Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-02-16

eighty yards before II began to curve.
and its din was like the voice of all cre-
alton.
Ismaii came and stood by King In
silence, taking his hand, as little child
might. Presently he stopped and
picked up stone and tossed 1t over.
Sooner he said simply. "That down
there is Earth's Drink ~
"And this is the Heart Of the Hills'
men boast aboutf"
"Nay It Is not !" snapped Ismail
'"rhen, where"
But the one-eyed guide beckOned i'm
patiently, and King led the way after
him, staring as hakim or prisoner or
any man had right to do on first adj
mission to such wonders. Not to have
stared would have been to proclaim
himself an idiot
They soon began to pass the mouths
of caves. Some were above the road,
now and then at crazy heights above
1t, reached by artificial steps hewn out
reached from the road by means of lad
ders, that trembled and swayed over
the dizzying waterfall. Most of the
caves were inhabited, for armed men
and sullen women came to their en-
frances to stare.
Ears grow accustomed to the sound
of water sooner than to almost any
thing. II was not long before Kings
ears could catch the pattcr OF his mems
feet following, and the shod clink OF
the mule. He could hear when Ismail
whispered:
"Be brave, little hakim She loves
fearless mem"
At last the guide halted, In the mid
die of short steep slope where the
path was less than six feet wide and n
narrow cave mouth gave directly onto
1t.
''Be content to rest herel" he said.
pointing.
"Thy cave?" asked King.
may. God's / am the caretakerl"
The "'Hills" are very pious and po-
lite, between the acts OF robblng and
shedding blood.
"Allah, then, reward thee, brother! u
answered King "Allah give sight to
thy blind eyei Allah give thee chill
dren Allah give thee peace, and to
all thy house,"
The guide salaamed, half-mochingly,
half-wondering at such eloquence,
paused In the passage to point into
| the side caves that debouched to either
hand, turned on his heel and stalked
out Of the cavern. II was the last
King ever saw of him.
King turned back and looked into
the other caves--saw the weary horse
| and mule fed, watered and bedded
down--took note OF the running water
| that rushed out of a rock assure and
gurgled out OF sight down another one
examined the servants cave and saw
that they had been amply provided
with blankets. There was nothing lack
ing that the most exactlng traveller
could have demanded at such d dis
lance from civilization. There was
more than the most exactng would
have dared expect.
"Ismail r he shouted, and Jumped at
the revolvercracklike echo Of his voice.
Ismail came running.
snake the men carry the mules
packs into this cave. You and Darya
Khan stay here and help me open
them. Remember, We are both assist
ants of Kurram Khan, the hakim"
''They will laugh at us They will
laugh at us i" cucked Ismall, but he
hurried to obey, while King wondered
who would laugh.
Within an hour a delegation came
from no less person than Yasminl
herself, bearing her compliments, and
hot food savory enough TO make
brass idols mouth water. BY this time
King had his sets Of surgical instru-
ments and drugs and bandages all laid
out on one of the beds and covered
from view by blanket.
1t was only one more proof of the
British army's everlasting luck that
one Of the men, who set the great brass
dish Of food on the floor near King
had a swollen cheek, and that he
should touch the swelling clumsily az