Part 12 (2/2)
They went then in opposite directions and the prisoners were left squatting under the eyes and bayonets of a very suspicious prison guard, who encies One enthusiast drew the cartridge out of his breech-chamber and licked it at intervals of a reat interest of the Hillinationwhen they should get hoh a h one door after another by sentries who saluted when he had whispered to theray-headed man ns three titles and whose word is laeen the borders of a province To hiray-haired , and hence sympathy
”I don't envy you!” said he under the sheet ”There was an A ht expression 'I do not desiderate that pie!' was his way of putting it Good, don't you think?”
All the while he talked the olderon a pad that he held propped by his knees beneath the bedclothes, holding the paper tight to keep it fro electric fan
”There's the release for your prisoners Take it-and take theift?”
”Orders, sir”
”Whose?”
”His He sent for ainst her This was obvious”
”How obvious? It see!”
”Well, sir,-first place, she doesn't want to seem to be connected with me Otherwise she'd have been ra-and she did not e Hillmen is to keep promises, and they say she pro but her particular pet gang they'd either have been over the border or else in jail before now,-just like all the others For some reason that I don't pretend to understand, she promised 'em more than she has been able to perforet a pretty good personal following at least as far as up the Khyber! QED,sir!”
The man in bed nodded ”Not bad,” he said
”Didn't sheasked hiet them dry-nursed by the sirkar in some way?”
”Yes She did But it was difficult In the first place, there didn't see Ali's substance The scoundrel had to feed the as he kept them there, and anted that We forbade her to pay their debts to Ali, because he has too urgent need ofpressed on account of debts of his own, and the pressure isfor ents We knoho they are, and we expect tohaul within a few hours now”
”Hope I didn't spoil things by butting in, sir”
”No This is different She wanted them arrested and locked up at a moment when the jails were all crowded And then she wanted us to put 'em into trucks and railroad 'em up North out of harm's way as she put it, and we happened to be too busy The railway staff was overworked Now things are getting straightened out I felt it keenly not being able to oblige her, but she asked tooratitude; it was she who tipped off for us erous men, and it was not her fault a few of the Take ht in bed in three, and here I alad to see you, but please understand And I'm a leisured dilettante compared to most of the others Shesood opportunity for me, sir!” he said cheerfully
”So you seeerous She's got the brains of Asia coupled with Western energy! I think she's on our side, and I know he believes it; but watch her!”
”Harinned But the older et through alive, come and tell me about it afterward Now,you-”
”Envy!” King als rattle as he jumped ”I wouldn't swap jobs with General French, sir!”
”Nor with me, I suppose!”
”Nor with you, sir