New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-01-25
CHAPTER XIX.

The march went on in single file I'M
til the sun died down in splendid fury.
Then there began to be n wind that
they had to lean against, but the WON
en- were allowed no rest.
At last at a place where the trail be-
gan to widen, the mullah beckOned
King to ride beside him. 1t was not
that he wished to be communicative,
but there were things King knew that
he did not know, aud he had his own
way of asking questions.
ID hakim !" he growIed, "Pill-
man! Poulticer! That is a sweeper's
trade of thine! Thou shalt apply it at
my camp! have some wounded and
some sick"
his coat closer against the keen wind.
The mullah mistOok the shudder for
n of another kind.
"Did she choose thee only for thy
face?" he asked. did she not con-
slider thy courage? Does she love thee
we'll enough to ransom thee?"
Again King did not answer, but he
watched the mullnh's face keenly in
the dark and missed nothing of it's ex-
preston. He decided the man was in
doubt-even racked by indecision.
SHOULD she not ransom thee. hakim,
thou shalt have u chance to show my
men how q man out of India can die
BY and by l will lend thee a messenger
to send to her. Better make the mes
sage clear and urgent! Thou shalt
state my terms to her and plead thine
W cause in the same letter. My
camp lies yOnder."
He motioned with one sweep of his
arm toward a valley that lay In shadow
far below them. AS they approached
it the rock Glove in two and became
two great pillars, with a man OF each.
And between the pillars they looked
down into a valley lit by fires that
burned before a thousand hide tents,
with shadows by the hundred fitting
back and forth between them. A dull
roar, like the voice of an army, rose
out of the gorge.
"MOre than four thousand men !"
said the mullah proudly.
"What are four thousand for a raid
into India? ?" sneered King, greatly
daring.
"Wait and see!" growled the mullah /;
but he seemed depressed.
He led the way downward, getting
off his horse and giving the reins to a
man. King copied him, and PARKWAY
sliding, part stumbling down they
found their way along the dry bed Of
q water-course between two spurs of q
hillside, until they stood at last In the
midst Of u cluster of a dozen sentries.
close to a tamarisk to which a mans
body hung spiked. That the man had
been spiked to 1t alive was suggested
by the bOdy's attitude.
Without a word to the sentries the
mullah led on down a lane through the
midst of the camp, toward a great
open ave at the far side. in which a
bonfire cnst fitful light and shadow.
Watchers sitting by the thousand tents
yawned at them, but took no particular
notice.
The mouth of the cave was like a
lions, fringed with teeth. There were
men In 1t, ten OF eleven Of them. all
armed, squatting round the fire.
"Get out !" grOwled the mullah. But
they did not obey. They sat and stared
at him.
"Have We tents?" the mullah asked.
in a voice like thunder.
"Aye! !" But they did no 60 yet.
One of the men, he nearest the null
lah, got on his feet, but he had to step
back a pace, for the mullah would not
give ground and their breath vas In
each others faces.
"Where are the bombs? And the
rifles? And the many cartridges?" he