Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TWO 3^ BARNWELL SENTINEL; BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA “ A ; >: /i T . y , M A Story That Combines the Thrill of Modern Detective Fiction With the Romance of Arabian Nights Tales ADVENTURE AND ROMANCE EXTRAORDINARY ■ . i '■ ■ i— ■ ■ In this remarkable lale Mr. Mundy Introduces us to the mysteries and charm of India, and to nn Interesting, people of the Orient about whom the western world knows little or nothing. In the coiqpany of Captain Athelstan King, his hero, we go on a wonderful Journey In Kblnjan caves; and with him we meet Yasmlnb- an exotic beauty of marvelous fascination. It gives us*great pleasure to. publish “King of the Khybe** Hides” because sve believe our** readers will enjoy the serial more than any we hat«*~prtriTed In a lung time. - ; • < .; 'the editor. . \ CHAPTER I. ' ' j —1— , i The men' who govern India—mor* power to them and her I—are few. Those*who stand In their way and pre tend to help them with a flood of words are a host. The charge.-lias •eon the light In print that India—well- spring of plague und sudden death • ad money lenders—has sold her soul t » twenty succeeding conquerors In lira. So when the world war broke the world was destined to he surprised on India’s account. The Red sea, full of racing transports crowded with dark- skinned gentlemen, whose one prayer wu8 that the war might not be over before they should huve struck a blow for Britain, was the Indian army’s an swer to the press. — T More than one nation was deeply shocked by India’s answer:to “prac tices’’ that had extended over years. But there were men In India who learned to love India long ago with that love that casts out fear, who knew exactly what w*as going to huppen and could therefore afford to wait for,.or ders Instead of running round In rings. A. iejstnn King, for instance, noth ing yet hut n captain unattached, sat In mengerly furnished quarters with his heels on n table. He Is not a doctor, yet he read a book on sur gery ; und when he went over to the club he carried the book under his arm und continued to rend It there. In the other room where the telegraph blanks were Uttered in confusion ill! about the floor, the other officers sent telegmms and forgot King, who sat ami smoked and read about surgery: and before he had nearly finished bite box of cheroots a general at Peshawar wiped n bald red skull und stmt him an urgent telegram. “< Vmje nt once I” It said simply. King was at Lahore, but miles don’t matter when the dogs of war are loosed. The- right man goes to the right pluce at the exact right time not keeping buck more than a mere handful to hold the tribes In chpck.” King nodded. 'Hifre has never been peace .jilting the northwest border. It" did not need vision to foresee trouble from that quarter. In fact it must have been partly on the strength ot~ soino of King's reports thn't the gen eral was planning now. “Well, the tribes’ll know presently how many men we’re_sending oversea. There’ve been rumors about Khinjan by the hundred ; lately. They’re cook ing something. Can you Imagine ’em keeping qulef now?” “That depends, sir. Yea, I can Imagine it.” , The general laughed. ‘That’s why T~*ent for you.. I need a man with stunt the general’s, fat figure darkened the doorway twenty inen of higher rank .than King, native and English, rose from llned-up chairs and pressed forward: ^ w \ “Sorry—have to keep-yon all Wait-* Ing—busyJ He waved them aside with a little ilpologetic gesture. “Conte In here, King.” >> King followed him through a door tliat slammed tight behind him’on rub ber.. Ja mbs. , —tv “Sit down I” \ The general unlocked a steel drawee and began to rummage among the pa- then, and the fool goes to the'wall. In that one respect war Is better thun some kinds of peace. In the train on t|ie way to Peshawnr he was not troubled by forced con versation. Consequently he reached Peshawur comfortable. In spite of the heat. And his genial manner of salut ing the full-general whp met him with a dogcart at Peshawur station was something scandalous. Full-genernls. particularly In