The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-03-30


to stand in the ranks again. with a
stiff-5acked sahib out In front Of me,
and the thunder of the gun-wheels go
Ing by. The salt was goodl Come
thou with me"
"The pardon is for deserters," King
objected, mot for political offenders"
"Haugh" said the Pathan, bringing
down his fiat hand hard on the hakim's
thigh. II will attend to that for thee.
I 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
regimentp"
"Thou art dreamerp said King.
unite my hands; the thong cuts me-"
The Pathon obeyed.
Dreamer. am II 1t Is good to dream
such dreams. BY Allah, I've q mind
to see that dream come true! never
slew man on Indian soil, only In
these Hills I will go to them and
say, Here ami I am deserter. !
seek that pardonr Truly I will 60 |
Come thou with me, little halimw
NAY" said King. II have another
thought. You who were seen to STAY
a man, and who am political Offend
er, do not win pardons so easily as
that. They would hang us unless we
came bearing gifts"
"Gifts7 Has Allah touched theef
What gifts should we bring? A dozen
stolen rifles? A bag of silver? And !
am the dreamer. am II"
May" said King. II am the dream
er. There are others In these Hills
others in Khlnjan who wear British
medalsY
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 makings Of many regiments among
the Hills"
King nodded. He himself had seen
the chieftains come to parley after the
Tirah war. Most Of them had worn
British medals and had worn them
proudly.
IF we two" he said, speaking slow
ly, "could speak with some Of those
men and stir the spirit In them and
persuade them to feel as thou d0st,
mentioning the pardon for deserters
md the probability of bonuses to the
time-explred for re-enlistment; II 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"
"Goodp
The Pathan thumped him on the
back so hard that his eyes watered.
I'VE would have to use much eau
tion," King advised him, when he was
able to speak again.
"Ayei If Bull-with-a-beard got wind
Of It he would have US crucifed. And
II she heard Of it"
He was silent. Apparently there
were no words in his tongue that could
compass his dread Of her revenge. He
was silent for ten minutes, and King
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 q native regiments uniform.
"In two days I could do the drill
again Hs well as ever" he said at last.
Then there was silence again for If
AA.D v..t- IL
shoot" he murmured; II could always
shoot"
When Muhammad Amin came lack
they had both forgotten to replace the
flashing on Kings wrists, but the null
lah seemed not to notice It.
"Come I" he ordered, with sidewise
jerk of his great ugly head. and then
stood muttering impntiently while they
obeyed.
They marched downward through
intermlnable tunnels and along lodges
poised between earth and heaven, I'M
til they came ut 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 I'D
with them, leading horses. One horse
was for the mullah, and they helped
King mount tho 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 irritnted
him. He eyed each hole In the roof as |
II Ynsmini might be expected to shoot |
down Mt him or drench him with boil |
Ing oil and hurried pas. each of them
ut a trot only to draw rein Immediate
y afterward because the noise was too |
great.
1t became evident that his men had |
been at work here too, for Mt Intervals
along the passage lay dead bodies. Vas
mini must have posted the men there,
,ut where was shef Each of them lay
lead with q knife wound In his back, |
Ind the muIlah's men possessed them
selves Of rifles and knives md car.
ridges. wiping or blood that had !
scarcely cooled yet.
When they came - tho end OF the
.unnel It was to ind the door into the |
mosque open In front OF them, and |
wcnty more of AIuhammad Anims |