The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1917-10-19

the mistake of trusting him any better
for his easy manners, and his eyes
sought swiftly for some unrhythmic
unplanned thing on which to rest, that
he might save himself by sort of
mental leverage.
Glancing along the wall that faced
the big window, he noticed for the first
time huge Afridi, who sat on stool
and leaned back against the silken
hanginas with arms folded.
"WhO is that man?" he asked.
"He? Oh, he is a savage-just q
big savage" said Rewa Gunga, looking
vaguely annoyed.
"Why is he here?"
He did not dare let go Of this chance
side issue. He knew that Rewa Gun
ga wished him to talk of Yasmini and
to ask questions about her, and that if
he succumbed to that temptation all
his self-control would be cunningly
sapped away from him until his Sc
crets, and his very senses, belonged to
some one else.
"What is he doing here?" he insisted.
"He? Oh, he does nothing. He waits"
purred the Rangar. ''Tie is to be your
body-servant on your journey to the
North. He is nothing-nobody at all (!
except that he is TO be trusted ut
terly because he loves Yasmini. He is
obedience! A big Obedient fool! Let
| him bel"
"No," said King. IF he's to be my
man I'll speak TO him !"
He felt himself winning. Already
| the spell of the room was lifting, and
he no longer felt the cloud of sandal
wood like a veil across his brain.
"Won't you tell him to come here TO
me?"
Rewa Gunga laughed, resting his silk
turban against the wall hangings and
clasping both hands about his knee. 1t
was as man might laugh who has
been touched in bout with foils.
"Oh !-Ismail :" he called, with a
voice like bell, that made King stare.
The Afridi seemed TO come out of
deep sleep and looked bewildered rub
bing his eyes and feeling whether his
turban was on straight He combed
his beard with nervous fingers as he
gazed about him and caught Rewa
Gunga's eye. Then he sprang to his
feet.
Gomez" ordered Rewa Gunga.
The man obeyed.
Did you see?' Rewa Gunga
chuckled. "He rose from his place like
a buffalo, rump first and then shoulder
after shOulderI Such men are safe!
Such men have no guile beyond what
will help them to obey! Such men
think too slowly to invent deceit for
its own saker'
The Afridi came and lowered above
them, standing with gnarled hands
knotted into clubs.
what is thy manner" King asked
him.
'Ismail !" he doomed.
Thou art to be my servant?"
AYE! So said she. l am her man.
I obey"
when did she say so?" King asked
him blandly. The hillman stroked his
great beard and stood considering the
question. King entered a shrewd sus-
picion that he was not so stupid as he
chose to seem. His eyes were too
hawk-bright to be stupid mans.
Before she went away" he an.
swered at last.
"When did she go away?"
He thought again, then Yesterday"
he said.
"why did you wait before you an.
swered?"
The Afridis eyes furtively sought
Rewa Gunga's and found no aid there
Watching the Rangar less furtively,
but even less obviously, King was
aware that his eyes were nearly closed
as if they were not interested. The
fingers that clasped his knee drummed
on it indifferently, seeing which King
allowed himself to smile.
"Never mind" he told Ismail. "It Is |
no matter, 1t is ever we'll to think |
twice before speaking once, for thus
mistakes die stillbOrn. Only the mon
key-folk thrive on quick answers-is 1t |
not so? Thou art a man of many inches |
of thew and sinew-hey, but thou |
art a man! If the heart within those |
great ribs of thine is true as thine |
arms are strong l shall be fortunate |
to have thee for servant"
"Ayew said the Afridi. "But what |
are words? She has said l am thy |
servant, and to hear her is to obey!"
Then, take me telegram :" said
King.
He began to write at once on half
sheet of paper that he tore from a let
ter he had in his pocket, transposing
into cypher as he went along.
Yasmini has gone North. Is there any
reason at your end why l should not
follow her at once?
He addressed it in plain English to
his friend the general at Peshawur
and handed 1t to Ismail directing him
carefully to a government Office where
the cypher signature would be recog-
nized and the telegram given prece-
dence.
Ismail stalked OFF with IL, striding
like Moses down from Sinai-hook-
nose-hawk-eye-fowing beard-dig-
nifty and all, and King settled down to
guard himself against the next at
<av,Dx IN hlo covoroiuu Salf anc,r,o.a /