Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-01-10


mules Ssu ike. but store The iosds ~nere
i |. caa dfss On them m CASE, d aaeu.
II wouiG iisa 10, have "a talk with you oekore
u aaiiiiia me rathar Desperate step in-
4 tend, oaS don't wasss III ne seen enter
/ ins or leaving All Masiid Caa YOU come
IL DOWN thu pass without making Nour IN
Il tsntioit 4auNnp Il ia growing misty now
II Ii oaglft tn Do easy. NN msa ~iii esu
i YOU where am and show YOU the way
4 Wns not dsstros thin lsstar A~ashsistan.
He folded the note and struck q post
/ age scamp ON Ia tn lieu of seal Then
be examined rhe packs with the aid or
/ the tasnlfghe sorted them AMI ordered
/ Two Of the mules reloaded.
.Yeu three - be ordered then. Take
the loaded ns.les into Ali Nasfsd fort.
Take this Gait. you Gtve 1t TO the
sahfh In command there
ITO hear is to ohsy." said the near
est man They took the mules leading
reius and before they had gone ten
PAGES were swallowed In the mist that
had begun to now southeastward- The
night grew still. except tor the within
pering of tackals.
Ismail came nearer and squatted at
Kings feet. Darya Khan came closer
too. King Had tied the reins Of the
two horses and the one remaining
mule together in knot and was sit
Ding on the pack. Solemn, almost
motionless, squatted on their hunkers,
they looked like two great vultures
watching an animal die.
They sat In silence for Ave minutes.
Then suddenly the two hillmen shud.
dered. although King did not bat an
eyelid. Din burst into being. A vOlley
ripped out Of the night and Numbered
down the pass.
"How-utt! Hukkums darr came
the insolent challenge half minute
after 1.-THE proof positive that Ali
Masjid's guards neither slept nor were
afraid.
A weird wall answered the chal-
lenge. and there began tossing to and
fro Of words. that was prelude to q
shouted invitation:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"
English can be as weirdly distorted
az wire, or any other supple medium,
and native levies advance distortion to
the point Of art; but the language
sounds no less good In the chilly gloom
Of Khyber night.
Followed another wait, this time Of
half an hour Then mans foot
steps-a booted, leather-heeled man,
striding carelessly. Not far behind him
was the softer noise of sandals. The
man began to whistle "Annie Laurie"
"Charles2 That your" called King.
"That you, old man3"
A man In khaki stepped into the
moonlight. He was so nearly the i'm
age Of Athelstan King that Ismail and
Darya Khan stood up and stared.
Athelstan strobe to meet him. Their
walk was the same. Angle for angle.
tine for line, they might have been one
man and his shadow, except for three
quarters Of an inch Of stature.
"Glad to see you, old man." said
Athelstan.
"Sure, old chapi" said Charles; and
they shook hands.
"What's the desperate proposalf'
asked the younger.
"I'll tell you when we are alone"
His brother nodded and stood step
aside. The three who had taken the
note to the fort came closer--partly TO
call attention to themselves. partly to
claim credit, partly because the outer
silence frightened them. They elbowed
Ismail and Darya Khan, and one Of
them received a savage blow In the
stomach by way of retort from Ismail.
Before that spark could start an ex.
plosion Athelstan interfered.
"Ismail! Take two men. Go down
the pass out Of earshot, and keep
watch! Come back when whistle
thus--but no soonerl"
He put fingers between his teeth and
blew until the night shrilled back at
him. Ismail seized the leather bag and
started to obey.
leave that bag. Leave It, I say 7"
"But some man may steal 1t, sahib.
How shall thief know there Is no
money In IT."
"Leave II and gor'
Ismail departed, grumbling, and
King turned on Darya Khan.
''Take the remaining men and go up
the pass!" he ordered. "Stand out Of
earshot and keep watch. Come when
I whistle!"
''But this one has bellyache where
Ismail smote him! Can man with a
bellyache stand guardf His moaning
will betray both him and me-" OBJ
jected Lord Of the Rivers"
"Take him and got" commanded
King
"But-"
King was careful now not to show
his bracelet. But there was something
In his eye and In his attitude--a
subtle. suggestive neutrality-suspicious.
about him-that was rather more con.
vincing than pistol or n stick. Darya
Khan thrust his rifles end into the hurt
mans stomach for encouragement aud
| started off In the mist.
"Come and ache out of the sahibs'
sight! he snarled.
In minute King and his brother
| stood unseen, unhearti in the shadow