New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-01-04

Ismail followed him in a hurry, like
n man wading Il river with loose
clothes gathered in one arm and the
other arm ready in case of falling.
Darya Khan did not 60 so fast. AS he
forced his way forward n mar passed
him up the wooden box that King had
used to stand on; he seized II in both
hands with n grin and Il jest and went
to stand behind King and Ismail, in
line with the lashless mullah, facing
Yusmini. Yasmini smiled ut them all
as If they were actors in her comedy,
and she well pleased with them.
"Look ye!" howled the mullah.
be one of us!"
King felt ten thousand eyes burn
holes in his back, but the one pair of
eyes that Knocked him from the bridge
was more d~isconcerting.
"Turn, Kurram Khan! Turn that
all may see!"
Feeling like a man on a spit, he re-
volved slowly. BY the time he he'd
turned once completely around he had
decided that Yasmini meant he should
be frightened, but not much hurt just
yet. So he ceased altogether to feel
frightened and took care to look more
scared than ever.
"Speak, Kurram Khan" Yasmlni
purred, smiling her loveliest. "Tell
them whom you slew"
King turned and faced the crowd,
raising himself on the balls of his feet
to shout, like a man facing thousands
of troops on parade. He nearly gave
himself away, for habit had him I'M
awares A native hakim, given the
stoutest lungs in all India, would not
have shouted in that way.
"Cappitin A%ttleystan King" he
roared. And he nearly jumped out of
his skin when his own voice came rat
Ting back at him from the roof over
head.
Yasmini chucklol as a little rill will
sometimes chuckle among ferns. 1t was
devilish. 1t seemed to say there were
traps not far ahead.
"Where was he slain?" asked the
mullah.
"Tn the Khyber pass" said King.
Nov give proof" said the mullah.
"Words at the gate-proof in he cav
ern! Without good proof, there is
only n way out of here!"
"Proof. :" the crowd Numbered.
"Proof." the roof echoed.
There was no need for Darya Khan
to whisper. Kings hands were behind
him, and he had seen what he had seen
and guessed what he had guessed while
he was turning to let the crowd look
at him. His fingers closed on human
hair.
"Nay, it is Short" Kissed Darya
Khan. "Take the two ears, or hole 1t
by the jawbone! Hold it high in both
hands"
King obeyed, without looking at the
thing, and Ismail, turning to face the
crowd. rose on tiptoe and filled his
lungs for the effort of his life.
"The head of Cappitin Attleystan
King-infidel - kaflir British arrf-
GER !" he howled.
"Good" the crowd beloved. Good!
Throw It."
The crowds roar and the roofs
echoes combined in pandemonium.
"ThrOw 1t to them, Kurram Khan"
Yasmini purred from the bridge end,
speaking as softly and as sweetly as
if she coaxed a child. ut is the Gus
tom |"
'Throw 1t! Throw it," the crowd
Numbered.
He turned the CHASTITY thing until 1t
lay ~face-upward in his hands, and so
at last he saw it. He caught his breath,
and only the horn-rlmmed spectacles,
that he had cursed twice that night,
saved him from self-betrayal. The
cavern seemed to sway as he looked
into the dead face of his brother
Charles.
If Yasmini detected his
she gave no sign.
Throw 1t Throw it! Throw 1t !"
The crowd was growing impatient.
Many men were standing, waving their
arms to draw attention to themselves.
Catching Yasmini's eyes, he knew it
had not entered her head that he might
disobey.
He looked past her toward the river.
There were NJ guards near enough to
prevent what he intended; but he had
TO bear in mind that the guards had
rifles, and if he acted too suddenly one
of them might shoot at him unbidden.
Holding the head before him with both |
hands, he began to walk toward the
river, edging all the while a little to-
ward the crowd as IL meaning to get
nearer before he threw. He reached the
river and stood there.
His mex move made every savage
who watched him gasp because of its
very uneXpectedness. He held the
head in both hands, threw 1t far out
into the river and stood to watch it
sink. Then, without visible emotion of
any kind, he walked back stOlidly to
face Yasmini at the bridge end, with
shoulders a little more stubborn now
than they ought to be, and chin a shade
high, for there never was q man
who could act quite perfectly.
Thou fool" Yasmini whispered
through lips that did not move. She
betrayed a flash of temper like a
she-tiger's, but followed it in
with her lOvellest smile.
"Slay him" yelled a lone voice, that
was greeted by an approving murmur.
"This is a darbar!" Yasmini an
nounced in a rising, ringing voice. "My
for 1 summoned it! Did I
invite any man to speakr