New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-01-25
the makinpS of many regiments nom

King nodded. He himself had seen
the chieftalns 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 tho dost
mentioning the pardon for deserters
and the probability of bonuses TO the
time-expired for re-enlistment II we
could march down the Khyber with q
hundred such, or even with fifty or
with twenty-five or with n dozen men
we would receive our pardon for the
sake of service rendered"
Good"
The Pathan thumpcd him on the
back so hard that his eyes watered.
"We would have to use much eau
ton" King advised him, when he was
able to speak again.
aye! If Bull-with-a-beard got wind
of it he would have us crucitied. And
If she heard of it"
He was silent. Apparently there
were no words in his tongue that could
compass his dread of her revenge. lie
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 a native regiments uniform.
'In two days ! could do the drill
again as well as ever" he said at last.
Then there was silence again for If
teen minutes more. 81 could always
shoot" he murmured IL could always
shoot"
When Muhammad Amin came back
they had both forgotten to replace the
flashing on Kings wrists, but the null
lah seemed not to notice it.
Come! !" he ordered, with a sidewise
jerk Of his great ugly head, and then
stood muttering .mpatiently while they
obeyed.
They marched downward through
interminable tunnels and along lodges
poised between earth and heaven, un-
| til they came at 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 up
with them, leading horses. One horse
was for the mullah, and they helped
LyInr ynny1pf tho nthar chnv-inO 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 irritated
him. He eyed each hole in the roof as
down at him or drench him with boil
ing Gil and hurried pas. each Of them
ut a trot, only to draw rein Immediate
ly afterward because the noise was too
great.
1t became evident that his mel had
been at work here too, for Mt intervals
| along the passage lay dead bodies. Yas-
mini must have posted the men there,
but where was she? Each of them lay
| dead with a knife wound in his back,
and the mullah's men possessed them
selves Of rifles and knives and car-
tridges, wiping Off blood that had
scarcely cooled yet.
When they came to the end of the
tunnel 1t was to find the door into the
mosque open in front Of them, and
twenty more Of Muhammad Anim's
men standing guard over the eyelash-
less mullah. They had bound and
gagged him. At Il word from Muham.
mad Amin they lOosed him; and at a
threat the hairless n gave a signal
that brought the great stone door slid
ing forward on it's oiled bronze grooves.
Then, with a dozen jests thrown to
the hairless n for consolation, and
an utter Indifference to the sacredness
Of the mosque floor, they sought outer
air, and Muhammad Amin led them up
the Street of the Dwellings toward
Khinjan's outer ramparts. They
reached the outer gate without Incl
dent and hurried into the great dry
valley beyond 1t. As they rode across
the valley the mullah thumbed a long
string of beads. Unlike Yasmini, he
was praying to n god but he seemed
to have many prayers. His back was a
picture of determined treachery-the
backs Of his men were expressions of
the creed that she shall keep who
can" King rode all but last now and
had a good view of their unconsciously
Wanted blackguardism. There a not
a hint of honor or tenderness among
the lot, man. woman or mullah. Yet
his heart SAM within him as IL he
were riding to his W marriage feast /!
Last of all. close behind him.
marched his friend. the Orakzai Pa
than. and as they picked their way
among the powders across the mile
wide mOat the two cOntrived to fall a
little to the rear. The Pathan began
speaking in a whisper and King. riding
with lowered head as II he were study
ing the dangerous track, listened.
"She sent her man Rewa Gunga to-
ward the Khyber with q message" he
whispered. HE took a few men with
him. and he is to send them with the
message when they reach the Khyber.
but he is to come back. All he went
for is to make sure the message is not
intercepted, for Rull-with-a-beard is
growing reckless these days. He knew
what was doing and said at once that
she is treating with the British. but
there were few who believed that.
There are more whO wonder where she
hides while the message is on its way.
None has seer hes. Men have swarmed
into the Cavern Of Earth's Drink and