The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-29


to stand in the ranks again. with a
stiff-5acked sahib out in front of me.
and the thunder Of the gun-wheels 60
ing by. The salt was good! Come
thou with mew
1.-THE pardon is for deserters," King
objected, mot for political offenders"
"Haughw said the Pathan, bringing
down his fiat hand hard on the hakim's
thigh. II will attend to that for thee.
will obtain my pardon first. Then
will lead thee by the hand to the
karnal sahib and lie to him and say.
This is the one who persuaded me
against my will to come back to the
regiment!"
'Thou art dreamerw said King.
unite my hands; the thong cuts me-"
The Pathon obeyed.
Dreamer. am I? 1t is good to dream
such dreams. By Allah, I've mind
to see that dream come true! ! never
slew a man on Indian soil, only in
these FILLS I will go to them and
say, Here am! am deserter. !
seek that pardonY Truly will gol
Come thou with me, little hakim!"
"Nay," said King. II have another
thought. You who were seen to slay
a man, and 1 who am a political offend
er, do not win pardons so easily as
that. They would hang us unless we
came bearing gifts"
"Gifts? Has Allah touched thee?
What sv;f&, CHI xvo hrin0S d0ZQn
stolen rifles? A bag Of silver? And l
am the dreamer, am II"
"Nay," said King. 81 am the dream
er. There are others in these Hills
others in Khinjan who wear British
medals?"
The Pathan nodded. Hundreds.
Men fight first on one side, then on the
other, being true to either side while
the contract lasts. In all there must be
the markings Of many regiments among
the Hills"
King nodded. He himself had seen
the ch.eftains come to parley after the
Tirah war. Most of them had worn
British medals and had worn them
proudly.
eff we two" he said, speaking slow
~, "c0uld speak with some Of those
men and stir the spirit in them and
persuade them, to feel as thou dost,
mentioning the pardon for deserters
and the probability Of bonuses to the
time-eEpired for re-enlistment: If we
could march down the Khyber with
hundred such, or even with fifty or
with twenty-five or with dozen men
we would receive our pardon for the
sake of service rendered"
"Good"
The Pathan thumped him on the
back so hard that his eyes watered.
"We would have to use much eau
tion," King advised him, when he was
able to speak again.
"Aye! If Bull-with-a-beard got wind
of it he would have us crucified. And
if she heard Of it"
He was silent. Apparently there
were no words in his tongue that could
compass his dread of her revenge. He
sat still beside him, letting memory
Of other days do its work-memory Of
the long, clean regimental lines, and Of
order and decency and Of justice hand
ed out to all and sundry by gentlemen
who did not think themselves too good
to wear a native regiments uniform.
"In two days could do the drill
again as well as ever" he said at last.
Then there was silence again for fif-
teen minutes more. II could always
Shoot" he murmured; II could always
shoot"
When Muhammad Amin came back
they had both forgotten to replace the
flashing on Kings wrists, but the null
lah seemed not to notice it.
"Come! !" he ordered, with a sidewise
jerk Of his great ugly head, and then
stood muttering impatiently while they
obeyed.
They marched downward through
interminable tunnels and along lodges
poised between earth and heaven, I'M
til they came at last to the tunnel lead
ing to the one entrance into Khinjan
caves. Just before they entered it two
more of the mullah'S men came up
with them, leading horses. One horse
was for the mullah, and they helped
King mount the other, showing him
more respect than is usually shown a
prisoner in the "Hills."
Then the mullah led the way into the
tunnel, and he seemed in deadly fear.
The echo of the hoof-beats irritated
him. He eyed each hole in the roof as
if Yasmini might be expected to shoot
down at him or drench him with boil
ing oil and hurried pas. each of them
at trot, only to draw rein Immediate
ly afterward because the noise was too
great.
1t became evident that his men had
been at work here too, for at intervals
along the passage lay dead bodies. Vas
mini must have posted the men there,
but where was she? Each of them lay
dead with knife wound in his back.
and the mullah's men possessed them