The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-05-23

! clpn,y Yards before II began To- cnr,.
and It's din was like the voice of ull ere.
alton.
Ismail came and stood by King In
silence, taking his hand us II little chlls
might. Presently he stopped and
plckcd NJ u stone and tossed it over.
"Gone - he said simply. THAT down
! there is Earth's Drink !"
men boast nhoutf'
EBAY! II is not !" snapped Ismail.
"Thcn, where
But the one-eyed guide beckoncd inn
maternity, and King led the way after.
him. staring ms hnkim or prisoner or
my man had right to do on first ad-
mission to such wonders. Not to have,
stared would have been to proclaim
himself an idiot.
They soon began 10 pass tho mouths
| of caves. Some were above the rond.
now and then ut crazy heights above
Il. reached by artificial steps hewn out
OF the stone. Others were below,
| reached from the road by means of lad
| dcrs. that trembled and swayed over
the digging waterfall. Most OF tho
caves were inhabited, for armed men
and sullen women came to their en-
frances to stare.
Ears grow accustomed to the sound
OF water sooner than to almost my
thing. II was not long before Kings
ears could catch the patter Of his mems
feet following, and the shod clink OF
the mule. lie could hear when Ismail
whispered:
"Bc brave, little haklm! She loves
fearless men"
At Inst the guide halted, In the mid
die Of Il short steep slope where the
path was less than six feet wide and q
narrow cave mouth gave directly onto
II.
"Be content to rest herel |" he said,
pointing,
Thy cavef" asked King.
NAY. Gods! ] am the caretnker !"
The "Hllls" are very pious and po-
lite. between the acts OF robblng and
shedding blood.
"Allah, then, reward thee, brother J"
answered King. allah give sight to
thy blind eye! Allah give thee chill
drcn! Allah give thee peace. and to
all thy house,"
The guide salnamed. half-mocklngly,
h~alf.wondering ut such eloquence.
paused In the passage 10 point into
the side caves that debouched to either
hand. turned on his heel and stalked
King ever saw of him.
King turned back and looked Into
the other Caves-saw the weary horse
and mule fed, watered and bedded
down-took note OF the running water
that rushed out Of n rock assure and
eurgled out OF sight down another one
examined the servants cave and saw
that they had been amply provided
with blankets. There was nothing lack
Ing that the most eXncting traveller
could have demanded at such a dis
lance from civilization. There was
more than the most exacting would
have dared expect.
"Ismall :" he shouted. and jumped mt
the revolver.cracklike echo of his voice.
lsmnil came running.
Make the men carry the mules
packs into this cave. You and Darys
Khan stay here and help me open
them. Remember, ye are both assist
ants Of kurram Khan, the hakim! !"
"rhey will laugh at us! They will
laugh at u.s. clucked Ismail, but he
hurried to obey, while King wondered
who would laugh.
Within an hour n delegation came
from no less II person than Ynsmini
herself, bearing her compliments, and
hot food savory enough to make n
brass IDOLS mouth water. BY this time
King had his sets Of surgical instru-
rncnts and drugs and ~bandages all laid
out on n Of the beds and covered
from view by n blanket.
II was only one more proof Of the
British army's everlasting luck that
one OF the men, who set the great brass
dish Of food on the floor near King,
had n swollen cheek, and that he
should touch the swelling clumsily az