Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-16
CHAPTER XIII.
(COntiuued.)

(ContinuedJ
you are surely my friend, You
do not ike this pistol? You take
it as an insult? Is that IT."
II am thinking Of those regi-
ments, and Of these grenades. and
Of what l mean to do" said Ran
joor Singh.
Let us talk it over"
mo"
please YOURSELF"
They sat facing each other for
hour after dreary hour, leaning
back against bales and thinking
each his own thoughts. After about
four hours of it it occurred TO the
German to dismantle the wireless
detonator.
I'VE should have been blown up
if the police had grown inquisitive,'
he said, with a shrug of his shout
ders, returning to his sea.
After that they sat still for four
hours more, and then put their
clothes on, not that they were dry
yet, but the German had grown
tired of comparing Ranjoor Singh 8
better physique with his own. lie
put his clothes on to hide inferior
ity, and Ranjoor Singh followed
suit for the sake of manners.
What rank do you hold in your
army at home?' asked Rantoor
Singh, after an almost endless in
terval.
IF I told you that, my friend,
you would be surprised"
II think not" said Ranjoor
Singh. II think you are an officer
who was dismissed from the SER
vice"
What makes you think so?"
81 am sure of it,"
What makes you sure?"
you are too well educated for
a on-commissioned officer. II
you had not been dismissed from
the service you would be on the
fighting strength, or else in the
reserve and ready for the front in
Europe. And what army keeps
spies of your type on its strength?
Am I right"
But then came Yasmini, carrying
her food basket as the rest had
done. She knocked at the outer
trap-door, and the German ran to
peep through hidden window at
her. Then he went up a partly
ruined stair and looked all around
the clearing through gaps in the
debris overhead that had been
glazed for projections sake. Then
he admitted her.
She ran in past him, ran past him
again when he opened the second
| door, and laughed at Ranjoor
Singh. She seemed jubilant and
very little interested in the bombs
that the German was at pains to eX-
plain to her. She had to tell of
five regiments on the way.
"The first will be here in two or
three hours" she asserted; your
men, Ranjoor Singh-your Jat
Sikbs that are ever first to mutt
iny!"
She squealed delight at the Sikh's
face flushed at the insult.
what is the cooked pistol for?"
she asked the German.
He told her, but she did not seem
frightened in the least She began
to sing, and her voice echoed
strangely through the vault until
she herself seemed to grow hypno-
tized by it, and she began to sway,
pushing her basket away from be-
hind a bale near where the German
sat.
4 will dance for you" she said
suddenly.
She arose and produced little
wind instrument from among her
clothing-a little bell-mouthed
wooden thing, with a voice like
Scots bagpipes.
out of the way, Ranjocr Singh!"
she ordered. "Sit yonder l will
dance between you, so that the
German sahib may watch both of
us at once!"
So Ranjoor Singh went back 20
feet away, wondering at her mood
and wondering even more what
trick she meant to play. He had
reached the conclusion, very re-
luctantly, that presently the Ger
man would fire that pistol of his
and end the careers Of all three of
them; so he was thinking of the
squadron on its way to France. In
a way he was sorry for Yasmini:
but it was the squadron and Colonel
Kirby that drew his heart-strings.
Swaying to and fro, from the
waist upward, Yasmini began 10
play her little instrument. The
echoing vault became n solid sea
of throbbing noise, and as she
played she increased her speed Of
movement, until TIE German sat
and gaped. He had seen her dance
on more than one occasion. So had
RaniOor Singh. Never had either
of them, or any living man, seen