Part 13 (1/2)
”Good-by, then Good-by, King, my boy Good-by, Athelstan Your brother's up the Khyber, isn't he? Give hi before dawn the thirty prisoners and Ismail squatted in a little herd on the up-platfor, who s on an unmarked chest of ery that he had borrowed froo-dohere he drew the medical supplies Ismail sat on the one trunk that had been fetched fro on his knees, picking everlastingly at the lock and wondering audibly what the bag contained to an accorowled sympathy
”I am his servant-for she said so-and he said so As the custo-on which I sit-as he said hi Then hy in Allah's na too? Of this little bag that holds so little and is so light?”
”It ht be money in it?” hazarded one of the herd
”Nay, for that it is too light”
”Paperon the face that sahibs accept instead of gold”
”Nay, I knohere his money is,” said Ismail ”He has but little with hiested another h the slit, so as not to widen it more than needful, a ht be dropped or pushed violently against so, to explain the cut”
Ismail shook his head
”Why? What could he do to thee?”
”It is because I know not what he would do to !” answered Iss with This s This man is not mad, he has a devil I have it in my heart to love this man But such talk is foolishness We are all her men!”
”Aye! We are herlooked up and watched them over the open book
At dahen the train pulled out, the thirty prisoners sat safely locked in third-class co lay lazily on the cushi+ons of a first-class carriage in the rear, utterly absorbed in the principles of antiseptic dressing, as if that had anything to do with Prussians and the Khyber Pass; and Is of soda water bottles in the ice-box on the floor
”Shall I open the little bag, sahib?” he asked
King shook his head
Iss of ht be well to rearrange”
”Put it over there!” King ordered ”Set it down!”
Isht another of his black cheroots The theme of antiseptics ceased to exercise its chared his shi+rt and lay back in sweet contentment Headed for the ”Hills,” ould not be contented, who had been born in their very shadow?-in their shadow, of a line of Britons who have all been buried there!
”The day after to-rinning with yellow teeth through a gap in his ard beard, understood and syes the prisoners hugged thenized the changing scenery There was a new cleaner tang in the hot wind that spoke of the ”Hills” and hoaain, and oh! how exquisite the promise of the ”Hills” was, and the thunder of the train that hurried-the bu Himahlayas-Himahlyas!-the air that blew in on them unscented-the reawakened memory-the heart's desire for the cold and the snow and the cruelty-the dark nights and the shrieking storery of the Land of the Knife ahead!
The journey to Peshawur, that ought to have been wearisos toat every wayside station because the trains ahead of theress!
Not a packed-in regi's prisoners as if they were blood-brothers of everykneaved to hi train
”Meet you in Berlin!” was a favorite greeting And after that they would shout to hi could answer