Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

ently, wl! med on his back, sayins — In the name of Allah. thou restest etter thus.” The Gulab, kneeling, pushed back the black beard with her hand, and -_ thought she was making oath upon the beard of the slain man. Then she rose to her feet, and spoke to Kassim: “ There is one without—Hunsa. Bring him here, and see that there is no weapon upon him.” Kassim passed an order and Hunsa was brought, his evil eyes turning from face to face with the restless query of a caged leopard. There is no paper, Commander Sahib,” the jamadar said, returning of the iron box. “ "There was none such,” Kassim growled. ‘Tt was but a Patan lie; the message is yonder,” and he pointed to the smear of blood upon the marble floor. Then he turned to Bootea. “ Now, woman, speak what is in thy mind, for this is an affair of action.” “ Commander Sahib,’ Bootea began, ‘ yonder man "—-and she pointed a slim hand toward Barlow“ is not an Afghan; he is a sahth.” This startling announcement filled the room with cries of astonishment and anger; tulwars flashed. Barlow shivered, not be- cause of the impending danger, for he had accepted the roll of the dice. but at the thought that Bootea was betraying him, that all she had said and done before was nothing ~a lie, that she was an accomplice in this murder of the chief, and was now giving the Pindaris the final convincing proof, the reason. To deny the revelation was useless; they would torture him, and he was to die any- way, better to die claiming to be a mes- _ Senger from the British rather than as one _ sent to murder the chief. Nassim bellowed an order subduing the from his search .- “Thou wert a g thou hats slain a fe But Bootea raised a voice trembling with in “ Commander, Amir Khan with the dagger; he was ki towel, Look you at his throat, will see the mark.” .. “ Bismillah!” came in a cry of ment from the commander’s thr marble walls of the szrya-mah audience) echoed gasps and sim himself had knelt by the d and now rising, said: ‘“ By Allah! true. That dog—’ His finger was thn ing like a dagger at Barlow. 7 But Bootea’s clear voice hushed ing clamor. ‘ No, commander, the Ss know not the thug trick of the roomal, few thugs could have overcome the ck “Who, then, killed him—speak quick and with the truth,” Kassim commanded He was interrupted by one of Hunsz guards, crying: ‘“‘ Here, where go yo You had not leave!” And Hunsa, who had turned to slip away, was jerked back tc where he had stood. F “Tt is that one,” Bootea declared, sweet ing a hand toward Hunsa. “: waist is even now the yellow and whi roomal that is the weapon of Bhowane With that he killed Amir Khan. Take from him, and see if there be not t hairs from the beard of the chief in its mesh.” 4 “ By the grace of Allah it is a tr ith! commander ejaculated when the passed’to him had been examined. © revelation such as came to Mak out of the mouth of a womé n. Allah!” r “Will the commander he searched for the paper the sak of?” Bootea asked. “a “In his turban,” Kassit ‘In his turban, the ne — comicbooks.com ry 2) ee rol - ey UU