Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-13

your hands and hers, ,itt out Of my
way now, unit! tlffin-tlmew
In way that some men never learn,
King proceeded 10 cfface himself en-
tirely among the crowd in the hall,
contrlvlng tn say nothing of any ac.
count to anybody until the great gong
doomed AMI the general led them all
In to his, long dining table. Yet he
did not look furtiye or secretivp. No.
body noticed him, and he noticed ev.
erybody. There is nothing whatever
sccretive about that.
The fare was plain. and the meal a
peffulictory affair. The general and
his guests We're there for no other
reason than To eat food. and only the
man who happened to seat himself
next to kins--a major by the name
of Hyde-spOke to him at all.
why aren't You with your regi.
ment!" he asked
Because the general asked me to
s lunch, >ir.'
Il suppose you've been pcsterine
MN for an appointment :"
King. with his mouth full If curry,
did not answer, hut his eyes smiled.
After lunch liz was closetcd with
the general again for twenty minutes,
Then one of the generals carrln GEES
took him to The station: and IL did not
appear Ia trouble HIM at all that the
other occupant of HE carriage was the
self-snlnc Major Hyde Who had SAT-
next him at lunch. In fact, hc smiled
so pleasantly that Hyde grew exas.
perated. Neither of them spoke, AT
the station Hyde lost his temper open.
~, and King left him abusing IN UNI
happy native servant.
The station was crammed "a suf,'o.
cation by Il crowd that roared and
writhed and snelt to high heaven. But
the general himself had tclephoned for
Kings reservation. so he took his time.
There were din and stink ,ind ,,ust he.
meath savage sun. shaken into re-
verberstions by the scream of an en-
gihe's safety valve. Ii was lndiu IN es.
sence and awake India arising out
of lethargy India as she is more
often nowadays-and it made King
for the time being of the Khyber rifles
1 happier than some other men can be in
| bathrooms.
Any one who watched hin-and
there was ut least one man who did
must have noticed his strange ubil-
ity. almost like that of water, To reach
.hc point he aimed for. through, and
not around. the crowd.
He neither showed nor argued. Or
ders and blows would have been e0ual-
~ useless. for had il tried the crowd
could not have obeyed, and II was in
no mind to try. Without the least an
parent effort he arrived--nnd there "a
no other word that quite describes II
he arrived, He climbed into his cay
rlage and leaned from the window.
"Why are you heret' asked an acid
voice behind him; and without troub-
ling to turn his head, he knew that
Major Hyde was to be his carriage
mate again.
"Orders." said King.
IS lhat your answer?" asked the
major. Baked ambition is an ugly
horse 10 ride. He had tried for IL
command bu, had been shelvcd.
II have sufficient authority" said
King. unrufiied. He spoke as if he were
thinking Of something entirely differ
emit His eyes We're as If they saw the
major from Il very long way off and
rather approved Of him on the whole.
"Show me your authority, please"
King dived into an inner pocket and
produced card that had about ten
words written on its face. above y
generals signature. Hyde read It and
passed it back.
$50 you're one Of those, are you -
he said in Il tone OF voice that would
start a fight in some parts Of the world
and in some services. But King nodded
cheeriully, and that annoyed the major
more than ever he snorted closed his
mouth with n snap and turned to re-
arrange the sheet and pillow on his
berth.