Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-20

III iIlt fl'HullSH.
May God be with thee !" said Lord
Of the Rivers" M once. And without
another word he laid down his rifle
and Went to help off-load the mules.
King stepped aside and cursed soft.
~. But for II vein Of wisdom that un.
derlay his pride he would have peck.
eted the bracelet there and then and
have refused to wear it again. But as
he Sweated his pride he overheard Is
mail growl:
Good for thee! Tie had taught thee
obedience in another bat of the eye!"
81 obey herr muttered Dnrya Khan.
81, too" said lsmail. $50 shall he
before the week dies. But now IL IL
good to obey him. He is an ugly man
10 disobey.'
Il obey him until she sets me free
then" gruinbled Darya Khan.
Better for thee!" said Ismail.
The packs Were laid on the ground
and the mules shook themselves. while
the .ackals that haunt the Khyber
came closer, to sit in ring and
watch. King dug Il nashlight out of
one Of the packs. gave it to Isimal 10
hold, sac on the other pack ana l,egan
to write on n memorandum pad. 1t
was II minute before he cOuld persuade
lsnall that the tlashlighi was harm.
less. and another minute before he
could get him to hold it still. Then,
however, he wrote swiftly.
In the Khyher, a mile below YOU
Dear OLD Mur-l would bike to run IN
AMI see you, but circumstances doat
permit Several people sent your their
regards by me. Herewith go two mules
and their packs. Make any Use of the
mules you like, but store the loads where
can draw on them IN case Of need. /
would like to have q talk with you before
taking the rather desperate step ! in
| tend but I don't want to be seen enter
/ ing or leaving All Masjld. Can you come
down the pass without making your In
4 tenton KNOWN? II Is growing misty now.
you where / am and show you the way.
Why not destroy this DECENTRALIZATION.
He folded the note and stuck a post
age stamp on 1t IN lieu Of seal. Then
he examined the packs with the aid Of
the hashlight. sorted them and ordered
two Of the mules reloaded.
"You three" he ordered then. "rake
the loaded mules into All Masiid fort.
Take this chit, you. Give it to the
sahib In command there"
"ro hear Is to obey!' said the near
est man They took the mules leading
reins and before they had gone ten
PAGES We're swallowed in the mist that
had begun to flow southeastward. The
night grew still, except for the whiu-
perlng of jackals.
Islnail came nearer and sQuatted at
Kings feet. Darya Khan came closer
too. King had tied the reins OF the
two horses and the one remaining
mule together in a knot and was sit
! ting on the pack. Solemn, almost
/ motionless, squatted on their hunkers,
they looked like two great vultures
watching an animal die.
They sat in silence for five minutes.
Then suddenly the two hillmen shud-
dered, although King did not bat an
eyelid Din burst into being. A yolley
ripped out of the night and Numbered
down the pass.
'"How-utt! Hukkums darT came
the insolent challenge half a minute
after 1.-THE proof positive that Ali
Masjld's guards neither slept nor were
afraid.
A weird wall answered the chal.
lenge, and there began a tossing to and
fro Of words, that was prelude to a
shouted invitations
"Ud-vance-frrrennen .orsss-werrulV'
English can be as weirdly distorted
as wire. or any other supple medium,
and native levies advance distortion to
the point Of urt: but the language
sounds no less good in the chilly gloom
of n Khyber night.
Followed another wait, this time OF
half an hour Then mans foot.
steps--a booted, leather-heeled man,
strding carelessly. Not far behind him
was the softer noise Of sandals. The
man began to whistle "Annle Laurie"
"Charles? That your" called King.
"That you, old MANI"
A man In khaki stepped into the
moonlight. He was so nearly the i'm
age Of Athelstan King that Ismail and
Darya Khan stood up and stared.
Athelstnn strode TO meet him. Their
walk was the same Angle for angle,
line for line, they might have been one
mnn and his shadow, except FOR three.
quarters Of an Inch Of stature.
"Glad to see you, old man." said
Athelstan.
"Surc. old chap!" said Charles; and
they shook hands.
whats the desperate proposalT
asked the younger.
"Ill tell you when we are alone"
His brother nodded and stood u steT
aside. The three who had taken the
note to the fort came closcr-partly to
call attention to themselves, partly &c
claim credit, partly because the outer
silence frightened them, They elbowcc
; lsmail and Darya Khan, and one Of
them received u savage blow In tn.
| .4a.--- - 1880