Adventure, December 1914 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

74 when they broke for the open, or in case they tried to stand. But they failed to see the difference between Persian outlaws lacking a real leader and the same men led by Richard Anthony of Arran. They let the guns follow along without an escort! For a moment—a short, swift-thinking moment—with a city at his mercy and his men all yelping for the loot—Dick Anthony had used that gift of his—had placed himself mentally in the enemy’s position—had deduced, and had done the opposite to what anybody would expect. “Bahadur!” said Usbeg Ali, drawing nearer now respectfully, yet somehow with a hint of insolence. He was angry that he had not been consulted. ‘‘When we first looked on Astrabad three days ago, I too saw those guns going the other way. I knew they had gone after us, and that we had given them the slip. But—who brought word that they were coming back without an escort?” ‘“T saw gallopers go off to warn them the minute we showed up,” said Dick. Rit? “Didn’t our scouts tell us about infantry, more than a day’s march ahead of the guns? Weren’t the guns likely then to wait some- where for the infantry to overtake them on the way back?” “Yet, here they are without the infantry!”’ said Usbeg Ali. ‘Recall that barricade of wagons?” “Aye.” ‘“‘The Princess thinks we’re all behind it, and she wants guns in a hurry to splinter it up! The guns waited first, then got a sec- ond message and came on alone.” “But who could have known she would reason that way? Who could have known she would not be cautious and warn the guns not to move until the infantry had overtaken them?” The Afghan, too, was a soldier. He was old in war; and he had not quite forgotten his resentment at Dick’s secrecy. It would have suited him well to prove Dick’s reason- ing at fault, whatever the chance outcome of the reasoning. He was forgetting his former recognition of the Hand of Allah! “That was no soldier’s chance to take, bahadur! ‘That was a plan like a woman’s —supposing this, and supposing that— without much fact to go on, and leaving over much to chance! A soldier should select one fact and build on it!” Adventure Dick closed his binoculars, snapped them in their sling-case, and faced Usbeg Ali at last, with a good-humored smile that made the Afghan wish he had not spoken; it was almost affectionate and it was so expressive of intelligence that mere temper—mere resentment—could not stand against it. ‘“Would we have been better off,’ asked Dick, “scattered through city streets, with the men looting and the inhabitants getting more than tired of us? Would it have been better to wait there to meet guns and infan- try combined? ‘‘We might have met guns and infantry together here,” insisted Usbeg Ali. East- erns, when they harbor the least resent- ment, can be obstinate as mules. ‘“‘As it is we’re luckier than I hoped for and we'll take ’em one by one! I’ll trouble you to get your men in hand, Usbeg Ali. Get a thousand hidden along that ridge to our right—that ridge that reaches out across the plain. You’d better hurry—the gunners won’t be long about breakfast. ‘Wait! Play a waiting game! When they get well within range, open on them; they’ll limber up and retire to look for their sup- ports after they’ve answered with a round or two. Leave ’em to me, then. Don’t follow—pepper ’em at long range, but don’t break cover. Send Macdougal to me!” In a minute Andry stood overtopping Dick by at least six deferential inches. “T was thinkin’, Mr. Dick i “Oh. Another man with a grievance? Can’t you bury it?” Dick was in no mood for one of Andry’s lectures on morality or any other subject. He had each move for that whole morning planned ahead, and his extraordinary eyes were gleaming. He was eager to begin, yet no more in a hurry than the captain of a ship that runs on schedule time—impatient only of unnecessaries. Usbeg Ali Khan, of Asia, was entitled to the same consideration as a little child. Andry, ex-private of the Line, could be treated as a full-grown man who understood. ‘“Na-na! If I’d a grievance, as ye ca’ it, I’d inflict it on ma team! Ye canna grieve me while ye’re the man ye ar-r-e. I was thinkin’ ae “What?” “Ye’ll do better if ye dinna gang too near yon guns. Send ither folks! Send less highly impor-r-tant bodies! Stan’ ye here, Gomiicovook CO