The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-01-04
~ TALBOT MUNDY
copxrirh, by the nobbs-Merrin Company

. j tilD camp w" hN 'NN'N w
BE sure of that"
Breathing deeply In the darkness,
they nodded, as if the dark had eyes.
Ismalrs chin drove fraction deeper
, into his shoulder.
Now We know--for all men know
/ that the entrance into Khinjan caves is
/ free to any man who can tell II lie
/ without hinching. Ii Is the way out
again that is not free. How many men
do ye know that have entered ana
never returnedw
They all nodded again. II was com
mon knowledge that Khinjan was
very graveyard Of the presumptuous.
"She has set trap for the mullah.
| She will let him and all his men enter
and will never let them out again!
"How knowest thou?" This from
two men. one on either hand.
WAS | never in Khlnjan caves? he
retorted. whence came II l am her
man, sent to help trap the mullah! /
would have trapped all of you, but for
being weary of these Hills and wish
full to go back to India and be par
doned That Is who / am! That is
how l knOwr
Their breath came and went sibi-
lantly, and the darkness was alive with
the excitement they thought them
selves too warriOr-llke to utter.
"But what will she do then?" asked
somebody.
King searched his memory, and in
moment there came back to him a
picture of the hurrying jezailchi he
had held up in the Khyber pass. and
recollection of the mans words.
"Know ye not" he said, that long
ago she gave leave to all who ate salt
to be true to the salt? She gave the
Khyber jeZailchls leave to fight against
her. BE sure, whatever she does, she
will stand between no man and his
pardonl"
"But will she lead jihad7 We will
not fight against herr
"Nay," said King, drawing his breath
in. ismail's chin felt like knife
against his collar bone, and Ismail's
/ lIOH IhStlo NiulIhCh "a III. ~ Nhc
time to give his hostage to Dame For
tune. "She will go down into India
and use her influence in the matter of
the pardons"
81 believe thou art very great liar
indeed!" said the man who lacked part
of his nose. "The Pathan went, and
he did not come back. What proof
have we?"
"Ye have mel" said King. "If
show you no proof, how can l escape
your
They all grunted agreement as to
that. King used his elbow to hit Is.
mail In the ribs. He did not dare
speak to him; but now was the time
for Ismail to carry information to her
supposlnG that to be his job. And after
a minute Ismail rolled into shadow
and was gone. King gave him twenty
minutes start, letting his men rest
their legs and exercise their tongues
Now that he was out of the mullah's
clutches-and he suspected Yasmlnl
would know of II within an hour oI
two, and before dawn In any event
he began to feel like player In game
of chess who foresees his opponen,
mate in so many moves.
If Yasmini were to let the mullat
and his men into the caves and to joir
forces with him in there. he would al
least have time to hurry back to lndis
with his eighty men and give warning
He might have time to call up the Khy
ber jezailchls and blockade the caves
before the hive could swarm, and hi
chuckled to think of the hope of that
On the other hand. If there was tc
be battle royal between Yasmini ant
the mullah, he would be there to watcl
II and to comfort India with the news
"Now we will go on again, In ordel
TO be close to Khlnjan at break of day,
he said, and they all got up and obeyet
him as if his word had been law Il
, them for years. OF all of them he was
the only man in doubt-he who seemed
most confident of all.
They swung along into the darkness
under low-hung stars, trailing behin(
Kings horse. with only half dozen O
them hundred yards or SO ahead a.
an advance guard, and all of them ex
pecting TO see Khinjan loom above eacl
next valley, for distances and darkness
are deceptive in the Hills" even t
trained eyes Suddenly the advanc
, guard halted, but did not shoot. An,
as King caught up with them he saw
they were talking with someone.
He had to ride up close before h
recognized the Orakzai Pathan.
,, "Salaam!" said the fellow with
! grin. II bring one hundred an
eleven!'
AS he spoke graveyard shadows ros
out of the darkness around and leane
on rifles.
"Be We men all ex-soldiers of tn
: raj?" King asked them.
+ aver they grOwled in chorus.
: "Who gave you leave to comet" Kin
5 asked.
"Nonel He told us of the pardon
!, and we Gamer
"Ayei" said the Orakzai Pathal
drawing King aside. "But she CAV
me leave to seek them out and temr
! them y"