Part 50 (1/2)

”Well?”

”There are others in these Hills-others in Khinjan ear British

”Hundreds Men fight first on one side, then on the other, being true to either side while the contract lasts In all therethe 'Hills'”

King nodded He himself had seen the chieftains come to parley after the Tirah war Most of them had worn British medals and had worn the slowly, ”could speak with some of those men and stir the spirit in the the pardon for deserters and the probability of bonuses to the time-expired for reenlistment; if we could march down the Khyber with a hundred such, or even with fifty or with twenty-five or with a dozen men-ould receive our pardon for the sake of service rendered”

”Good!”

The Pathan thumped him on the back so hard that his eyes watered

”We would have to use ain

”Aye! If Bull-with-a-beard got wind of it he would have us crucified And if she heard of it-”

He was silent Apparently there were no words in his tongue that could coe He was silent for tenimental lines, and of order and decency and of justice handed out to all and sundry by gentleiain as well as ever,” he said at last Then there was silence again for fifteen minutes more ”I could always shoot,” he murmured; ”I could always shoot”

When Muhaotten to replace the lashi+ng on King's wrists, but the mullah seemed not to notice it

”Coly head, and then stoodimpatiently while they obeyed

He had twice the number of woht five ruffians to guard them, who pounced on the captured rifles and claiust Then the wos, and at a word fro, then two , then the Orakzai Pathan, and then the other three The Pathan began to whisper busily to the ht forward and contented hi within hi and dance, as once David did before the ark He did not feel in the least like a prisoner

They es poised between earth and heaven, until they ca to the one entrance into Khinjan Caves Just before they entered it twohorses One horse was for thehim more respect than is usually shown a prisoner in the ”Hills”

Then the mullah led the way into the tunnel, and he seemed in deadly fear The echo of the hoof-beats irritated hiht be expected to shoot down at hi oil and hurried past each of them at a trot, only to draw rein ireat

It became evident that histhe passage lay dead bodies Yasmini must have posted the men there, but where was she? Each of them lay dead with a knife wound in his back, and the mullah's es, wiping off blood that had scarcely cooled yet

When they came to the end of the tunnel it was to find the door into the mosque open in front of theuard over the eyelashless ed him At a word from Muhaave a signal that brought the great stone door sliding forward on its oiled bronze grooves

Then, with a dozen jests thrown to the hairless one for consolation, and an utter indifference to the sacredness of the ht outer air, and Muhas toward Khinian's outer raate without incident and hurried into the great dry valley beyond it As they rode across the valley theof beads Unlike Yas to one God; but he seemed to have many prayers His back was a picture of determined treachery-the backs of his men were expressions of the creed that ”He shall keep who can!” King rode all but last now and had a good view of their unconsciously vaunted blackguardis the lot,within hie feast!

Last of all, close behind him, marched his friend, the Orakzai Pathan, and as they picked their way a the boulders across the mile-wide moat the two contrived to fall a little to the rear The Pathan began speaking in a whisper and King, riding with lowered head as if he were studying the dangerous track, listened with both ears