Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-01-19

and treachery. Secret signs as well as
| loot have been stolen before now.
ard like to walk through the streets
and see the crowd"
He smiled as he said that, knowing
well that the average young Rajput Of
good birth would rather fight tiger
with cold steel than walk mile or
two. He drew fire at once.
"Why walk, King sahib? Are we
animals? There is carriage waiting
her carrlage-and a coachman whose
ears were born dead. We might be
overheard in the street. Are you and
children, tossing stones into pool
to watch the rings widen !"
LEAD on, them" answered King.
| Outside the station was luxurious
ly modern victoria, with G springs
| and rubber tires, with horses that
would have done credit to viceroy.
The Hangar motioned King to get in
| first and the moment they were both
seated the Rajput coachman set the
horses to going like the wind. Rewa
Gunga opened ieweled cigarette case,
"Will you have one2" he asked with
the air of royalty entertaining blood
equal.
King accepted cigarette for polite
ness sake and took occasion to admire
the mans slender wrist, that was
doubtless hard and strong as woven
| steel, but was not much more than half
the thickness of his own. One of the
questions that occurred to King that
minute was why this well-bred young
ster whose age he guessed at twenty
two or so had not turned his attention
to the army.
my height /"
The man had read his thoughtsl
"Not quite tall enough. Besides
you are soldier, are you not? And
do you fghtY Then. after minute
Of rather strained silence: "My mes
sage Is from her."
"From Yasmini?"
"Who elseT
King accepted the rebuke with lit
tie inclination of the head. He spoke
as little as possible because he was
puzzled. He had become conscious of
puzzled look in the Rangar's eyes
and 1t only added to his problem II the
Hangar found in him something mex
plieable. The West can only get the
better of the East when the East Is too
cock-sure.
"She has jolly well gone North !"
said the Hangar suddenly, and King
shut his teeth with snap. He sat bolt
upright, and the Hangar allowed him
| self to look amused.
"She has often heard of you" he
said.
1--WE heard of her." said King.
"Of Counsel Who has not? She has
desired to meet you, sahib, ever since
she was told you are the best man in
your service"
King grunted, thinking of the knife
beneath his shirt. Again, 1t was as II
the Hangar read part Of his thoughts,
Ii not all Of them. 1t is not difficult to
counter that trick, but to do 1t man
must be on his guard, or the East will
know what he has thought and what
he Is going to think, as many have dis
covered when 1t was too late.
"Her men are able to protect any
body's life from any Gods number of
assassins, whatever may lead you to
think the contrary. From now forward
your life is In her mems keepingw
every good of her, I'm sure" King
murmured. He was thinking of the
generals express order to apply for
passport" that would take him into
Khinjan caves-mentally cursing the
necessity for asking any kind of favor
and wondering whether to ask this
man for 1t or wait until he should meet
Yasmini. The Hangar answered his
thoughts again as IL he had spoken
them aloud.
"She left this with me. saying / am
to give it to you! / am to say that
wherever you wear it, between here
and Afghanistan, your life shall be safe
and you may come and go!''
King stared. The Hangar drew
bracelet from an inner pocket and
held it out. 1t was wonderful bar
barrie thing of pure gold, big enough
for a grown mans wrist, and old
enough TO have been hammerei out In
the very womb of time. 1t looked al
most like ancient Greek, and it fas-
tened with hinge and clasp that
looked as If they did not belong to 1t
and might have been made by a not
very skillful modern jeweler.
won't you wear it?" asked Rewa
Gunga. watching him. at will prove
true talisman What was the name
Of the Johnny who had lamp to rub
Aladdin? 1t will be better than what
he had He could only command a lot
of bogies. This will give you authority
over flesh and blood Take it, sahlb /"
So King put it on, letting 1t slip up
his sleeve out of sight-with sensa-
ton as the snap closed of putting
handouts on himself. But the Hangar
looked relieved.
'That is your passport, sahib Show
1t to hillman whenever you suppose
yourself In danger. The Raj might |
go to pieces, but while Yamini lives"
"Her friends will boast about her, |
suppose ~