THE BOYS' CORNER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE BOYS' CORNER.

B* WEIIiD A. PATEBEON.

sA ;,r -• -wail m- > MOHAMMED ALI'S STORY,,

Bin ciftti Peter were tired of playing in the garden so they shoiited for Sbham* nied Ali, the big, black-bearded Indian groom. ' "Come fcsitt tall us a story, Mohammed." 'i'he big servant rose mily and \Valked With his youhg tsns>tsrs to the shade of an old tree. There thfy sat down, the boys listening eiigerly to this story. ' , ~ "Many years ago, chota sahibs {little sirs), tllero was a very .fierce tribe which lived away up in the hills in WaahifeUii. The chief of tiie tribe was called 'Nazir thd Tertibie* beeausa he V/iu so strong and cruel. He hated the fiahib log (the -white people) becausu they had punished him once for stealing rifioa. When he cams out of prison M »vror« a terrible oath, vowing that he weula never spare atiy white man> woman or child.

"One day as he sat in his dirty village a s&rVanfc c&t&e runfiirig to tell him that a white woman and her sod were riding outside the bounds of the city. Snatching his huge sword and rifle, Nazir called to his followers to make haste and capture the unsuspecting whites, "BoWit the rugged face m tha hill thfiy crept etfealtHily arid suddenly came upon the boy. With ft stream ihe mother rushed to defend her son> btlt cruel hands caught her and tied her ankles and arm 3 firmly and laid her on the edge of the path where she was found later, unharmed, by the cantoninent patrol. Nazir pulled ths boy off the pony and struck him heavily in tL. <ie. But the boy was real white and Jrave. He kifkjßd'.-aiid struggled and pulled the big'' black beard heavily. Now, a native's : beard is a sacred thing to him, and When 1 Nazir felt this insult he became more furiously terrible than ever and cuffed the poor boy Until his arm Was tired. Then he dragged him over the rocks Co the mountain village, where he handed the young sahib over to the terrible women. "When darkness came Nazi? called for his prisoner and had him placed in a dark hut with a huge' and savag* dog, which snarled every tim<s he moved. Thinking the hoy sufficiently guarded, the chief theii departed to a feast. Tha "boy was very frightened in the dark with the savage dog, but after a little While ha stopped sobbing and began to whistle quietly. Gradually his Courage came back, and, as hia eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he noticed the dog seemed more friendly. .A loose stick lying on the ground grazed his hand, so he took it tip and played with it for a while. Then the dog began to play, too, and soon they made friends. They played Until the boy thought it time to try" to wfiep away. Flat on his stomach lis k wriggled toward a big rock. Round it lie crawled, but suddenly the grc/tind gave way and he rolled and tumbled down into the midst of 'Naxir the TerribleV feasting party. "With a roar of anger the chief jumped up, brandishing a huge knife, arid rushed to kill the boy, but a big man in a dirty turbati pushed his foot out and trippeq him. lEVerything was rbshed then and v this strange dirty man lifted the boy in hia arms and rushed away down the hills, jumping from rock to rock without stumbling. After them raced the infuriated Nazir and his men, but the faster they ran the faster raced the gallant resetter with his burden. At times the boy felt that they must but the strong sites held him comfortably and at Ifength they reached the road. "Still Nazir and his men followed. The gates of the city came in view and the | boy's courage rose again Looking over the rescuer's shoulder he saw Nazir coming nearer and nearer. They were only a hundred yards from the gate when the • outlaw's sword grazed down the brave rescuer's arm. Up went the sword again for a finishing stroke, but just as it was about to fall a volley of rifle shots rang out from the city wall and from the sides i of the road dozens of soldiers with gleaming fixed bayonets closed round 'Nazir the Terrible* and his men Helping hands led the gallant rescuer inside the city, but he refused to give up his burden until they led him to the boy'a home* where his mother was overjoyed to have her son safe hpme again." Mohammed Ali stopped talking and closed his eyes, but Bill and Peter were not Content.

"Who was the boy, Mohammed Ali, and who was the rescuer!" asked BiijL The servant opened his eyes, "Your honourable father was the boy and I was the rescuer," ho answered proudly, and promptly fell asleep.