Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-08-08

L
and the thunder of the gun-w heels 20
Ing by. The salt was good Cont
thou with met"
1.-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 l 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
| regimentr"
Thou art dreamerr' said King
"Untie my hands; the thong cuts me"
The Pathan obeyed.
dreamer. am I? It Ia good to dream
| such dreams. BY Allah, I've a mind
to see that dream come true! Inever
| slew man on Indian soil, only In
these Hills will go to them and
say, Here am! / am q deserter.
seek that pardonv Truly I will 60!
Come thou with me. little hakim!''
"Nay." said King. II have another
thought. You who were seen to STAY
q man, and / who am q political offend.
er, do not win pardons SO easily as
that. They would hang US unless we
came bearing gifts"
''Gifts? Has Allah touched thee1
What gifts should we bring7 A dozen
stolen rifles? A bag Of silver7 And
am the dreamer. am r.
"Nay," said King. II am the dream.
er. There are others in these Hills
others in Khinjan who wear British
medals7" -
The Pathan nodded. Hundreds,
Men fight first on one side, then on the
other, being true to either side while
the contract lasts. In oil 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.
III we two" he said, speaking slow
~, "could speak With some of those
men and stir the spirit In them and
persuade them to feel as thou 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 dozen men
we would receive our pardon for the
sake Of service rendered"
"Good!"
The Pathan thumped him on the
back SO hard that his eyes watered.
1--WE would have to use much eau.
tioh." King advised him, when he was
able to speak again.
aye! If Bull-with-a-beard got wind
of It he would have us crucifled. 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
rat still beside him. letting memory
u other days do its work--memory of
he long. clean r-gimental lines. and of
order and decency and Of justice hand
ell out to all and sundry by gentlemen
who did not think themselves too good
to wear a native regiments uniform.
"In two days I could do the drill
again rs well as ever" he said ut last
Then there was silence again for fif.
teen minutes more. II could always
shoot" he murmured; ~ could always
shoot"
When Muhammad Amin came back
they had both forgotten to replace the
flashing on Kings wrists, but the mul.
lah seemed not to notice 1t.
Gomez" he ordered. with a sidewise
Jerk Of his great ugly head, and then
stood muttering impatiently while they
obeyed.
They marched downward through
interininable tunnels and along lodges
poised between earth and heaven. un.
til they came Mt last to the tunnel lead.
Ing to the one entrance into Khinjan
caves. Just before they entered 1t two
more Of the mullah's men. came up
with them, leading horses. One horse
vas for the mullah, and they helped
King mount the other, showing him
more respect than Is usually shown a
prisoner In the "Ililis."
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 Yasmini might be expec 10 shoot
down at him or drench hin Hith boil.
Ing oil and hurried past each of ITEM
at trot. only to draw rein Immediate
~ afterward because the noise was toe
great.
1t became evident that his men had
been at work here too. for at intervals
along the passage lay dead bodies. Vas.
mini must have posted the men there,
but where was she? Each of them lay
dead with 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