Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-02-14


vail. Win rararct ef steae haili
upon it, pierced for rislv.fire
As they approached Hangar tur
ban. not unlike Kings own, appeared
above the parapet on the ledge and u
voice he recognized hailed him good
humoredly.
'Salaam aleikoum
"And upon thee be peace!" King al.
swered in the Pashtu tongue. for the
~Hills" are polite. whatever the other
principles.
Rewa Gunga's face heamed down on
him, wreathed in smiles that seemed tn
include mockery as we'll as triumph.
Looking up at him at an angle that
made his neck ache and dazzled his
seemed to him that the smile said,
AHere you are, my man, and aren't you
In for it?" He more than half sus-
pected he was intended to understand
that But the Rangar's conversation
took another line.
| "By jove!" he chuckled. "She ex-
| pected you. She guessed you are a
hound who can hunt well on a dry
scent, and she dared bet you will come
in spite of all odds! But she didn't
expect you in Hangar dress! No, by
iove! You jolly well will take the
wind out of her sails!"
King made no answer. For one thing,
the word hound" even in English, is
not essentially compliment. But he
had better reason than that.
ibid you find the way easily?" the
Hangar asked; but King kept silence.
"1s he parched? Have they cut his
tongue out on the road?"
That question was in Pashtu, direct
ed at lsmail and the Others, but King
answered 1t.
ooh, as for that" he said, salaaming
again in the fastidlous manner Of ma
i've gentleman, II know no other
tongue than Pashtu and my own Ra-
Iasthani. My name Is Kurram Khan.
ask admittance."
He held up his wrist to show the
gold bracelet, and high over his head
he Hangar laughed like bell.
"Shabash !" he laughed. "Well done
Enter, kurram Khan, and be welcome,
:hou and thy men. Be welcome in her
lame!"
Somebody pulled rope and the
lOOr yawned wide, giving on kind Of
courtyard whose high walls allowed no
7iew Of anything but not blue sky.
Through gap under an arch in far
corner Of the courtyard came a one
Eyed, lean-loOking villain in Afridi
1ress who leaned on a long gun and
stared ut them under his hand. After
/ leisurely consideration of them he
dubbed his nose slowly with one finger,
'pat contemptuously, and then used
he finger to beckon them. crooking 1t
lueerly and turning on his heel. He
lid not say one word.
King led the way after him on foot,
,or even In the "Hills" where cruelty
virtue, man may be excused, on
economic grounds. for showing mercy
% his beast. His men tugged the
weary animals along behind him,
through the gap under the arch and
along IN almost interminable, smelly
maze Of alleys whose sides were the
walls Of square stone towers, or some
lines Of mud-and-stone-wall COM
pounds. and here End there of sheer,
slab-sided cliff. Like Old Jerusalem,
the place could have contained a civil
war Of hundred factions, and still
have opposed stout resistance to an
outside army.
Alley gave on to courtyard, and filthy
square to alley. until unexpectedly ut
last seemingly blind passage turned
sharply and opened on straight
street, Of fair width. and more than
half mile long. 1t Is marked street
or the Dwellings" on the secret army
maps. and 1t has been burned so often
by Khinjan rioters. as well as by expe-
ditions out Of India, that man who
goes on a long Journey never expects
to find 1t the same on his return.
1t was lined on either hand with
motley dwellings,, out of which mot
Her crowd of people swarmed to stare
at King and his men. There were Hin
dus-sycophants, keepers Of accounts
uuu NTlteTS 10 the CnleIS (Sl0Ce ut-
eracy is ut n premium In these parts).
In proof Of Khinjan's catholic taste
and indiscriminate villainy, there were
women Of nearly every Indian breed
and caste, many Of them stolen into
shameful slavery, but some Of them
there from choice. And there were lit
tie children-little naked brats with
round drum tummies. who squealed
and shrilled and stared with bold eyes.
Perhaps a thousand souls came out
to watch, all told. Not an eye of
them all missed the government marks
on Kings trappings, or the govern.
ment brand on the mules. and after q
minute or two. when the procession
was halfway down the street. man
reproved child who had thrown a
stone. and he was backed up by the
others. They classified King correct.
ly. exactly as he meant they should. As
a hakim-a man of medicine--he could
I'LL long-felt want; but by the brand
on his accoutrements he walked an
openly nvowed robber. and that made
him Il brother In crime. Somebody