THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES
by William Welch
The Time Travellers are materialized in the Indian desert at the
time of a critical! battle between the British, and a border chieftain.
The Time Travellers Tony and Doug land in on Asian desert where Doug is
carried off by tribesmen and Tony is rescued from the scorching sands
by an adventurous and in inquisitive young Englishman named Rudyard Kipling.
In the hands of an Afghanistan tribal chief, Hira Singh, Doug is being
questioned for his knowledge of the nearby English, outpost; at the same time
in London this area is occupying the attention of the Prime Minister Gladstone,
who tells his cabinet that if the tribes ever unite against the English, at the
border India will be lost. Hira Singh must be contained and there is only and
is only one undermanned fort at the Khyber Pass to do it. Doug's actions
antagonize the chief and he's thereupon condemned to die and to be sent
to the English garrison to tempt them to try a reprisal. That, plans Singh,
is when he will wipe out the garrison, then unite the Afghanistan
tribes to sweep over India and drive out every white man. But Singh's
plan is interrupted by news that a supply train is on the way to the
garrison a target he cannot resist. Meanwhile at the garrison, Tony
and Kipling try to convince the commander , Coloncl Fettretch that he
must rescue Doug from the Afghanistans. He sends a patrol to guard
the supply train while Kipling gets uniforms for Tony and himself, so they
can go out; with the patrol, hoping in some way to get to Doug. He,
meanwhile, is being released by Kashi, the blind man , who directs him to
the fort, and says he will follow himself , later. The supply train is saved by
the patrol, but Kipling is injured and carried off by Singh's men. When Tony
goes to report this to Fettridge, he finds Doug has arrived and has been warning
the garrison of the tribes' plans. Soon Koshi, dying, is sent to the garrision by
Singh; he lives just long enough to warn that tomorrow is the night of the
planned uprising. The only thing to do is take Singh by surprise -- attack him tonight.
Suddenly the Tunnel explodes in showers of Sparks as Jerry, desperate for contact
with Doug and Tony, jams it on.. But Tony and Doug are planning to rescue Kipling
as Fetretch gives his approval to an attack tonight on Singh. The result is that the
pair join the attack on the border chieftain, while those in the Tunnel watch. The
maneuver is successful - Kipling is rescuced and Singh is contained. Doug and Tony
vanish into the Vortex of Time.
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