way, that was devious and like a
string of mracles-he filtered toward
the telegraph Office. The native who
had followed him all this time drew
/ closer. but he did not let himself be
troubled by that.
He whispered proof of his identity
to the telegraph clerk, who was Royal
engineer, new to that job that morn
ing. and Il sealed telegram was handed
to him at once. Because It was war
time, and the censorship had closed
on India like throttling string. 1t
was not in code. So the Mira Ali. Of
the Fort, Bombay, to whom 1t was
addressed could be expected to read
between the lines.
Cattle intended for slaughter, dispatched
Bombay on Fourteen down. Meet train.
win be inspected en- route, but should be
dealt with carefully on arrival. Cattle
inclined to stampede owing to bad scare
received north of Delhi Take all pre-
cautions and notify Abdul.
SULLIVAN.
"Good!" he chuckled Lets hope
we get Abdul too. wonder who he
is ~
Still unintcrested in the man who
shadowed him. he walked back to the
Office window and wrote two tele-
grams: one to Bombay. ordering the
arrest of Ali Mira Of the Fort, with
an urgent admonition to discover who
his man Abdul might be. and to seize
him as soon as found; the other to the
station In the nor6l, insisting on close
confinement for SULLIVAN.
That being all the urgent business,
he turned leisurely to face his shadow,
and the native met his eyes with the
engaging frankness Of an old friend,
coming forward with outstretched
hand. They did not shake hands but
the man made signal with his fingers
that is known to not more than dozen
men in all the world, and that changed
the situation altogether.
"Walk with me-" said King, and the
man fell into stride. beside him.
He was a Rangar--which Is to say q
Rajput who, or whose ancestors had
turned Mohammednn. Like many Raj
puts he was not big man, but he
looked fit and wiry; his head scarcely
came above the level of Kings chin
although his turban distracted atten
ton from the fact. The tirban was OF
silk and unusually large.
The whitest Of well-kept teeth
cleaning regularly under little black
waxed mustache betrayed no trace o1
betelnut or other nastlness. King wn'
not so sure that the eyes were brown
and he changed his opinion about thell
colcrh dozen times WITHIN the hour
once hc would even have sworn the,
were green.