Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-04
2v TALBOT MLINDY
Copyright by the Bobbs-Merrin Company

selves too +warrior-lile to utter.
"But what will she do then?" asked
somebody.
King searched his memory, and in
q 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 jezailchis leave to fight against
her. Be sure, whatever she does, she
will stand between no man and his
pardon ~
"But will she lead a jihad? We will
not fight against her I'
Nay" said King, drawing his breath
in. Ismails chin felt like a knife
against his collar bone and IsmaiPs
iron fingers clutchedl his arm. 1t was
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!"
II believe thou art a very great liar
indeedl !" said the man who lacked part
of his nose. 1.-THE Pathan went, and
he did not come back. What proof
have we?"
aye have mel" said King. IF l
show you no proof, how can / escape
you?"
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,
supposing that to be his job. And after
q minute Ismail rolled into a 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 Yasmini
would know of it within an hour or
two, and before dawn in any event
he began to feel like player in game
of chess who foresees his opponent
mate in so many moves.
If Yasmini were to let the mullah
and his men into the caves and to join
forces with him in there, he would at
least have time to hurry back to India
with his eighty men and give warning
He might have time to call up the Khy-
Der jezailchis and blockade the caves
before the hive could swarm, and he
chuckled to think of the hope of that
On the other hand, If there was to
be battle royal between Yasmini and
the mullah, he would be there to watch
1t and to comfort India with the news
"Now we will go ON again, in order
to be close to Khinjan at break of day, y
he said, and they all got up and obeye6
him as If his word had been law u
them for years. OF all of them he WIS
the only man in doubt-he who seemtd
most confident of all.
They swung along into the darkness
under low-hung stars, trailing behind
Kings horse, with only half dozen of
them q hundred yards or so aheal as
an advance guard, and all of then ex-
pecting to see Khinjan loom abovf each
next valley, for distances and darkness
are deceptive in the "Hills," een to
trained eyes Suddenly the advance
guard halted, but did not shoot. And
as King caught up with them he saw
they were talking with someone.
He had to ride up close before he
recognized the Orakzai Pathan.
"Salaam !" said the fellow with a
grin. Il bring one hundred and
elevenI"
As he spoke graveyard shadows rose
out of the darkness around and leaned
on rifles.
"Be We men all ex-soldiers Of the
rai?" King asked them.
"Aye!'' they growled In chorus.
"Who gave you leave to come?' King
asked.
"Nonel He told us of the pardons
: and we Gamer
"Aye" said the Orakzai, Pathan
: drawing King aside. "But she gave
: me leave to seek them out and tempt
themr
: "And what does she intend?" Kins
! asked him suddenly.
= "She? Ask Allah, who put the spirit
. in herl How should know?"
!, "We will march again, my brothers y
King shouted, and they streamed along
= behind him, now with no advanc,
: guard, but with the Orakzai Pathar
striding beside Kings horse. with ,
great hand on the saddle. Like tn,
: others, he seemed decided in his mint
!. that the hakim ought not to be allowe,
~ much chance to escape.
Just as the dlwn was tinting tn
surrounding pesks with softest ros
= they topped ridge, and Khinjan Ia,
" below them acress the mile-wide bone
:, dry valley Ard while they watched
/" and the Khinjan men were beginnin
10 murmu (for they needed no las
= view Of the place to satisfy any Ions
" ings y ncne else than Ismail rose fror
= behind o rock and came to Kings sti,
, rup. Eb tugged and King backed hi
horse until they stood together apar
"She sends this message" said I,
's mail. showing his teeth in the mo.
!, peculiar grin that surely the Hills
= ever Witnessed. "Many of her mel
~ who have never been in the army. az
- none'the less true to her, and she wi
- not leave them to the mullah's mere,
= They will leave the caves in a littI
n while, and will come up here The
\ are to 60 down into India and be mad
I" prisoners If the sirkar will not enli.
% them. You are to wait for them here
4 as that all her messageT' Kir
asked him.
IS, NAY. That is none of it! This
IS. her message: THOU SHALT KNO'
er THIS DAY, THOU ENGLISHMAl
WHETHER OR NOT SHE TRUL
- LOVED THEEl THERE SHALL b
is PROOF SUCH AS EVEN THO
lie SHALT UNDERSTAND
ut Ismail slipped away and lost himse
"a among the men, and none of the
Id seemed TO notice that he had be-
away and had come again. 1t was
n little more than an hour after dav
. and the chilled rocks were beginning
IS. grow warmer when the head of DR.
h. cession came out of Khinjan gate al
er started toward them over the vale
u In all more than five hundred M
m emerged and about q hundred wom