Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-04-06
By TALBOT MLlNDY
Copyright by the Bobbs-Merriii Company

VI uu cyel say lHe uHloTbIFlHB I1lllo.
IF one of us should go back int
his camp now he would be tortured
Be sure of that"
Breathing deeply in the darkness
they nodded, as If the dark had eyes
IsmaiPs chin drove a fraction deepe
into his shoulder.
Nov We know--for all men know
that the entrance into Khinjan caves |;
free to any man who can tell liz
without tinching. 1t is the way GU
again that is not free. How many mer
do ye know that have entered ant
never returnedT
They all nodded again. 1t was com
mon knowledge that Khinjan was 9
very graveyard of the presumptuous
"She has set a trap for the mullah
She will let him and all his men enter
and will never let them out again p
"How knowest thouT This from
two men, one on either hand.
"Was I never In Khinjan cavesg he
retorted. whence came /? | am her
man, sent to help trap the mullah! |
would have trapped all of you, but for
being weary of these Hills and wish
full to go back to India and be par
doned! That is who / am! That is
how know r.
Their breath came and went sibi-
lantly, and the darkness was alive with
the excitement they thought them
selves too warrior-like to utter.
"But what win she do them" asked
somebody.
King searched his memory, and In
a moment there came back to him
picture of the hurrying jezailchi he
had held UP in the Khyber pass, and
recollection of the mans words.
know We not" he said, "that long
ago she gave leave to all who ate salt
to be true to the salt? She gave the
Khyber jezailchis leave to fight against
her. Be sure, whatever she does, she
will stand between no man and his
pardonp
"But will she lead a jihad? We will
not fight against herl"
may" said King, drawing his breath
in, Ismail's chin felt like a knife
against his collar bone, and Ismail's
iron fingers clutched his arm. 1t was
time to give his hostage to Dame For
tune. "She will go down into India
and use her influence in the matter of
the pardons!"
Il believe thou art very great liar
indeedr' said the man who lacked part
of his nose. 'The Pathan went, and
he did not come back. What proof
have wep
Eye have mew said King. 'If /
show you no proof, how can | escape
your
They all grunted agreement as to
that. King used his elbow to hit Is
mail In the ribs. He did not dare
speak to him; but now was the time
for Ismail to carry information to her,
supposlng that to be his job. And after
q minute Ismail rolled into q shadow
and was gone. King gave him twenty
minutes start, letting his men rest
their legs and exercise their tongues
Now that he was out of the mullah's
clutches-and he suspected Yasmini
would know of 1t within an hour or
two, and before dawn In any event
he began to feel like player in game
of chess who foresees his opponent
mate In so many moves.
II Yasmini were to let the mullah
and his men into the caves and to join
forces with him In there, he would at
least have time to hurry back to India
with his eighty men and give warning.
He might have time to call up the Khy-
Der jezailchis and blockade the caves
before the hive could swarm, and he
chuckled to think of the hope Of that.
On the other hand, If there was to
be battle royal between Yasmini and
the mullah. he would be there to watch
1t and to comfort India with the news.
snow we will go on again, in order
to be close to Khinjan at break of day."
he said, and they all got up and obeyed
him as If his word had been law to
them for years. OF all of them he was
the only man In doubt--he who seemed
most confident of all.
They swung along into the darkness
udar m.hupo S+oro trofIiu1 haIIud
Kings horse, with only half dozen of
them hundred yards or so ahead as
an advance guard, and all Of them ex-
pectlng to see Khinjan loom above each
next valley, for distances and darkness
are deceptive in the "Hills," even to
trained eyes Suddenly the advance
guard halted, but did not shoot. And
as King caught up with them he saw
they were talking with someone.
He had to ride up close before he
recognized the Orakzai Pathan.
"Salaam" said the fellow with
grin. Il bring one hundred and
elevenl'
AS he spoke graveyard shadows rose
out of the darkness around and leaned
on rifles.
''Be We men all ex-soldiers of the
raJT King asked them.
"Ayel" they growled in chorus.
"Who gave you leave to Gomez" King
asked.
"None! He told us of the pardons
and we camel"
aye" said the Orakzal Pathan.
drawing King aside. But she gave