Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-08-29

| . ~:
% King Began - Write In Urdu
dare follow me back, and then We
shall march down the khyber like Q
full company Of the old daysl"
King got busy with his lancet, but
the mullah came back and called him
of and drove the crowd away to dis.
lance; then he drove King into the
i cave In front Of him, his mouth work.
Ing AZ II he were biting bits of ven-
geance or for future use.
"Write thy letter. thou, Write thy
lstterl Here II paper. There II q pss
take III Sit! ionder ~ ink---ttnt,,
ttntt write. now, writer
| King sat ut box ana waited, as II
to take dictatI0n. but the mullah, tug
ging Mt his beard, grew furious.
"Write thine own letter! Invent
thine own argument! Persuade her, or
die In new wayl will invent new
way for thee!'
So King began to write. In Urdu. for
reasons Of his own. He had spoken
once or twice In Urdu to the mullah
| and had received no answer. It was q
fair guess that Muhammad was ignor.
ant OF the scholars language.
"0reeting." no wrote. ito the,most beau.
tiful and very wise Princess Yasmini, In
her palace In the caves In Khinjan, from
her servant Kurram Khan the hakim. in
tho camp Of the mullah Muhammad Amin
In the Hills"
| 1.-THE mullah Muhammad Amin demands
surrender OF Khinjnn Caves and Of all his
ammunition Further, he demands full
men.
| ''He threatens m preliminary to block
ade khinJan caves, unless the answer 10
this prove favorable. letting none enter
but calling his own mon out to Join him.
This would suit the Indian government.
because while the Hills fight among
| themselves they cannot raid india and
while he blockades khinjan caves there
| will be time to move against him.
| Knowing that he dares begin and can
accomplish what he threatens, l am sor-
| ~: because know It In said how many
services you have rendered Of old to the
government ! serve. We who serve one
raj ara one~-one to remember~~one to for
get-one to help each other In good time.
1t may DO that vengeance against me
would seem sweoter TO you than return
TO your former allegiance. In that case.
| Princess. you only need hetray me to the
mullah. and bc sure my death would leave
nothing Ia be desired by the spectators.
AZ present he does not. suspect mo.
he assured. however. that not to be-
| tray mo to him In to leave me free to serve
my government and well able to do 80.
II invite you to return to India with
| me- bearing news that the mullah Mu-
hammad Amin and his men are bottled In
khinJan caves. and to plan with me to
that end.
III you will. then write an answer 70
MuhammAd Amin, not In Urdu. but In a
| language he can understand: seem to sur
render TO him. But to me send verbal
message. either by the bearer OF this or by
| some trustier messenger
India can profit yet by your service II
you will. And In that case | pledge my
word to direct the governments attention
| only to your good service In the matter.
II Ia not yet too late to choose. 1t IL not
| lnpertinent In me 10 urge you.
| Nor can l RAy how gladly would
subscribe myself your grateful and loyal
servant
The mullnh pounced on the finished
letter. pretended to read 1t, and
watched him seal It up. smudging the
hot wax with his own great guarded
thumb. Then he shouted for the Orak-
raj Pathan. who came strlding In. all
grins and swagger.
'"rhere--tnke til Make speedr he
ordered, aud with his rifle at the
"ready" and the letter tucked inside
his shirt. the pathan favored King
with farewell grin and obeyed.
Get out !" the mullah snarled then
Immediately. See to the sick. Tell
them sent thee. hid them be CRATE
fulw
King went. He recognized the nj.
most madness that constituted the mul.
labs driving power. 1t Is contagious.
that madness, until II destroys itself.
II had made several thousand men fol.
low him and believe In him, but II had
once given Insmini chance to foo.
him and defeat him, and now II gave
King his chance. He let the mullah
think himself obeyed implicitly.
He became the busiest man in all the
"Hills." While the mullah glowcreo
over the camp from the cave mouth or
Illuminated from the Duran or fought
with other mullahs with words for
weapons and abuse for argument. he
bandagcd and lanced and poulticed and
physicked until his head swan with
weariness.
The sick swarmed SO around him
that he had to have u bodyguard to
keep them at bay; so he chose twenty
Of the least sick from among those
who had talked with the Pathan after
sunrise.
And because each Of those men had
friends, and II Is only human to wish
ones friend in the same boat. especial.
~ when the sea. 20 to speak. is rough,
the progress through the camp became