The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-02-01

.sMay God be with thee y came the
instant greeting from each cell until
down toward the farther end. The
occupants Of the last six cells were
silent. He had scarcely finished doing
that when Ismail strobe in, slamming
the great iron door behind him, jan
Cling asbunch OF keys and looking more
than ever like somebody out of the Old
Testament.
"Open every door except those whose
numbers have rubbed out - King or
dered him.
Ismail proceeded to obey as if that
were the least improbable order in all
the world. 1t took him two minutes
to select the pass-key and determine
how it worked, then the doors few
open one after another in quick sue
cession.
"Come out," he growled. "Come
out Come out!' although King had
not ordered that.
King went and stood under the CEN
ter light with his left arm, barred. The
prisoners emerging like dead men out
Of tombs, blinked at the bright light
saw him-then the bracelet-and sa-
luted.
'May God be with theei" growled
each Of them.
They stood still then. awaiting fresh
developments. It did not seem to oc-
cur to any one of them as strange that
British officer in khaki uniform
should be sporting Yasmini's talisman !;
the thing was apparently sufficient ex-
PLANTATION in itself.
Eye all know this?" he asked, hold
ing up his wrist. "Whose is thisY'
"Hersl' The answer was monosyl-
Liable and instant from all thirty
throats.
King lit cheroot and made mental
note Of the wisdom Of referring to her
by pronoun, not by name.
"And /? Who am II" he asked.
'sHer messenger! Who else? Thou
art he who shall take us to the Hills Z
She promised"
II shall start for the Hills at dawn"
King said slowly, and he watched their
eyes CLEAN at the news. No Gagged
tiger is as wretched as prisoned hill
man. No freed bird wings more wildly
for the open. No moth comes more
fOolishly back to the flame again. 1t
was easy to take pity on them prob
ably not one Of whom knew PHYS
meaning.
"Is there any among you who would
care to Gomez
"Ah-h-h-h!"
"Will We obey me and him." he
asked, laying his hand on Ismairs
shoulder, as much to let them see the
bracelet again as for any other rea-
son.
"Aye! If we fail, Allah do more to
us!"
King laughed. aye shall leave this
place as my prisoners. Here We have
no friends. Here We must obey. But
what when We come to your Hills at
last? Can one man hold thirty men
prisoners then? In the Hills will We
still obey me-"
The answer to that was unexpected.
Ismail knelt seized his hand
pressed the gold bracelet to his lips!
In turn, every one Of them filed by.
knelt reverently and kissed the brace
lett
"Saw ye ever hillman do that be-
fore?" asked Ismail. "They will obey
thee! Have no fearl'
"Then comet" ordered King, turning
his back confidently on thirty savages
whom Saunders. for instance, would
have preferred to drive in front of him,
after first seeing them handcuffed.
Each lock has key, but some keys
fit all locks" says the Eastern proverb.
King has been chosen for many tick
lish errands in his time, and Saunders
is still in Delhi.
The prisoners were left squatting
under the eyes and bayonets of very
suspicious prison guard, who made no
secret of being ready for all conceiv-
able emergencies One enthusiast drew
the cartridge out of his breech cham
Der and licked it at intervals Of a min
ute VI LWOs " Tic very great lAtCAS ct
of the hillmen, who memorized every
detail that by any stretch of imagina-
ton might be expected to improve
their own shooting when they should
get home again. E
King found his way on foot through
a maze of streets to place where he
was admitted through one door after
another by sentries who saluted when
he had whispered to them. He ended
by sitting on the end of the bed Of
gray-headed man who owns three titles
and whose word is law between the
borders of province. To him he
talked as one schoolboy to a. bigger
one, because the gray-haired man had
understanding, and hence sympathy.
II don't envy you'll" said he under
the sheet. 'There's the release for
your prisoners. Take it-and take
them! Whatever possessed you to
want such gift?"
"WeH, sir-first place, she doesn't
want to seem to be connected with me.