Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-17


were the least Improbable order in all
the world II took him two minutes
To select the pass-key and determine
how II worked, then the doors flew
open one after another In quick sue
cesSlun.
"Coma 0utw he growled. "Come
out Come on" although King had
not ordered that.
King went and stood under the cen
ter light with his left arm barred. The
prisoners emerging like dead men ont
of tOmbs. blinked AT the bright light
saw him-then the bracclet-and sa-
luted.
"May God be with theew growled
each of them.
They stood still then. awaiting fresh
developments. II did not seem to oc-
cur to any one of them as strange that
British officer in khaki uniform
should be sporting Yasmini's talislnnn;
the thing was apparently sufficient cx-
PLANTATION il itself.
aye all krow lhis?" he asked. hold
Ing up his wrist. Whose is this?'
"Hers" The answer was mOnosyl-
Liable and instant FROM all thirty
throats.
King lit a cher00t and made mental
note of the wisdom of referring to her
by pronoun not by name.
"And 1? Who am II" he asked.
"Her messenger Who else? Thou
art he who shall take us to the Hills =
She promised"
II shall start for the Hills at dawn"
King said slowly, and he watched their
eyes CLEAN at the news. No Gagged
tiger is rs wrctched as a prisoned hill.
man. NJ freed bird wings more wildly
for the open No moth comes more
fooishly back to the fame again. II
was easy To take pity on them--prob-
ably not one of whom knew PHYS
meaning.
as there any among you who would
care to conle-?'
"Ah-h-h-h y
"Will We obey ne and him?" he
asked, laying his hand on lsmaifs
shoulder, Is much to let them see the
bracelet again as for any other rea-
son.
"Aye! If we fail, Allah do more to
usl"
King laughed. aye shall leave this
place as my prisoners. Here ye have
no friends. Here We must obey. But
what when We come to your Hills at
last? Can one man hold thirty men
prisoners then? In the Hills will We
still obey meW
The answer to that was unexpected.
Ismail kneIt-SeZed his hand--and
pressed the gold bracelet to his lips!
In turn, every one of them filed by
knelt revercntly and kissed the brace
let
"Saw We ever hillman do that be-
fore?" asked Ismail. "fhey will obey
thee! Have no fear"
"Then come" ordered King, turning
his back confidently on thirty savages
whom Saunders. for instance, would
have preferred to drive in front Of him.
after first seeing them handcuifed.
Each lock has II key, but some keys
fl all locks" says the Eastern proverb.
King has been chosen for many tick
fish errands In his time, and Saunders
is still in Delhi.
The prisoners were left squaiting
under the eyes and hayoncts of a very
suspicious prison guard, who made no
secret Of being ready for all c0nceiv-
able emergencies. One enthusiast drew
the cartridge ont of his breech cham
her and licked It at intervals Of n min
ute or two. to the very great interest
of the hllmen, who mcmorlzcd every
detail that by any stretch Of imagina-
ton might be expected to improve
their own shooting when they should
get home again.
King found his way on foot through
n maze of streets to II place where he
was admitted through one door after
another by sentries who saluted when
he had whispered 10 them. He ended
/ by sitting on the end Of the bed of Il
gray.hcaded man who owns three titles
and whose word Is law between the
borders of province. To him he
talked as one schoolboy to bigger
one. because the gray.haired man hat
4 understanding, and hence sympathy.
/ 81 don't envy you!a said he under
the sheet. "rhcre's the release fol
your prisoners. Take it--and lake
them! Whatever possessed you Il
want such Il gift?"
well, sir-irst place. she docSn
want to seem to be connected with me
Second place, she has left Delhi--ant
she did not mean to leave those men
Third place, If those thirty men hot
been anything but her particular Pc
gang they'd either have been over thu
border or else in Jail before now.--ius
like all the others. For some reason
that don't pretend to understand, sh,
! promised 'enl more than she has beer