THE PASS OF PERIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22583, 23 November 1936, Page 17

THE PASS OF PERIL

By EDMUND BARCLAY Author of " Knrona," etc.

CHAPTER I.—(Continued) An ill-omened bullet raised a. rod weal across the neck of tho young subaltern's horse, and as the blood spurted across Percy s hands, and as lie saw the hordes of fanatical hillmcn who, with brandished steel, barred their way, tho last taut nerve .snapped, and with a sobbing yell ho wheeled his mount, and dashed his way back through the lines of astonished troopers, some of whom wavered and tightened rein. Clark swung his knee out and jabbed his captain on tho thigh, who, half-turning 111 the saddle, saw what had happened. Ho raised himself, and standing in the stirrups, looked back to where the suhalidar, interpreting his orders in a liberal spirit, was riding fifty paces behind the first line.

"Stop him, subahdar," he yelled. "Stop him!"'An then came the impact as the Khvber Mounted Jiiiles slammed into the hillmcn.

After thirty seconds of savage cut-and-thrust, it was all over. Garvie was rallying the scattered men, while Clark with the Lewis' Gun detachments w<js emptying drum after drum into the ictreating, defeated, and demoralised hillmcn. Once again the' fanatical optimism of tho Pathans had led them to dash themselves into ruin against the rocklike discipline and skilled training of tho British troops. Garvie ordered his trumpeter to sound the rally, and the scattered ranks reformed, not a man of tlieni without his deep cut, but not a man of them seriously injured. After watching the troopers strap tiie guns back again upon the packsaddles, Clark rode over to his captain and saluted. Both men looked at each other, and then without a word, turned and trotted back to where the subahdar ami a sepoy who wore the red cross upon his arm were kneeling beside a prone botlv. Hira Trewarri walked forward to meet them, and the two white men dismounted. The subahdar spoke first.

"I tried only to shoot the horse, Captain-Sahib, but careful aim was impossible. 1 hit him . . . in the back." The Hindu's grave and dignified faco was inscrutable. Not for liini to speak of what the three of them were thinking, until his superior officer had spoken of it. Garvie chewed his chinstrap, and his thoughts were back in Simla. What should he tell Ruth? "Js he badly hit, subahdar?" he asked. "He is dying, Captain-Sahib." For a moment more Garvie hesitated, and then placed his hand on tho subahdar's shoulder, and as if it were some magic touch, the shackles of rank, race, and discipline were loosened and the three of them became just men. "1 suppose there was nothing else vou could have done?" asked Garvie "What else, Captain-Sahib? .1 saw you stand in the stirrups and shout. 1 sensed, rather than heard what you said. 1 knew he had to be stopped. The panic was spreading . . my bullock-drivers, and tho men in reserve, recruits all, saw an officer-sahib retreating at full gallop, and so I stopped him. the quickest way, the surest way J could. Did I not do rightly, CaptainSahib ?

There was of course, only one answer to make. A panic, no matter how momentary, would have led to dssastei. "This must be between us three,said Garvie. "You understand, Clark." 'I he trooper nodded, and Garvie walked oye?and.Knelt.doon the dying boy, the brother of the girl he loved. "Percy . . . Percy, old chap, how are vou? Can you hear me:' Percy's hair had tumbled across his forehead, and his large dark eyes >seemed twice their, natural size. I here was a wavering tremor, about his lips, and he looked more like his sister than ever. "Hello, Michael, <>id chap ... if that you.- . . ■ What's happened? . . . How loi\g have I been unconscious . . . It's quite dprk. . . .'Sunset and evening star, and one clear call loi me' . • - only there is no-evening star, it's all dark." Then his voice rose to a trembling whimper. "Michael . . - where are you. ... I cait't see you r "Here, 1 am old chap. Let me hold your hand. Keep a stiff upper lip Percy. We'll rig a dhooli for you, and carry vou out of this." "No* use, Michael. . . . I'm dying. . . This is the best way out of it ... to fall by an enemy bullet." Garvie's eves widened at this, and then he nodded, and looking across to where the subahdar and Clark weie kneeling on the other side of the dying boy, he laid finger on lip, and saw that the two of them comprehended and sympathised. • " "I should never have come, Michael, he continued in a whisper. "Should never have come . . . but I?nth would have it so. . I've been so afraid, old chap, but it's all over now, I shall never be afraid again. Don't tell Ruth that I was afraid. . . . Don't tell her . . promise! . • promise! "f promise, Percy." • * *

They dug his grave below, an outcrop of rock, and heaped boulders upon it. Thev left no cross to mark his resting place, for the Pftthans do hideous things to"the British dead. As tho high, clear notes of the "Last Post" rang out. awakening sombre echoes in the Mil en hills, Captain Michael Garvie saluted his dead, but his thoughts were with the living. What should he tell I.nth.

