Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-01-19

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 sort Of
mental leverage.
CHANGING along the wall that faced
the big window, he noticed for the first
time huge Arid, who sat on q stool
and leaned back against the silken
hangings with arms folded.
"Who Is that man?" he asked.
"He? oh, he Is savage-just a
big savage" said Rewa Gunga, looking
vaguely annoyed.
'Why is he hereT
He did not dare let 60 of this chance
side issue. He knew that Rewa Gun
ga wished him to talk of Yasmini and
to ask questions about her, and that IL
he succumbed to that temptation all
his self-control would be cunningly
Slapped away from him until his Sc
crets, and his very senses, belonged to
some one else.
"What Is he doing here?" he insisted.
"He? Oh, he does nothing He waits, +"
purred the Hangar "He is to be your
body-servant on your journey to the
North. He Is nothing-nobody at all |
except that he Is to be trusted ut
terly because he loves Yasmini. He Is
obedience A big obedient fool Let
him BET"
mo" said King. III he's to be my
man I'll speak to himl'
He felt himself winning. Already
the spell OF the room was lifting, and
he no longer felt the cloud of sandal
wood like veil across his brain.
"Won't you tell him to come here to
me2"
Rewa Gunga laughed, resting his silk
turban against the wall hangings and
clasping both hands about his knee. 1t
was as a man might laugh who has
been touched in bout with foils.
ooh i--Tsmail |" he called, with a
voice like a bell, that made King stare.
The Afridi seemed to come out of a
deep sleep and looked bewildered, rub
bling his eyes and feeling whether his
turban was on straight. He combed
his beard with nervous fingers as he
gazed about him and caught Rewa
Gungas eye. Then he sprang to his
feet.
"Come! |" ordered Rewa Gunga.
The man obeyed.
did you sect" Rewa Gunga
chuckled. "He rose from his place like
buffalo, rump first and then shoulder
after shoulder! Such men are safe I
Such men have no guile beyond what
will help them to obey Such men
think too slowly to invent deceit for
its own sake ~
The AfridI came and lowered above
them, standing with gnarled hands
knotted into clubs.
What Is thy namew King asked
him.
'Tsmail II he doomed.
"Thou art to be my servantf"
aye! SO said she. / am her man.
I obeyw
when did she say sof' King asked
him blandly. The hillman stroked his
great beard and stood considering the
question. King entered a shrewd sus-
picion that he was not so stupid as he
chose to seem. His eyes were too
hawk-bright to be stupid mans.
Before she went away" he an
swered at last.
when did she 60 away7"
He thought again, then yesterday"
he said.
"Why did you wait before you an
swered?"
The Afridi's eyes furtively sought
Rewa Gunga's and found no aid there.
Watching the Hangar less furtively,
but even less obviously, King was
aware that his eyes were nearly closed.
as IL they were not interested. The
fingers that clasped his knee drummed
on it indifferently, seeing which King
allowed himself to smile.
"Never mind" he told Ismail. SIT Is
no matter. 1t Is ever well to think
twice before speaking once, for thus
mistakes die stillborn. Only the mon
key-folk thrive on quick answers---is II
not SOY Thou art man Of many inches
of thew and sinew--hey, but thou
art mani If the heart within those
great ribs Of thine IL true as thine
arms are strong shall be fortunate
to have thee for servantw
"Aye!" said the Afrldi. "But what
are words? She has said am thy
servant and to hear her is to obey!"
Then, take me telegram" said
King.
He began to write at once on a half
sheet Of paper that he tore from let
ter he had in his pocket, transposlng
into CIPHER as he went along.
Yasmini has gone North. Ia there any
reason at your end why / should not
follow her ut once?
He addressed II In plain English to
his friend the general at Peshawur,
and handed 1t to Ismail, directing him
to government office where
the CIPHER signature would be recog-
nized and the telegram given prece-
dence.
Ismail stalked off with 1t, strldlng
like Moses down from Sinai--hook-
-hawk-eye-fowing beard-dig-
nifty and all, and King settled down to |
guard himself against tAe next at |