the early’days of war, “Come at Once,” It Said. ’ • . ‘ "j- \ do not drive to the station to meet captains very often; yet King climbed Into the dogcart unexqitedly, after keeping the general waiting White he checked a trunk I The general cracked his* whip with out uny other comment than n smile. A Wood mure .tohvsparks out of the macadum. .und a dusty military road began to ribbon out between the wheels. Sentries In unexpected places, announced Themselves with in riog-of shaken steels as their rifles came to the “present.” which courtesies the general noticed with a raised whip. On the dogcart’s high front seat, star ing. straight ahead of him between the horse’s ears. King listened. The general did nearly all the talCing. “The North’s the danger.” ^ King'grunted with the lids half-low ered over full, dark eyes. He did not look (‘Specially handsome In that at titude. Some men swear he looks like • Roman, and others liken him to a gargoyle, all of them ehocnlng to Ig nore thp smile, that can transform his' whole face instantly. ~ "We’fe ^trading India «T troop*— Imagination! There’s a wotpun you’ve got to work with on this occasion who can Imagine u shade or two too mueb. What’s worse, she’s ambitious. So I chose you to work with her.’’ King’s lips stiffened under his mus tache. and the. corners of his eyes wrinkled Into trow’s feet to corre spond. Eyes are never coal-black, of course, but his looked It at that min ute. “You know we’ve sent men to Khin- Jan who are said to have entered the caves. Not one of. ’em has ever re turned.” King frowned7“ “She cluims she can enter the caves and come out again nt pleasure. She lias offered to-do It, and I have ac cepted. Can you 'guess who she Is?” “Not YnstTrlnl?” King hazarded. and the general nodded. The helmet-strap mark, printed Indelibly on King’s Jaw and cheek,iff the Indian sun, tight ened and gfeTV* whiter—us the generul noted out of the Corner of his eye. “Know her?” “Know of her, of course, sir. Every body does. , Neyer met her to - my sknowledge.” “Um-m-mJ Whose fault was that.? Somebody ought to have seen to that. (Jo to Ujelhj now and meet her. I’ll serid her a wire to sny you’re coming. She knows I’ve chosen you. She tried to Insist on full discretion, but I over ruled her.” King’s tongue licked his lips, and his eyes wrinkled. Tin* general’s voice be came thd least shade more authorita tive. ‘ “When you see her; get a pass from her that’ll take you .Into Khinjan caves I Ask her for It! For the sake of appearances I’ll gazette you sec onded to the TChyber rifles. For the sake of success, get a pass from her I” “Very well, sir.” ’“You’ve a brother In the Khybcr rifles, haven’t you? Was It you or your brother who visited Khinjan once and sent In a report?” - . “I did. sir.” He spoke without pride. Even the brigade of I’rltjsh-Ihdlan cavalry that went to Khinjan on the strength of his report und leveled Its defenses With the ground, had not been able to find the famous caves. Yet the caves themselves are a byword. / “There’s talk of a Jihad (holy war) There’s'worse than that! When you went to Khinjan, what was your chief object 7*’ 1 ' - 1 1 “To» find the source of the everlast ing rumors about the so-called ’Heart of the Hills.’ Sir.” “Yen, yes. I remember. I read your report. You didn’t And anything, did you? Well. The fctory is now that the ’Heart of the Hills’ has come to life. So the spies say.” -King whistled softly.! “There’s Ko^ guessing wlint It* means.” said the -general. “Go -and work with Ynsudni. The spieh" keep bringing in rumors of ten thousand men in Khinjan caves, and of another large jaslilvar not far away fromKhln Jan. There must he no Jilmd,'King! India Is mil hut defenseless! This story about a ‘Heart of the Hills’ com pers In it. In a minute he produced a package, bound in rubber bands, with a faded photograph face upward on the top. — . “That’s the wqman I Dow d’you like the lock of her?” King took the package and for a mlnnte stared hard nt the likeness of a woman Whose fame has traveled op and down India, until her witchery has become u proverb. She . was King, vyith his uiouth full of