The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

THE BADMASHES OF THE “BLOODY BORDER.” on the frontier—and on their backs was fastened a small goatskin bag of flour; round their waists were car- tridge-belts containing all the ammuni- tion they chanced to possess, and each man was dressed in a dirty poshtin, sheepskin coat, fastened together by an even dirtier kummerbund. By the faint light of the early dawn all these things were plain to the young officer, and he smiled contentedly. “ Hugoor!’’ came the voice of the subadar in a whisper at his side. “ Sher Afzal marches with his men on this raid. Good luck attends us!” “Good!” came Andy’s whispered comment, afid he smiled more broadly. This was unheard of good fortune, for. they would-now be able to kill two birds with one stone. The bandits had passed out of hear- ing before Andy cautiously ordered his men to follow them down to the road. He considered it advisable to avoid the path, for other hillsmen might be fol- lowing or returning to Wano. Inch by inch they crept down the rocky hill, until they came to some boulders from which they could get a clear and uninterrupted view of the road and yet be within two hundred yards range of the robbers. The stage was all set for the drama now, and it waited only for the cue of the political’s arrival to ring up the curtain. Andy chuckled softly him-- self as he thought of the syrprise in store for the latter when he found himself looking down the barrels of some twenty Waziri rifles. The subadar presently touched him upon the arm. His hand pointed out to the roadway beneath them, which shone white in the rays of the rising’ sun. Andy’s ears caught the sound of footsteps coming along the road, and of the iron-shod hoof of a pony. Then his eyes caught a glint as the flash of the sun lit upon a steel-bar- reled rifle. The Sikhs had seen it, too, and had silently pushed forward their rifles to cover the road. Andy waited and 647 watched. His cue had not yet come, and he wanted to see the hold-up and the political’s surprise before he inter- vened to prevent a tragedy. As the latter’s party came round a bend in the road beneath where Andy and his men lay hid the badmashes suddenly stepped out into the middle of the road and covered the political and his escort with the rifles he had himself given them. They were careful of their hardly earned and much-prized cartridges, ‘and so did not open fire, preparing to finish the work with cold steel. ~ The political, who was riding his pony somewhat ahead of his escort, with no effort to protect his line of . march from sudden attack, came to a noisy halt and demanded in the lan- guage of the hillsmen why he was thus interfered with in his journey. The escort, taken completely by ‘surprise, looked from one to the other waiting for word as to what was re- quired of ther. Six of the badmashes advanced to- ward the political, while the others covered their advancé. With a swift movement two of them leaped upon the political and dragged him from his horse, while the others kept the escort covered. This was Andy’s cue to act. a wave of his sword, which he had With drawn ready for action, he started hastily down the hillside, and a few minutes later stood in the road in the rear of the main body of the Waziri. Half of his men remained, by the subadar’s instructions, on the hillside. The other half followed their young leader. Their coming had been so sudden and noiseless, and the Waziri so intent upon their prey, that no warning had been given to the bad- mashes of the danger which now threatened them in the rear flank. Immediately he reached the road Andy saw that it would be impossible to open fire on the Waziri, for they were in direct rifle-fire between them and the political’s party. While he CO@ 1TOO S CO@