Part 19 (1/2)
”You ”
”That is a lie, and a poor one!” the felloered ”But a very little while ago I spoke with King sahib in Ali Masjid Fort, and he is no cappitin, he is leftnant Therefore thou art a liar twice over-nay, three times! Thou art no officer of Khyber Rifles! I am a jezailchi, and I know the, ”I am an officer of the Khyber Rifles, newly appointed I asked you, have you a letter?”
”Aye!”
”Let me see it”
”Nay!”
”I order you!”
”Nay! I am a true man! I will eat the letter rather!”
”Tell me rote it, then”
But the fellow shook his head, still eying the pistol as if it were a snake about to strike
”I have eaten the salt!” he said ”May dogs eat me if I break faith! Who art thou, to ask me to break faith? An arrficer? That must be a lie! The letter is from him rote it, to whom I bear it-and that islet his reins fall and raised his left wrist until the old of his bracelet under the jezailchi's very eyes
”May God be with thee!” said the man at once
”Fro what the men in the clubs at home would say if they knew that a woh authority on British sod; for the Khyber Pass is as le's or Korea japanese, or Panama United States American, and the Khyber jezailchis are paid to help keep it so
”From the karnal sahib (colonel) at Landi Kotal, whose horse I ride,” said the jezailchi slowly, ”to the arrficer at Ja sahib, the arrficer at Ali Masjid I bore a letter also, and left it as I passed”
”Had they no spare horse at Ali Masjid? That beast is foundered”
”There are two horses there, and both lame The man who thou sayest is thy brother is heavy on horses”
King nodded ”What is in the letter?” he asked
”Nay! Have I eyes that can see through paper?”
”Thou hast ears that can listen!” answered King
”In the letter that I left at Ali Masjid there is news of the lashkar that is gathering in the 'Hills,' above Ali Masjid and beyond Khinjan King sahib is ordered to be awake and wary”
”And to la them over rocks!”
”Nay, the karnal sahib said he is to ride after noto hi?”
”I? Oh, a little An uncle of mine, and three half-brothers, and a brother are of its nuht to tempt me to join-but I have eaten the salt It was I who first warned our karnal sahib Now, letBut he lowered his pistol point
To hold up a despatch rider was about as irregular as any proceeding could be; but it ithin his province to find out how far the Khyber jezailchis could be trusted and within his power ularity did not trouble him much