Adventure, December 1914 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

The Lancing of the Whale on this cliff-top, Mr. Dicky, an’ dir-r-ect the fechtin’ like a general! Ye’re o’er fond, mannie, 0’ exposin’ y’rsel’ to verra onneces- sary but amazin’ risks! Thinkin’s your affair—the fechtin’s oors—I’d have ye re- member that! This expedition—or what- ever else it is—wad be like a man wi’ his head cut off, gin anything shud happen to ye—it ’ud tur-r-n to wu’ms, an’ they’d a’ run different ways!” “Is that all?” asked Dick. “‘That’s a’.” “Then, get your gun away! D’you see that copse between two hillocks over to the right—no, that one, at this end of the long ridge? “Well—Usbeg Ali Khan will hide his in- fantry along that ridge, and I want you with your machine-gun in the copse at this end of it. Keep out of sight and don’t open on the Russians until they’re so close that you can’t miss. Don’t shoot their horses —I want their guns, teams and all—d’you understand!”’ “Aye—I ken.” “Then, start!’ “Wull ye no’ promise ye'll keep out o’ range, Mr. Dicky?” Dick laughed. “Tl tell you what I promise you, my man!” he answered. “If you talk treason Til reduce you to the ranks and make you carry my bag! Beoff! Get your gun away!” ““Good-by, Mr. Dicky!” The giant held out his hand and Dick shook it, squeezing until Andry’s eyes watered. ‘“‘What’s the matter, Andry? What’s all the fuss about? D’you feel afraid?”’ “Aye! I’m feared! We twa ha’ tackled men taegither—day an’ night — we’ve sailed stor-r-my seas—we’ve fought i’ the dark—an’ we’ve aye won. But this is the verra first time we tuke on guns, Mr. Dicky; I’d rayther ha’e ye promise to keep oot 0’ range! Wull ye no’ promise—jus’ this fir-r-st time?”’ “No,” said Dick swallowing a smile. “Shun! Right about turn! To your gun! Quick! March!” iS! breakfast, there crept between them = and Astrabad a long line of Per- sians who had a crow or two to pick with Russia—men who needed little warning, now, to keep under cover and be silent. SO, WHILE the gunners ate their 79 Most of them had seen Russian grape-shot go whistling through the streets of taken cities; Russian “temporary occupation” of Northern Persia had been of the time- honored Tartar type, including “education” of the natives. They knew about artillery, and could respect it; so they crept unheard, unseen. On either hand from where Dick’s high, projecting cliff-edge overhung the plain there went a long, low ridge, each in the rough shape of a semicircle, one concave and the other convex. Each ridge grew lower and flatter rapidly, as it left the foot- hills, until where it reached the plain it was little more than man high. Man high, though, each extended miles on either hand toward the distant Caspian, and there was no way of reaching Astrabad without crossing both of them. They were easy enough to cross, for a fairly well worn track led straight over them at spots where the ridges had been broken, either by the cross- ing of some ancient army or by the whim of nature. A trumpet sounded. Leisurely the gun- ners seized their reins and mounted. They started at an easy walk—six guns, one fol- lowing the other, with an extra ammuni- tion-wagon to each gun and a quite con- siderable convoy of provisions. Ahead— only a little way ahead, and more because it was the rule than for precaution’s sake— there rode what should have been the bat- tery ground-scouts; nominally that was what they were—actually they were a screen that served to lull the rest into a false sense of security. A second trumpet sounded for the trot; and for perhaps four hundred yards the col- umn jogged and bumped along, with heavy wagons jolting in its wake, making the dull, rumbling thunder that rides ever with artil- lery. Then, an officer of the advance saw something on the ridge ahead that awakened his curiosity. Instead of sending an alarm back, and letting the guns halt until he had investi- gated, he galloped ahead alone; and as he spurred—timed to a nicety—Dick Anthony led his seven hundred horsemen at a walk behind the other ridge. Now, the Russians were between two hidden bodies of an enemy and absolutely unsuspicious of the fact. The officer rode on and nothing hap- pened. He reached the ridge at a point DOOK C©