curry, did not answer, but his eyes smiled. \ After lunch he was closeted with the y general ingaln for twenty minutes. Then one of the general’s- carriages took him to the station ; und it did not appear to trouble him nt all that the other occupant of the carriage was the' self-same Major Hyde, who had sat next hlm at lunth. In fact, he smiled so pleasantly that Hyde grew exas perated. Neither of them spoke. «At the station Hyde lost his temper open ly, and .King left him abusing an on-' happy native servant. - you kiridlee tell mo. sir, where I could” find Captain,King.sahib?” “Certainly," King answered him. He looked glad to be of help. “Are you traveling on this train?”: The question sounded like politeness Welling from the lips of unxusplclon. “Yes, sir. I imf triivelihg^from this place where I have spent a few days, to Bombay, where my business iri,” “IIovv did you know King sahib ‘.the train?” King asked him, sinil- v/Atc ’That's the Woman! How Do You Like the Look of Her?” dressed air a dancing woman, yet very few dancing women could afford to be dressed as she was. N The general watched his face with eyes that missed nothing. “Remember—I said work with her!” giving looked up "and nodded. T- J ‘Thcy sny she’s three parts Rus sian,” said the general. ‘To my knowl edge she speaks Russian like n native, and about twenty ojher tongues ns well. Including English. She was the girl.widow of a rascally hill rajah. I’ve heard she loved her rajah. And I’ve heard she didn’t! There’s another story that she poisoned him. I know she got away with his money—and thnt’s proof enough of brains I Some say she’s a she-devil % I think that’s an exaggeration, but bear in mind she’s dangerous I” , * * King grinned. A man who trusts Eastern women over readily does not rise far In the secret service. ) “If you’ve, got nous enoqgh to keep <>n her soft side and use her—not' let her use you—you can keep the ‘Hills’ quiet and the Khyber safe I If you van contrive that—now—In this pinch —there’s -no limit for you!. Com mander in chief shall bo your job be fore you’re sixty!’’ \ ; King pocketed the photograph and papers. “I’m well enough content, sir, as things are,” he said quietly. , The general paced one# across the room and once back again, with hands behind him, Then he stopped in front of.Klng. “No man in India has a stiffen task than you'imve now! A jihad launched from the, Tims’ would mean anarchy in tip* plains. That would entail send ing buck froiy France an army that can't be spared. There must be no jihad. King! There' must-—not—bo— oilo !-- Keep that in your head!” "Nvhnt arrangements have been made with her, sir? 1 * “Practically none! She’s watching (he spies In Delhlrjbut they’re likely to break for the ‘Hills' any minute. Then they’ll lie arrested. When that happens the fate cjf India may he In your hands and he/s! Get out of my way now. until. tlflln-tirael” Jn a wny-thnt some ineu never learn, KIniSSproceeded to efface himself en- The station was crammed to suffo cation by a crowd that roared uml w rithed and smelt to high heaven. Rut the general himself had telephoned for King’s reservation, so he took his tiniq. There w;ere din and stink- and'dust be neath a savage sun.-, shaken into re verberations'by the scream of itn en gine’s safety valve. R was helm in es sence and awake !—India arising out of lethargy!—India us she Is more often nowadays—and it made Kirtg for the time being of the Khyber rifles, happier than some, oilier men can be In ballrooms. Any one who watched him—and there was at least one ninn who did— must have noticed his strange abil ity. almost like that of water, to reach the poinfhe aimed for, through, and not around, the crowd. lie neither shoved nor argued. Or ders and blows would have been equal ly useless, for bad it tried the crowd could not have obeyed, and It was in no mind to try. Without the least ap parent effort he arrived—and there Is no other word that quite describes It— he arrived. He climbed Into his car riage and leaned from the window. “Why.n're you here?