New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-12-21

1t was midday when at last the
stood on bottom and Swayed like me
III u dream lingering their bruises AN
e scarcely able for the heat haze to Sc
g III" tangled mass of stone towers an
5 mlli-ahd-Stone walls that faced then
II mile away. They were nearly acros
the valley, hunting for shadow wher
l. holt was to be found, when Il shotte
salute brought them up outstanding i
r ii cluster. Six or eight nickel-coate
bullets Spatterrl on the rocks close b,
ANA one so narrowly missed King tina
he could feel its wind.
Up went all their hands together
ana they held them so until they ached
Nothing whatever happened. Thei
arms ceased aching and grew numb.
They advanced another two hundred
yards II another yolley ratified anon,
the rocks on either hand, frightenin,
one of the mules 50 that it stumbled
ana fell and had to be helped up again
When that was done, and the mule
stood trembling, they all faced the
wall. But they were too weary to hole
their hands up any more. Thirst had
begun to exercise its sway. One of
the men was half d%elirious.
"Who are yc?" howled Il human be.
ing, whose voice was so like Il VOLTS
that the words at first had no meaning,
He peercd over the parapet, a hundred
feet above, with his head so swathed
in dirty linen that he looked like a
bandased corpse.
"What will ye? Who comes unin-
vitcd into Khinjan?"
King bethOught him of Yasimini's
talisman. He held it up, and the gold
band glintcd in the sun. Yet, although
il llillmnn'S eyes are keener than an
eagles, he did not believe the thing
could be recognized at that angle, and
from that distance. Another thought
suggested itself to him. He turned his
head and caught Ismail In the act of
signaling with both hands.
"ie may come !" hOwled the watch.
man on the parapet, disappearing in
Stantly.
King neutrality-suspicious. as a race
horse tremblCs at the starting gate.
though he was weary enough to trem-
bic from fatigue. But that passed. He
was all In hand when he led his men
up over a rough stone causeway to a
door in the bottom of II high battle
mented wall and waited for somebody |
to open u.
The great teak door looked as if It
had been stolen from some Hindu tenn
pie, and he wondered how AMI when
they could have brought it there across
those savage Intervening miles. High
above the door vas n ledge of rock
crossed like a bridge from wall to
wall, with a parapet of stone built
upon it, pierced for rife-fire.
As they approached Il Hangar tur-
'an, not unlike Kings own, appeared
the parapet on the ledge and Il
he recognized hailed him good
lumoredly.
"Salaam aleikoum, ~
And upon thee be peace" King an
wered in the Pashtu tongue, for the
Hills are polite, whatever the other
principles.
lteWa Gunga's face beamed down on i
I'M wreathed in smiles hat seemed to |
lcilde mockery as well as triumph.
looking up at HIM at an angle that {
his neck ahhe and dazzIed his S
yes. King could not be sure, but 1t v
'eined to him that the smile said. il
Here you are, my man, and aren't you
Tor lt!' He more than half S,ls- n
hcted he was intended to understand f
iat. But the Rangar's conversation r
another line. i,
by %jove" he chuckled. "She ex- II
'cted YOU. She guessed you are a a
who can hunt well on a dry "
'ent, and she dared bet you will come
spite of all odds, But she didn't n
You in Hangar dress. No, by
We! You jolly well will take the O,
out of her sails!" +,
King made no answer. For one thing. q,
g word hound" even in English, is D.
It essentially a compliment. But he b,
q a better reason than that. n,
DID you find the way easily?" the h,
'"h ming hcDt SlIcUce. IN
is he parched? Have they cut his OF
lgue out on the road?"
question was in Pashtu. direct Il,
at lsmail and the others, but King III
it. o..
oh, as for that" he said, salaaming
ain in the fastidious ANN of a na- wi
e gentleman, II know no other ri,
than Pashtu and my own Ra- hi,
THANH. My name is Kurram Khan. fo,
admittance." ~
held up his wrist to show the no
d bracelet, and high over his head wi
Hangar laughed like a bell. no
Shabash! !" he laughed. "Well donei so.
ter. kurram Khan, and be welcome. an,
u and thy men. Be welcome in her las
!.
omebody pulled a rope and the asl
r yawned wide, giving on a kind of Ian
rtyard whose high walls allowed no .
v of anything but not blue sky. sw,
'ough a gap under an arch in a far on