Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-09-05

wiser ne toid himself. for he knew
that he himself suspected II.
While he and the mulIah watched
the tents began to fall and the women
labOred to roll them. The men began
| firing their rifles. and within the hour
| enough ammunition had been squan
dered to have fought good-sized Skin.
mish; but the mullah did not mind
for he had Khinjan caves In view. and
none knew better than he what vast
store OF cartridges and dynamite was
piled In there. He let them waste.
Watching his opportunity. King
slipped down the ramp and into the
crowd. while the rnullah was busy with
personal belongings In the cave. King
| left his own belongings to the fafes, or
to any thief who should care to steal
them. He was safe from the mullah
In the midst Of his nearly eighty men,
who half believed him a sending from
| the skies.
1--WE see We seel" they yelled and
danced around him.
xpClOIG ESCI TIE uOluu saw as VI
der they got under way and started
climbing the steep valley wall. The
mullah on his brown mule thrust for
ward, trying to get in the lead, and
King and his men hung back, to keep
at distance from him. Two or three
miles along the top Of the escarpment
the mullah sent back word that he
wanted the hakim to be beside him.
But Kings men treated the messenger
to open scorn and sent him packing.
IBID the mulla!, hunt himself an.
other hakiml Be thou his hakim
Stay, we will give thee a lesson In
how to use knifei"
The man ran, lest they carry out
their threat, for men joke grimly In the
Hills"
Islnail came and held Kings stirrup,
striding beside him with the easy hill.
man gait.
Fart thou my man at last?' King
asked him. but Ismail laughed and
shook his hend.
II am her man."
o'Where IL she?" King asked.
"Nay, who am that I should known
"But she sent thee2'
"Aye, she sent me-"
ITO what purposeT'
ITO her purpose the Afridi an.
swered. and King could not get another
word out OF him. He fell behind.
but out OF the corner of his eye, and
once or twice by looking back DELHI
erately. King saw that lsmall was
taking the members Of his new band
one by one and whispering to them.
What he said was a mystery, but as
they talked each man looked ut King
And the more they talked the better
pleased they seemed. And as the day
wore on the more deferential they
grew. BY midday II King wanted to
dismOunt there were three at least to
hold his stirrup and ten to help him
mount again.
Four thousand men with women and
children and baggage do not move SO
swiftly az one man or dozen, espe-
cially in the "Hills." where discipline
In reckoned beneath proud mans
honor. There were many miles to 50
before Khinjan when night fell and
the mullah babe them camp. He bade
them camp because they would have
done II otherwise In any case.
When the evening meal was eaten,
and sentries had been set at every van
tage point. there came another order
from the nlullah. The women and
nhllArasN IN kxa inft -
dawn. and to remain there until sent
for. There was murmuring at that
| around the camp, and especially among
Kings contingent. But King laughed.
at Is gooti!" he said.
"Why2 How SOP they asked him.
"Bid your women make for the Khy.
ber soon otter the mullah marches to.
morrow. Bid them travel down the
Khyber until we and they meet!"
| "But--"
''Please yourselves, sahibsl" The
| hakim's mir was one Of supremest In.
difference. "As for me. / leave nc
women behind me in the mountains
| am content"
They murmured while. but they
gave the orders to their. women. and
| King watched the women nod.
| Even as Yasmini had tested him and
| tried him before tempting him at last,
she must be watching him now. for
even the East repeats itself. She had
| sent Ismaii for that purpose. II was
likely that her course would depend on
his. Ii he failed, she was done with
| him. II he succeeded In establishing a
strong position Of his own. she woulC
| yield. With or without lsmairs aid
With or without his enmity. he musI
control his eighty men and. give the
slip TO the nullah, and he went AT once
about the best way to do both.
| "We viii 80 now" he said quietly
"That sentry in yonder shadow has
| his back turned. He has overeaten
| We win rush him and put good runnlns