Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

| ‘the lap of a decoit. “ These two native sol- diers of the English came riding in with ‘swiftness, for behind them raced Ajeet, who must have seen them pass.” » “And here,” another added, “as the riders checked at sight of the dead, Ajeet ‘pulled one from his horse and killed him, but the other, with a pistol, shot Ajeet, and he is dead.” _ “The chief is not dead,” said the one who held his head in his lap; “ he is but shot in the shoulder, and I have stopped the blood with my hand.” “And we have killed the other soldier,” another said, for, having seen the bodies, we could not let him live.” From Sookdee’s hand dangled a coat of one of the dead. “This, that is a leather purse,” he said, “contains letters; the red thing on them I have looked upon before—it is the seal of the Englay. It was here in the coat of that one who is a sergeant—the other be- ing a soldier.” He put the leather case within the bosom of his shirt, adding: “ This may even be of value to the Dewan. Beyond that, there was little of loot upon these dogs of the Englay—eight rupees. The coats and the ‘turbans we will burn.” Hunsa stooped down and slipped the sandals from the feet of the one Sookdee had pointed out as the officer. “The footwear is of little value, but we will take the brass cooking pots of the mer- chant,” Sookdee said, eying this perform- ‘ance; there was suspicion in his eyes lighted from the flare of their camp fires. “« Sookdee,” Hunsa said, “‘ you have the Englay leather packet, but they do not send sowars through the land of the Mah- ratta with the real message written on the back of the messenger. In quiet, I will rip apart the soles of this footwear. Do you that with the saddles; therein is often hid- - the true writing. In the slaying of Pays we have acquired a powerful , the English, and the message, if might be traded for our lives. - Al cS ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. for he had plotted to do is ig destruction of Ajeet. “Have all the bodies thrown into | pit, Sookdee,” he advised, « make ch ct the covering of the fire and ash, and whil you prepare for flight I will go and bring Bootea’s cart to carry Ajeet.” Then Hunsa was swallowed up in ne gloom of the night, melting like a shadow — into the white haze of the road as he raced — like a gray wolf toward the Gulab, who now had certainly been delivered into his hands. Soon his heart pumped and the choke of exertion slowed him to a fast walk. The sandals, bulky with their turned-up toes, worried him. He drew a knife from his sash and slit the tops off, muttering: “If it is here, the message of value, it will be between the two skins of the soles.” Now they lay flat and snug in his hand as he quickened his pace. CHAPTER IX. SPAWN OF A SHE-LEOPARD! HE Gulab heard the shot at the Ba- gree camp, and Hunsa found her trembling from apprehension. “What has happened, jamadar?” she cried. “ Ajeet heard the beat of iron-shod hoofs upon the road, and seeing in the moonlight the two riders, knew from the manner they sat the saddles that they were of the Englay service; when he called to them they heeded him not. Then Ajeet fol- lowed the two. Why was the shot, Hunsa?” “They have killed Ajeet,” Hunsa de- clared, “ but also they are dead, and I have the leader’s leather sandals for a purpose. The shot has roused the village, and even now our people are preparing for flight. Get you into the cart that I may take you to safety.” He took the ruby from his tur- ban, saying: snd bere 3s Cease tiful ruby in Hind; the fat pig of a De wants it, but I have taken it for you yo . ym pay 1 .4 : r i 0 & vei pc os wh ‘.