*’ asked ian acid voice btdilnd him: and without troub ling to turn his heiuT he knew that Major Hyde was to he his enrrlJge mate again. ^— “Orders," said King. "Is that your answer?” psked the major. Rulked nmbitlbn Is an ugly horse to ride. lie had tried for u command but hud been shelved. "I have sufficient authority,” said King, unruffled/ Ho xpoku.us if lie were thinking of ^omethfng entirety differ-- TrrTtwnrjmiief la TT ent. His eyes were ns if they saw tie* major from a very long way off and rather approved of him on the vylioje. “Show mo your authority, please!" King dived into an Inner pocket and produced a. card-.that lufu about ten 1 by the tlihinp of words written on its face, above a general’s signature. Hyde read it and pussed it back. % “So you’re one of tlm^e, are yon!” ie said In a tone of voice that would start a fight In some part.; of the world and In some services. Rut King nodded cheerfully, nnij that annoyed the major more than ever; he snorted, closed Ids mouth with a snap and turned to re arrange the sheet and pillow on hlfi* berth. on ing so genially that even tip* tYOlice could not liuvo charged him with more thamnirfosity. »- “By telegram, sir, My brother had the misCprlLuu? te. miss Captain Kiug sahib at.IVshawur und therefore sent a telegram to Trie asking me to do v. hat 1. can at an iutervlew.” , “1 said King. “I see.'* And judging,.by ihe sparkle in bis eyes as ho IooIokI away, he Could see a lot. Rut the native could not see his eyes at that Instant, although he tried to. He looked flack at the train, giving the man a good chance to study bis fneg In profile. “See HinT r arriago?” he asked, point ing. ‘The fourth l’H.st«viiiss carriage from .the end?" iVeli^riiero are only two of us in there; I’m Major Hyde, end the other is Cgptaiu King. I’ll tell Captain King.to look out for you.” “Oh. thank, yon, sir!” said the natjve ollj’ v. “You are most kind ! I am your hnniblo servant, sirT f King nqdded good-bv to him, his, dark eyes In the shadow of the khaki helmet seeming .scarcely interested any longer; “Couldn’t you find another berth?" Hyde' asked him angrily' when . he stepped buck Into the compartment. “What were you- out there looking for?” King smiled hack nt him blandly. “I think there are railway thieves' on theTrajn/’ he-wnofroced without any effort at relevance? lie' might not have heard the question. Fly-le snorted and relumed to Ids seat in ihe silem-t of unspeakable scorn. Rut presently he opem-d a suit case and .drew out a repeating pjstol “Thought so!” He dared open Ills eyes n mite wider. “Ilcfs - pukka—trim ' to type!-'. Rob first anij ^hen Idll !” As Ju» watched,- the, thief drew the sheet back ffoiu Hyde’s face, with; traimMl fingefs that could have take* spectacles from the victim’s nose with bor his knowtedge. 1 hen ns fisli gihte in and oiitTiiifyng the reeds Arithout touching them, swift and softjind un seen, his tinkers searched Hyde's body. Hiey found nothing. — King moved In bis sleep, rather nolsHy. nntf t hemovelnerit k uocked • hook toThe floor from the foot;dx berth. ThrNqoIse of that nwqke Hyd^ and King pm^smled to begin to waue. yawning and rolih^g oh his back (that being much thg ^safbst position »»o Trlfc^ armed man can takeNand muclr the most riwkvarQ fo- his etwtpj);' ’Tbicyes!” Hyde yelled utTbe top or hi* lungSj groping wildly for hiAsjiistOt " and not finding it, King sat up and rubbed his eyoK The, native drow -1 tie knife, amb-b*^ lievlng liinisclf in command' of the situation—hesitated for one priceless second. lie saw his error and darted for the* door too late. With a move ment unbelievably swift King was there ahead of him; nnd with another movement not so swift, but much .more disconci rtiog, he threw his sheet *s the retlarius Itsed, to throw a net t> ancient Rome, it wrapped- rouml. the nntive’s head and arms, and the tw* went together to th* floor in a twist«# stranglehold. In another half-minute the natlw wns groaning, for K j ng had his knife- wrist In two hands and was bending tt backward while he pressed the man’* stomach with his knees. —~ The knifeTell to the floor, and the thief made a gallant' effort to recover If. hjit King was too Strong for him. Me seized the