Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16

say and not succeeding, relieved when his wife
told him:
'Vvhat good are men in time Of trOuble2 Be
pleased to leave the room, o my masterl"
He obeyed, while Khaizaran took the girl in
her arms.
st know" she interrupted when Kothra be-
gan to explain. 1T is because Of your lover,
eh?" Gruffly she spoke. Yet there was her
nOtherly embrace, her caressing hand smooth.
ing the girls forehead. The Lord alone know
eth what you see in hm-with him nothing
but q swashbuckling mercenary-or what he
sees In you-with you nothing but child Of
thinkers and vagabonds! An such is ever the
way of love-right or wrong. straight or crook
ed but finding its goal river finds the
ocean Gone away, has he? What Of it? He
VIII return"
'FTe win not return. Ali Hassan is right"
"Ali Hassan is big fool. as you are small
fool One of these days you will see your cap
tain again, looming dark and brave against the
sky. :. :"
All Hassar says ="
"Pah! interrupted Khaizaran. EFT Is high
time that some one talked sense to this same
Ali Hassan" She rose. the lean, gray-hared
woman. Her eyes flashed. II shall talk to him!
! myself"
she went straight to the young chiefs house
and faced him s1uarely.
Il was never the one to mince words" she
began.
Il know it," came the ironic rejoinder $50
does your, husband
Good. Therefore. speaking about this
Kothra > 4
'swho Is speaking about her2"
81 am. She does not love you. Why not let
her go?"
How dare yon?" he reared flushing with
rage IT am the chiefi'
II put you across my knees before you be-
came chief after the death of your mother
may her soul enjoy paradiseI 1t was I took
care of you, and scrawny and most disgusting
brat you werel Yes, many a time took the
slipper to you and by Allah, am still strong
enough to do it today Chieftainship? Pride?
A rotten fig for BOTH What right have you to
be proud, o great buffalo?"
sSWHO has better right than L? Old Is
my clan! The tree is not more old than
We, nor yet the steppe, nor yet -
Nor yet my nose!" she cut in. Empty
words! The drum which booms most loudly
Is filed with wind! Show me your pride! Prove
It to met"
'Proye?" he stammered Howl"
'There is only one way. BY being generous"
"Eh?" he demanded
Forget your hatel There is the captain
and the girl. They love each other. Grant
them :. :"
On she raced in mad, frothing, lashing
tumble of words. cursing, imploring again ours
ing again imploring until suddenly. in a sort
Of frenzied resignation, Ali Hassan exclaimed:
Eyes. yes, yes! / shall do whatever you wishl
Only-be quiet. o mother Of leaky tongue!"
"You give oath?"
shave / not given oath? ride today"
"Ride?" she echoed. astonished.
ITO Samarkand to find out what has hap
pened to this precious captain and bring him
back. To bring him back by force If, belize, he
has forgotten Kothra and is kissing other wom-
nv he hat he fiV1OIvy
eff a measure of generosity it must be, let it
be filed to the brim and no stinting"
That same afternoon he was on for Samar-
kand through the Snow-clad steppe, astride his
Swiftest dromedary.
grand town he found it. Great mosques
swelling like the tolling of bells beneath q
vaulted, stee1-gray sky. Granite bastions chant
ing the epic of the Grand Khans Of High Tar
tary. Narrow tangles Of crowded, coilhg alleys.
Rich bazaars where men Of all Central Asia
bartered and cheated and laughed. Inns where,
since Winter had closed the steppe trails. the
caravan traders squatted at their ease, eating
drinking, swapping gossip-and it was in one
Of these inns that Ali Hassan asked where he
could find Mehmet Var
"In gaol." replied a Kirgiz cameler.
"What has he done?" demanded the chief.
The Kirgiz did not know. But palace servant
did, and he related how one night, months
earlier, hirra-bashee, prowling through the
streets, had seen Mehmet Var entering his
brothers house.
These hirra- baShees were the Grand Khan's
confidential messengers and spies. Their duties
were varied. To name just few: II refrac-
tory viceroy of an outer province had to be adj
mOnished. mildly or otherwise; If present or
q threat had to be delivered to a foreign prince
ling; if merchant, grown too rich or too
greedy, had to be persuaded that the state
treasury needed a substantial cash donation;
n discreet dagger had to pierce a traitors
heart, there was always hirra-bashee to dc,
nquestoningly, his masters bidding.
Keen men they we're, suspicious men-smell-