The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-15
King Of the Khyber Rifles
By TALBOT MJQvDY
The Most Picturesque Romance Of the Decade


bare another bracelet, on the mans
right wrist. Size for size, this was the
same as the one that had been stolen
from himself.
Memory prompted him. He felt its
outer edge with finger nail. There
was the little nick that he had made
in the soft gold when he struck it
against the cell bars in the jail at the
Mir Khan palace! He touched the
gold. It was warm. He repeated the
test on the woman's wrists. Hers was
warm, too. Both bracelets had been
worn by a living being within an
hour
He muttered and frowned in thought,
and then suddenly jumped backward.
The leather curtain near the bed had
\ moved on its bronze rod.
! "Aren't they dears?" voice said in
English behind him. "Aren't they
1 sweetY
Yasmini stood not two arms lengths
away, lovelier than the dead woman
because Of the merry life in her, young
and warm, aglow, but looking like the
dead woman and the woman Of the
frieze-the woman Of the lamp-bowls-
the statue-come to life, speaking to
him in English more sweetly than If
it had been her mother tongue. The
English abuse their language. Yas-
mini caressed it and made It do its
work twice over.
Being dressed as a native, he
salaamed low. Knowing him for what
he was, she gave him the senna-
stained tips Of her warm fingers to
kiss, and he thought she trembled
when he touched them. But second
later she had snatched them away and
was treating him to raillery.
'Man Of pills and blisters !" she said,
"tell me how those bodies are pre-
served! Spill knowledge from that
learned skull of timer
He did not answer. He never shone
in conversation at any time, having
made as many friends as enemies by
saying nothing until the spirit moves
him. But she did not know that yet.
"If I knew for certain why those
two did not turn to worms" she went
on, "almost would choose to die now,
while I am beautiful! What would
they say, think you, King sahib, If
they found us two dead beside those
two? Speak, man, speak! Has kim
jan struck you dumbw
But he did not speak. He was star
ing at her arm, where two whitish
marks on the skin betrayed that brace
let's had been.
ooh. thosel They are theirs. ]
would not rob the dead, or the gods
would turn on me. I robbed you, in
stead, while you slept. File, King sa-
nib, while you sleptl"
But her steel did not strike on flint.
It was her eyes that flashed. He would
have done better to have seemed
!. ashamed, for then he might have
fooled her, at least for a while. But
having judged himself, he did not care
; fig for her judgment Of him. She
realized that instantly and having
found tool that would not work,
discarded it for a better one. She
grew confidential.
II borrow them," she explained,
"but I put them back. I take them
for so many days, and when the day
comes-the gods like us to be exact
You were near death when took the
bracelet last night. The time was up.
! would have stabbed you If you had
tried to prevent mel"
Now he spoke at last and gave her
a first glimpse Of an angle Of his mind
she had not suspected.
Princess" he said. He used the
word with the Difference some men can
combine with effrontery, so that very
tenderness has barbs. "You might
} have had that thing back If you had
sent messenger for it at any time.
; A word by servant would have been
J enough"
''You could never have reached
Khinjan then" she retorted. Her eyes
flashed again, but his did not waver.
Princess" he said, "why speak of
what you don't know?"
He thought she would strike like a
snake, but she smiled at him instead.
And when Yasmini has smiled on a
man he has never been just the same
man afterward. He knows more, for
one thing. He has had a lesson in
one of the finer arts.
II will speak of what I do know
she said. "No, there is no need. Look I
Look!"
She pointed at the bed-at the man
on the bed-fingers locked in those of
woman who looked so like herself.
He looked, knowing well there was
something to be understood, that
stared him in the face. But for the
life of him he could not determine
question or answer.
| "What is in your bosom?" she
asked him.
| He put his hand to his shirt.
"Draw it out !" she said, as teacher