knife himself, slipped It in hi*; own bosoni and resumed his hold before th** native guessed* what he was after The train sTenmed ItseT to a standstill at n way |i<]e station, and a man with a lantern began to ehnnt the station’s name. The instant the which lie rocked carefully und stowed 1 ,rr ‘ln’s motion altogi^h: r beneath his pillow-; not at alj a con temptible’ move, because the JudLu <ed. tlw> ie most resourceful specialist in the wdr’d. Rut K ng took no overt precautions of any kind. ' After more Interminable hours night shut down on flteiu. ri d-hot. black-dark, rnesinerice.lly subtluCided to seconds i f carriage wheels and ■ lit at intervals by. showers, of sparks | front the-gasping engine: Then King, j strangely without ki< king-off Ids shoes,, drew a sheet uj> ov< r lds.sli<>uld(>rs. On the opposite hertli Hyde- covered his bead, to keep, du-t out of Ids hair, and presently King heard UUu -beglu To snore gently. Then, very Carefully he adjusted his own position so # tliat his profile lay ont'ined in tlie dim light from the gas lamp in the roof. He might almost have bet-n waiting to he shaved. Long after nihhiight his vigil was rewarded by n slight sound at the door. From that instant Ids eyes were on the watch, under dark closed lashes;, but his even '’breathing' was CHAPTER II. ~ The train pulled out, amid a din of voices from the left-behlnd thnt nearly _ drowned the panting of the overloaded 1 i:,t of the WVentJj wage of sleep that knows no dreams. A click of the door-latch h< raided the appearance of a hand. With skill. engine. Hyde all but stripped himself and drevy on striped pajamas. King was content Jo lie in shirt sleeves on the other berth, with kfiees raised, so of the sort that only special training tlmt Hyde could not overlook the gen- < ’ 1 * 1 develop, a man in native dress in- r- .. tirely atnong the crowd in the hail unity nfatttlou .-„„ r | v |„ e noU,m S: „f mj count to anybody until the great gong boomed and the general led them all in to his" long dining table. Yet he did not look furtive or jsecretive. 4 'No body noticed-bim, nnd he noticed ev erybody. There is nothing whatever secretive about that. The fure vns plain, and the meal a perfunctory pffnir. The general and ills guests wore there for no other reason than to ent food, and only the man who happened to sent himself next to King—a major by the name of-Hyde—spoke to liim at all. “Why aren’t you with yoor regl- mentT’ he asked, -• _i - “Because the general asked me to lunch, slr?"i K"- “I Suppose you’ve been pestering him fpr an nptMdiitinentr and a'holy war such fas the world has not seen. Go up,there and stop it if fan. At least, let tne know tbe facts." King grunted. To stop a hrily war •dngle handed would be rather like stopping the wind-*-possHdy easy’ •‘iimigli. if ’one knew* the way. Yef he krtew no general would throw away a man like himself on a nseless venture! Tl^ bejspin to,look happy. 'Hie general clucked, to the mare and one wheel ceased to touch the gravel as they whlr.ed along a semi circular drive. Under the porqh of a ^retentions residence, sentries Ralut-' ed, the .salslswung down und In less than sixty seconds King was follow ing the general through a wide en trance -Into a crowdedTialL The lh- cral’s papers. At his ease he st^iii»Ml them one by one, memorizing u string of names, with details as to their own ers’ antecedents and probable,present whereabouts. There were- several photographs f in the packet; and he studied them very carefully Indeed. - Rut -.much -most carefully of all he examined Yas.nini’s portrait, tjeTurtiing to it again njtd again. He reached, the conclusion in the end that win n it. was taken she bad been cunningly -dis- gUise<L ' ‘ ^—v;. “This was Infended - for purpose bf idcritificatbm at a given tiifiC and place,” he told himself. • * “Were you muttering at me? ’ asked Hyde. *->- “No sir. Nothing ef • the jsort in- tendi>d.”