The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-07-04

~ ''''s ~ Nv W. - 49,
stir.5ackcd snhib u In front OF me,
and The thunder OF the gun.wheels go
Ing by. The salt was good! Come
thou with me -
"The pardon Is for deserters," King
objected, not for political offenders"
"Hnugh !" snld the Pathan, bringing
down his fiat hand hard on the hakim's
thigh. ~ will attend TO that for thee.
| will obtain my pardon first. Then
will ! lead thee by the hand to the
knrnal sahib and lie TO him and say,
This Is the one who persuaded me
against my will TO come back TO the
regiment ="
Thou art n dreamer - said King.
Unite my hands; the thong cuts me-"
The Pathon obeyed.
Dreamer, nm II II u good TO dream
such dreams. BY Allah. I've n mind
10 see that dream come true! ] never
slew a man on Indian soil. only In
these Hills l will 20 to them and
say, Here ! amt | am II descrter. l
seek that pardon Truly | will go!
Come thou with me. little hakimr"
Nay" said King. II have another
thought. You who were seen 10 slay
n man, and | who em a political offend.
er, do not win pardons SO easily as
that. They would hang US unless we
came bearing gifts"
Gifts? Has Alluh touched thce2
What gifts should we bring? A dozen
stolen rifles? A bag OF silver? And !
am the dreamer, nun II"
Nay" said King. II am the dream
or. There are others in these Hills
others in Khinjan who wear British
mcdals?"
The Pathan nodded. Hundreds.
MN fight first on one side, then on the
other, being true to either side while
the contract lasts. In all there must be
the mnkings of many regiments among
the Hills"
King nodded. lie himself had seen
the chieftains come to parley after the
Tirah war. Most OF them had worn
British medals and had worn them
proudly.
III W. two" he said, speaking slow
ly, could speak with some OF those
men and stir the spirit in them and
persuade them to feel as thou dost,
mentioning the pardon for descrters
and the probability Of bonuses 20 the
time-cYpired for rc.cnlistmcnt II we
could march down the Khyber with n
hundred such, or even with fifty or
with twenty-five or with n dozen men
we would receive pardon for the
sake Of service rendered.
GOOD 2"
The Pathnn thumped him on the
back so hard that his eyes watered.
"We would have 10 use much eau
ton" King advised him, when he was
able TO speak again.
AYE! !. Bull-with.a.beard got wind
Of II he would have us crucihed. And
II she heard Of it"
He was silent. Apparently there
were no words in his tongue that could
compass his dread OF her revenge. He
n silent for ten minutes, and King
sat still beside him. letting memory
Of other days do its work-memory OF
the long, clean rcgimental lines, and OF
order and dccency and Of justice hand
ed out to all and sundry by gentlemen
who did not think themselves too good
TO wear n native regiments uniform.
"In two days I could do the drill
again us well MS ever" he said at last.
Then there was silence again for hf.
teen minutes more. "T could always
shoot" he murmured IL could always
shoot"
When Muhammnd Amin came back
they had both forgotten To replace the
lashing on Kings wrists, but the null
lah seemed not 10 notice II.
Gomez" he ordered, with n sldewlse
jerk OF his great ugly head, and then
stood muttering lmpatiently while they
Obeved.
They marched downward through
intcrmlnablc tunnels ana along lodges
poised between earth and heaven, un.
III they came at last To the tunnel lead
ing to the n entrance into Khinjan
cnves. Just before they entered II two
more Of the mullah's men came up
with them, leading horses. One horse
was for the mullah, and they helped
King mount the other, showing him
more respect than Is usually shown a
prisoner In the Hills"
Then the mullah led the way into the
tunnel, and he seemed in deadly fear.
The echo OF the hoof-bcats irrItatcd
him. He eyed each hole In the roof as
II Yasmini might be expected TO shoot
down at him or drench him with boil
ing oil and hurried pms: each OF them
Mt a trot. only 10 draw rein Immediate
ly afterward because the noise was too
great.
II became evident that his men had
been at work here too, for at intervals
along the passage lay dead bodies. Vas
mini must have posted the men there,
but where was she7 Each Of them lay
dead with n knife wound In his back.
and the mullah's men possessed them.
selves of rifles and knives and car.
tridges, wiping on blood that had
scarcely cooled yet.
When they came to the end of the
tunnel II was TO find the door into the
mosque open in front of them, and
twenty more Of Muhammad Anlm's
men standing guard over the eyelaah.