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Show I A TELEGRAM SERIAL 1 , ,. PERCIVAL TO THE HILT CUER tmm mm mum mm aeaasMas mm sea ansa ssaeasa mmm Author el "Bmu Goats" Chapter M Along the upward sloping track ths cavalcade wound its way, mounted or afoot, with much commotion com-motion sf chatter, laughter and shout. Arrived at ths tlarat, ths Pa thane fell silent as Wendovsr reined in his horse, raised his hand and addressed ad-dressed the men of Khairabad aa all savs BeJ litem's mors especial escort gathered about him. "Hear, eh men of Khairastan," he said in Pushtu. "I have asksd a favor sf your khan and ha has granted tt, swesrtng by tha head and tha Ufa of his son that ha will keep his word to me. ths which I know hs will do. No man is to follow fol-low ma, for I would fight my enemy alone. If I sss you not again, farewell. fare-well. And may each of you whoa his time comes have aa happy a death aa mine wlU as." And, turning to Share Khan, he grasped hia hand. "Farewell, Share Khan, my friend and brother." "Dismount that I may am brace tries, Huaoor," replied Shore Khan. Ths path began to dsacsnd toward to-ward ths little valley with Its central cen-tral plain, not mora than twice the sword through his left shoulder. Well, first blood to Ballttstn. And now anything hs could do wore best done quickly. Wheeling his horse and drawing back hia sword, hs raised It above hie head, stood up in his stirrups, truck backhanded and sideways at Bailltain's neck with all his strength even as ths Russians point again went horns toe Ists. With laboring Kings, breathless and feeling as if his heart would burst, Wendover dropped his sword hand, leaned forward an his horse's neck and watched with staring syes his enemy collapse, drop his sword, reel In the saddle and fall to the ground, there to Us motionless bs-sids bs-sids his horse as his lifs blood gushed from his neck like water from a tap. Dead . . , he'd never move again after such a stroke as that, a stmks delivered with all a strong man'a strength, almost a madman 'a might, with sharp-edged heavy sword in so vulnerable a spot. A stroke that had cut him free; free from shame and horror. Free and dying . , , blind . . . falling... With a heavy thud Wendover feU I Li. I I 1 . . - , long enough to kid Bibl Jaq make ready for my wounded brother. Hot water, cloths, a bed. And bid tha doctor Rahlmtullah make ready, too. Then without losing a minute, ride. If your ho res falls dead, run you until you also fall dead. But don't (all until you have had apeech of the sahib who dwells in the house whence you called Oul Ma-hommed Ma-hommed on the night that tha police po-lice seissd me. Tell him all things snd hs will tell Gul Mahommed s friend known today as Gnu) am Hyder and tomorrow as Inavetullah Hussein, and who is the sahib that Is ths friend of Gul Mahommed. Haxalrigg Sahib. Bid him come, bringing an English hakim, a doctor doc-tor sahib. And say that I will have men picked and horses waiting at this snd of ths Khybsr pass: Rids for ths lifs of Gul Mahommed, who Is sorely wounded. Iwik, there li blood upon his lips. Go." Ami Dost Mahommed. a boy of Id who had killed hia man, married his girl, begotten his son, broken in his horse and won his spurs on raid and foray, sprang into tha saddle sad-dle of the beat horse in Khairastan (noted for ths speed and endurance sis oi a pow grouno. uoviouaty mis was ths appointed spot, the place where ths agony of his spirit would end in death or healing cure. There was a sudden rasp of steel and a whirl of dust as In ons movement move-ment BaiUtsin swung his horse about upon Its hsunches, drew his sword and rode at Wendover, a cos-, sack cry upon his lips, the glare of his fierce syes no less bright than the flashing sword above his head. Wendover had but tims to parry the aveseptng downward cut with his shsathed sword, and with a turn of the wrist to deflect it and drive hia own soabbarded point at Bai-lltxln's Bai-lltxln's throat Swinging his own horse to the near side, Wendover whipped his word from Its seaboard, rods at BaiUtsin, feinted at his head and as Bailltain's sword cams up In parry dropped his point and thrust sgaln, tearing as he did so ths side of Ballitsin's coat As with knee and rein Wendover swung his horse, BsiUtsin with a backhanded stroke missed his neck by a hair's breadth, recovered, caught Wendover'a answering slash upon ths forts of his saber, lowered his point and In his turn thrust," ths sword grating Wen do ver's shoulder. Dashing past him. BaiUtsin galloped gal-loped a short distance, pulled his horse up suddenly, swung It about and charged. As hs did so, his saber across his left shoulder, he aimed a mighty horizontal blow. Wendover was quick and cool. Swerving right without checking pace or attempting to go about, hs turned In his saddle, tried to give BaiUtsin his point as hs cams up and received that ef Ballitsin's iiwiii ut imjiov ami jajr mouwKH in the blood of the man whom he had killed. e e e Khans Shers Khan Khudadad Khan Hassan All Khan, chief of Khairastan, glanced at the sun and shadow thrown by a rock. "Mount and ride." hs said. And. leading the cavalcade of horsemen and ths almost squally swift footmen, foot-men, hs dashed headlong down the tract by which hia friend and his snsmy had disappeared but a short hour before, an hour that bad seemed a lifetime. Rounding the hillside at breakneck break-neck pace and thundering down Into the valley beyond, he saw whst he hsd feared to see, a sight that by strange premonition ha had expected; expect-ed; two horses standing still with hanging hsads, two men lying yet more quiet "By Allah! Both are dead," cried his cousin, Hussein Shad, riding beside him. "Both? Liar and fool, I will slay thee if It be so," shouted Shere Khan, driving his horse ahead of the rest. First to ths fstal spot, Shere Khan knelt beside his friend, raised his hesd, placed his ssr upon his heart and praised the one true God. "He Is alive," he said. "Maks a Utter, thrusting rifles through the sleeves of two of your poshtesns... No. Hs is too big a man." "Lift him onto his horse and two of us wiU support him," said Dost Mahommed. "And start the bleeding sgaln? Stand clear. I will carry' him." "Look you, Dost Mahommed," Shere Khan added, "take my horse and ride. Halt at Khairabad fort vi iu orm of norsesf anu iwnni on a ride that became legendary, as famous In its way and place as ths ride of Psul Revere or ef those who brought the news from Ghent to Alx. Major Bartholomew Haielrlgg, calling at an unusually early hour at Flagstaff house, gsvs his card to ths sccomplished Goaaese butler, but-ler, bidding him tsks it to Pfoulkes Miss Sahib. A minute later Sybil dressed In riding kit, entered the drawing room white-faced, firm-lipped. "Not been sleeping too well by the look of her," thought Haielrlgg, "aince hs went." "Good morning, my dear. Just hsd a messenger," said be. "From Dickie?" asked the girl "Well, In a manner of apeaklng. From his boy friend. Got himself wounded." "Wounded? Badly?" "Well, Shere Khan has sent a messenger who must hsvs broken all records to let ms know and" "You are stsrtlng now?" interrupted inter-rupted ths girl. "Yes, my car snd kit will follow ms and be here in a few minutes, and I am going straight off. Shers Khsn will, hsvs horses and escort waiting near La u oh I KotaL" "I'll come with you to Khairabad." Khaira-bad." To be conducted Saturday. Copyright, 1J, for The Telegram. For Spicy Fillip A crisp garnish of crunchy spiced cookie crumbs, rolled fine, does a lot to pep up a mild fruit gelatin and whipped cream dessert |
