Adventure Magazine Cover, December 10, 1922 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_ Raj-bahadur Cuthbert King was considered __ the equal of viceroys in all except rank, and greater than any viceroy in his grip on the hearts of men. s When they reached the tent he with his own hands set a chair for Mahommed Babar, and made his own son bring the old man breakfast, even as the Black Prince waited on the French King after Agincourt. Then they sat and smoked together in view of all those northern traders, so that the news of the honor done to Mahommed Babar was certain to be spread from Delhi as far as Khabul before a month was out. eet = “Js there anything I can do to make oe amends, Mahommed Babar?” “By , sahib, may dogs eat me if I bear one grudge! I am old, and that fool struck me harder than he knew. Let him not know. He is not worthy to have killed a rissaldar of the ‘Peishwaris.’ Moreover, “if it were said that I die because of him, better men than he would presently be hanged for taking law in their own hands.” There was fire smoldering. behind King’s eyes, but he nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me? Gallopers could have brought an army surgeon here by noon.’ “My time has come. Why trouble the surgeons? This is thy son?” King nodded again. The vissaldar knew well the youngster was his son, but there are proper ways of approaching subjects, and a man who fought on the right side im 757 is not to be denied his measure of stateliness. “This is my son. Like thine, he shall carry on the purpose. He shall serve the Raj. They two may be the last for aught we know. None may know that, save Allah. My boy’s name is the same as mine, Ma- hommed Babar. And thine?” “Athelstan.”’ “A King’s name! Good. Mahommed, lay thy hand on his. — Be thou his man as long as Allah gives thee breath!”’ “Shake hands with him, Athelstan!” said Cuthbert King, swallowing something and hiding emotion angrily after the manner of his kind. The two boys shook hands, the English- man frankly with a smile, and the other with some embarrassment. “Say something!” commanded Raj-baha- Hot words are emptiness. Adventure “All right. stan. And that was surely as good as any- thing he could have said. ““Mahommed,”’ said the gray ex-rissaldar, moving himself very gently in the chair for fear of hemorrhage, “do thou remember likewise. Other men’s memories will fail them in the years that come. There will be talk of this and that. Let no talk seduce. Nothing is good in Allah’s sight but deeds well done. I, thy father, who am Allah’s slave, will stand at the gate of paradise and question thy deeds when thy time comes! Color, clan, creed, tribe, wealth, honor are all nothing in the scales against one deed. Remember!’ “Do you hear that, Athelstan? This is for you, too. Are you listening?” demand- ed King senior. “Take no vengeance. That is Allah’s. But requite in full. Repay. Owe no man. Thou hast seen how this sa/ib repaid, dis- gracing his own countryman and honoring me. Think well on that.” The old man laid his head back and moved his hand to signify the episode was over. “And now, sahib, shake hands with me. Thine is a friendship bearing no regrets. If your honor’s servants have nothing better to do it would be kind to have me laid on a litter now and carried home. Good-by, sahib. May Allah bless your son—and mine!”’ CHAPTER II “Twenty-five years later.” NA, Bombay Presidency. Three words to a man who knows the western side of India like three sniffs in the dew toa hunting dog. They tell the whole story. Poona, summer government headquarters, depot for artillery, cavalry and favored in- fantry, sick-and-short-leave station—second- class Simla, as it were, where the pale- faced men and women who have bridled the rising Eastern peril meet once in a lus- trum and exchange remarks, was the same after the war as before it. Only the people had changed a little. There were new faces, and the old ones were older. That was all. Pig-sticking, polo and gymkana dove- tailed into the day’s work, and the nights were fabulous-Arabian. India lends _her- self to that. Hot skies and hard sport go together. The star-powdered Indian sky ECOmic CS T’ll remember,” said Athel- .OO (E(0)