The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-04-25

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the mistake Of trusting him any better
for his easy manners, and his eyes
sought swiftly for some unrhythmic
implanted thing on which TO rest, that
he might save himself by a sort OF
mental leverage.
CHANGING along the wall that faced
the big ,yindow, he noticed for the first
time a huge Afridi, who sat on a stool
and leaned back against the silken
hnngings with arms folded.
"Who Is that MANI" he asked.
"He7 Oh, he is n savage-just n
big savage" said Rewn Gunga, looking
vaguely annoyed.
"Why IL he herei"
He did not dare let 90 Of this chance
side issue. He knew that Rewa Gun
ga wished him TO talk Of Yasmini and
10 ask questions about her, and that II
he succumbed TO that temptation all
his self.control would he cunningly
Slapped away from him until his Sc
crets, and his very senses, belonged to
some one else.
"Whnt is he doing here?' he insisted.
"Iief oh. he does nothing. lie waits"
purrcd the Hangar. "He Is To- be your
body.servant on your journey to the
North. He Is nothlng-nobody nj oil +!
except that he is TO be trusted ut.
tcrly because he loves Yasmini. He Is
obedience! A big obedIent fool! Let
him be-"
mo" said King. "If he's TO be my
man I'll speak to him !"
He felt himself winning. Already
the spell of the room was lifting. and
he no longer felt the cloud OF sandal
wood like a veil across his brain.
won't you tell him to come here 10
me?"
Rewa Gunga laughed. resting his silk
turhnn against the wall hnngings and
clasplng both hands about his knee. II
was as n man might laugh who has
been touched In n bout with folls.
"Oh ,-Ismail :" he called. with n
voice like n bell, that made King stare.
The Afridi seemed to come out OF n
deep sleep and looked h%ewildered. rub.
bling his eyes and feeling whether his
turban was on straight. He combed
his beard with nervous fingers ms he
gazed about him and caught Rcwa
Gunga's eye. Then he sprang to his
feet.
Come" ordered Rewa Gunga.
The man obcyed.
did you seef" Rewa Gunga
chuckled. "IIe rose from his place like
II buffalo, rump first and then shoulder
after shoulder! Such men are safe
Such men have no guile beyond whnt
VIII help them TO obey! Such men
hin o slowly to invent deceit for
It's own sake 7"
The Afridi came and lowered above
them, standing with gnarled hands
knotted into clubs.
What is thy namef" King asked
him.
"Ismail !" he doomed.
Thou art 10 be my servant?"
Aye! So said she. l am her man.
I obey I"
when did she say so?" King asked
him blandly. The hillman stroked his
great beard and stood considering the
question. King entered q shrewd sus.
piclon that he was not so stupid us he
chose 10 seem. His eyes were too
hawk fright TO be a stupid mans.
Before she went away" he an.
swered ~ last.
when did she go away?"
He thought again, then Yesterday"
he said.
"why did you wait before o an.
sweredi"
The Afrldi's eyes furtively sought
Gunga's and found no aid there.
watching the Hangar less f~urtiyely,
u even less obviously, King was
aware that his eyes were nearly closed,
as II they were not interested. The
fingers that clasped his knee drummed
on II indiferently, seeing which King
allowed himself to smile.
"Never mind" he told Ismail. "It ia
no matter. 1t is ever well 10 think
twice before speaking once, for thus
mistakes die stillborn. Only the mon.
key'folk thrive on quick answers-is I,
sol Thou art a man Of many inches
OF thew and sinew-hey, but thou
art n man! II the heart within those
great ribs Of thine Is true ms thine
arms are strong I shall be fortunate
to have thee for n servant"
Aye" sald the Afridl. "Bu, whot
are wordsf She has said | am INV
servant, and to hear her is to obey"
Then, take me Il telegram" said
King.
He began TO write at once on n bol,.
Sheet OF paper that he tore from n let.
ter he had In his pocket, ~transposJnp
into cypher as he went along.
Yasminl has gone North. Is there INV
tenson at your end why I should No.,
follow her at once? "o'
He addressed II In plain English 10
his friend the general at Peshawur.
and handed II to Ismail, directing hin
carefully to a government Office wbere
The CIPHER signature would be recop.
nized and the telegram given prece-
dence.
Ismail stalked or with Il, stndiny
IKE Moses down from Sinai-hook.
neutrality-suspicious. beard-dig.
nifty and all. and King settled down n
guard himself against the next nj.