::HAI'TKit ii. She made a pretty picture ;ih *he Hat. waiting upon the shady fly-eiirt:niieii verandah of Colonel Dalrymple » home. From her exquisitely shod feet to the soft undulating waves ol light chestnut hair she was a thoroughbred every inch of her. The violet eyes and pouting lips, which somewhat marred her brother's fare, were in her, almost startling in their arresting beauty, and the simple organdie frock which she wore, artistically suggested, rather than revealed, the lines of a body more slight than full. The involuntary biting of the lower lip by her small,-, perfectly shaped teeth, suggested thai she had some "keenly strung nerves which, though decidedly out of place in her soldierbrother, were characteristic of a sex that lives largely on its instincts and emotions. A year in India, spent, mostly in the gentle,climate of Simla, bad done nothing to ruin her typically Knglish complexion, and she was altogether so charming that it was hard to understand why Colonel Dalr.vinple. 0.C., Khyber Mounted Rifles, should hesitate to meet her, yet hesitate he did. A bachelor, with a reputation of being a stern ..disciplinarian, Colonel Dalr.vinple had surely little to fear from an interview with this dainty little lady, yet fear it be did, and it was with a sinking heart that he at last conlrouted her, and bowed. After a few conventional greetings, a clap of the colonel's hands brought afternoon tea to them bv soft-footed, rigidly drilled native servants, but this was too much for Ruth. Xhe«fclt that she had been played with long enough. " 1 hope you will forgive this somewhat unconventional visit," she began, " but surely you must realise how very anxious I am, colonel. I've had no news from my brother, Lieutenant Conyerx for nearly a month. And Michael hasn't written to me, either." "Michael? 0, you mean, Captain Garvie. Hum, yes, well, you know, Captain Game's .detachment will be dotiaining to-day, and er . . . lie will tell you all the news. Won't you please take pity on me, and officiate at the tea-pot. 1 always feel such an awful fool, pouring tea . . . slop it in the

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A STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE AND A GREAT LOVE

sai'icer, and .'til that sort of thing;." Hutli looked at him steadily and his voice trailed off into cm harassed coughs. A good soldier ami a skilled diplomat in a rough-and-ready way whero men were concerned, tho tough old colonel was at a complete loss when confronted bv a pretty girl whose large eyes were wistfully tilled with anxious hut unspoken questions.