. ’ . „ ■ , . ' ’ : V * ■, Ilyde turned an. indignant back oh ■him. and Kibg studied the back iis-rf- be found .it RilehtiiUiig. On the wlio.e he looked sympathetic, so it was as .well that Hyde did not Ionic aryumJ. Bulked ambition us a rule loathes ^sym pathy. * ■ After xut^ny prickly-hot, interininiilKe, jolting-hours the -train drew up «j- Ruwnl-Pindl station. ■imAautly King was on his feet with his tunic on, ilnd ho was out on the blazing hot platform before the train’s motion had, quite ceased. j ,, He began to walk up ami dhwn, n<»t elbowing but percolating through the fcrowd, missing nothing worth noticing iii rill the hot kaleidoscope rind seeming to find new amusement at every (urn. It was not in*the least astonishing that « well-.dressed native should address him * presently, for he looked genial enough to be to JioW o bijiiy; King hiuiself did nof .seem sQrprised at Far-fromrit;; tie looked pb-ffst itl i Bin' slnuated hims<*lf ..Jxito tlx? currlage //' i w “Excuse me, sir,” said the man in glib hnbu English. “I mu seeking (Tp’ HeXfeigned Sleep So Successfully That the Native Turned Away at Last. ‘ without making riwofher sound of anj kind/- King’s ears are part of the equipment for his exacting business, hut he could not hear the door click shut again. ’ For abont five ^nlnutcs, while th* train swayed headlong' Into Indian darkness, the man stoojl listen!ng-und watching King’s face. stood so nenr’lhat King recognt/.rd him for the one who had accosted him on Rawal- -see the bent shut in On tlumiis If tbo 1!^ of Tophft bnd been -fnirnned.— Thr prick- ‘ l.v h«‘nt burst out all over Hyde’s skin nnd King’s too. ~ ’ ~l There.was plenty of excuse for re inxing b "M and K ug nude full use of It. A-\se< olid Istec-hi .gave a v« rv iz pretense of pain lr !,Is finger ends^^s the thief hurst Tr O. The native mnilA a dive rt t>f.ser„ for the knife! brjf he fnis'nited .that. Then he made n prodtgjoos effort, just too inte. to chit eh the man ridlfn. and he did sue- deed In tearing Jortsp n plee^uf shirt: hut the fleeing robber mnst have won-, dered. e- he bolted Inf.) the blacker shadows of the.station building why stieh nn Iren flag.-ed.. wide-awake sahih -should have made *m-h a tnity feeble showing nt the end.. '.Hani: jt l-^coubin’t yhu hold him? Were j-ou afraid of him, or what?" *W- manded Hyde, beginning to dress him self. Instead of answering. King le;me(i out Info the lhmp-H* gl»*<!m, and in a mlmilteihe caught sight of n sergeant of native infantry passing down the train, lie made a sign that-brought the mail to him on the run. ‘Trid you see that runaway?" he asked. -“Hii. sahib. I saw one running. Shall 1 follow?" “No. ‘Dds 'piece of his shirt wilt Identify him. Take It. Hide it! Whe* a rnun with a torn shirt, info whlck.- that plecp Ilfs-mal.es f»»r the teiegropk offit'e after fliis trairi has gone mi, st* Hint he is sitlov.ed to-send any tele- gramn he wants to ! Clniy. have copies °f f^ery bne.of them wired to Captaka King, eg re of the stationmnsfer. Delhi. Have you understoodT "Ifa. sahib.” . , “Grab him. and lnrk him np tight • afterward—but not until be has sent his telegrams!” *. “At* ha sahib.” "Make yourself senree, then !” . ? Major Hy<Ie was dr •'.ssed. havlfig per- fonned that military evolutionrin soroo- thin;’ less than r< Cord time. Ho was ..that you were talking to?" he demanded. Rut King did-jiot seem to understand until the nnttv* Sergeant had quite vanished Into the shadows. . * - ' The encine' shrieked of death au4 torment; th*>^heat relaxed ns the en gine moved—looseqed—let go—lifted nt last, anil n tfjfinioad of hot passerv gers slgb«,a thank sa. ?. ■ * : “What are you'looking at?" Hyde demanded at last, nitfing on King’s berth. < , “Only a knife,” sa+d King. He nv standing tinder the dim gas lanlp.thM helped make tbe darkness more un bearable. He stowed the knife’ away fn his bosom, and the nmjor crossed bis own side. . - : ... , outline of the knlfe-bllt that the man’s fingers clutched underneath his shirt. • tain King suhjb. for wkom my broilni j IK feigned sletp so successfully that .i* verec anxious to be 1 servant. Can ] ‘bo native turntsi ‘ ‘ ™A Delhi, King meets Rewa I Gunga, Yssmini's man, who tells him she haa already yone north. In Yasmini'a house the captain la given his first test of charac-’ ter.- — away 'at Iasl (TO BE CONTINUED.) ^ --