" Although 1 know it is difficult to get letters hark from tho Hindu Khush, it is not 1 iko either Michael or Perry to leave mo so long without news Please, colonel, please tell mo what happened after the regiment left Captain Carrie and his detachment. . . You surely know what has happened. . . Won't you please tell me-'" Much as he wanted to, the colonel could not resist this appeal. Moreover, the answer would necessitate a description of military tactics, and while ho certainly would feel more at ease in' dealing with such matters he was, of course, bound bv King's regulations, not to discuss the movements of troops. But lie fervently hoped that by bewildering the girl with tactical descriptions he might safely steer clear of more irksome topics. " I'll tell you what happened as far as f can. M iss Conyers, although, mind you, I shall not be possessed of complete details until 1 rceeivo Captain (larvie's report from himself in person. Won't you pour some tea, while I'm talking ? Dry work, talking, in this weather. I think it's pretty common knowledge that the regiment lias just returned from making a demonstration in force on the borders of that cursedly troublesome, but independent hill State, Walizanee, whoso chieftain, or Sultan as he calls himself, Ali Khan, has been stirring up trouble. Mind you, strictly speaking, wo had no business to bo up there at all. without his invitation, it's not British territory. However, Ali Khan needed a lesson, and so we gave him a mild one just recently, instead of having to give him a more drastic one, with loss of life, perhaps, in the near future. Kverything went according to programme, and a very subdued Ali Khan promised to be a good boy. J (immediately returned to my base, and ' subsequently on* here to Simla with three troops, leaving Garvie, as senior captain with tho fourth troop, to escort the heavy baggage-train through the pass." "The Khvber Pass. That dreadful place?" "Not so dreadful, Miss Conyers. Its the gateway to India, of course, and has seen some pretty sanguinary fighting in its time, but it's sale enough nowadays, bless vou, safer than Piccadilly or Oxford Street . . . no motorbuses there to run you down, by Harrv!" "But hasn't there been fighting, colonel? One hears rumours, you know." "Bazaar rumours. Although, mind you, there always is fighting going on up there, the other side oi tho pass. Blood feuds between tribo and tribe smoulder year after year, and then suddenly burst out into flames. Jt appears tiiat Captain Garvie unwittingly ran headlong into such a blood feud, whereupon the two tribes concerned promptly forgot their own quarrel, and with beautiful impartiality began peppering the surrounding landscape in general, and Carvie's detachment in particular. If you have heard that there was anything like an organised hill rising, you have heard wrongly. When we rode through the foothills of the Hindu Khush everything was as quiet and peaceful as a Sunday morning in London City, or else wo wouldn't have come on ahead of the baggage train.' With bent head the colonel stole a sly glance at Ruth, over his teacup, and was pleased to see that her expressive eyes held a gentler look. Ho drank his tea with unusual enjoyment, tea-drinking being with him generally nothing more than a somewhat boring social accomplishment insisted upon by those strange creatures, women, but now he was surprised to find that he really needed and appreciated its gentle stimulant, having just extricated himself from what he considered to be a "doocidly tight corner." His self-congratulation was premature, however. There was a jingle of spurs upon the steps leading up to the verandah, and the jalousie opened to admit the dust-stained, khaki-clad figure of Subahdar Hira Trewarri, who at the sight of his colonel and Ruth, halted and saluted.

"Your pardon, colonel-sahib," ho said. "I did not think to find you here."

"All right, subahdar," answered the colonel, with an uneasy glance at Ruth. "Glad to see you back with the regiment again." Ruth rose from her chair and answered the Hindu's dignified salute with a bow. Rightly thinking that the colonel wished to be alone with the native officer, she made as if to leave them, but as tho colonel opened tho door for her, the subahdar, with that innate courtesy which distinguishes his breed, hurriedly delivered his message. "Permit me, mem-sahib," he said, "but there is no need for you to so graciously retire. I myself will go in a moment. I merely bring Captain Garvie's compliments, colonel-sahib. Tho detachment is entering cantonments now. He will report in person within five minutes." Alas, for the subahdar's mis-timed courtesy! Even as he turned upon his heels to leave them, Ruth impulsively called him hack, and faltered her question: "My brother .. . Lieutenant Conyers, he is with Captain Garvie, I suppose? If I hurry to the cantonments, 1 might catch him don't you think?" And there was a wistful pleading in her voice which went straight to the colonel's heart, but he could do nothing to spare her now. Too late tho subahdar comprehended j the trap into which his courtesy had led "-hi in. So this was the young dead! sahib's sister? It had been arranged' that Captain Garvie should break tho news to her, hut now lie, the subahdar, could not very well refuse to answer her questions, although, perhaps he might avoid them. They had concocted a story, tho captain, and trooper Clark, and be, but lie did not want to have the telling of it, so he took refuge in Oriental passivity, that misleading blankness of expression which masks a myriad of teeming thoughts. The colonel was forced to answer Ruth's quest ion.

"No, Miss Conyers . . no! I regret to inform you that your brother has not come hack."

There was no need to say more. Ruth knew; knew that her brother was dead; knew that her lover had failed in his trust.

"Mring liiin back safe and sound, Mii'liacl," she had said, and Michael had lunched and promised, and sealed his promise with a kiss. Hut now Percy was dead, who from her three years of superior age she had done her host to mother, since rheir parents had died in India, so many years ago. Percy dead! Percy, to whom she had read tales of British military history through which the name of Conyers was .scattered like hees in amher. Knsign Conyers with Wolfe at Quebec! His son, Captain Conyers, who fell in the charge of the Second Dragoons, Scots Greys, at Waterloo! Percy's grandlather, General Conyers, who on foot had led the troops to the storming of the Itedan in the Crimea! And now Percy, the hist; of them all, to fall by a I'athan bullet in a petty hill light; Percy who was to have been, and would have been, the greatest soldier of them all. Percy dead! One half of her heart was empty, and in the first fierceness of her anger and grief she sought to destroy the image of the man which filled the other half. (To be continued daily)