Read Online Forged in Honor (1995) by Leonard B Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Leonard B Scott
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Stephen needs to better himself."
Bak dipped his chin. "Stephen's heart has grown cold for his father. I do not think he would accept anything from him, even if it was an opportunity to go to a university."
Sarah's lips curled upward. "There are scholarships granted to gifted students. If the Chindit would provide a `scholarship,' Stephen would not have to know where it came from."
The old Horseman smiled. "Ah, Mrs. Brown, you are a very clever woman. I can assure you a scholarship can be made available whenever you desire."
It was the second day of the test, and both Joshua and Stephen were sweat-soaked as they made their way up a steep, twisting trail. Stephen led and stopped for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at the sun that was just beginning to sink behind the mountains. "We'd better camp once we reach the top."
Stephen began to step off, but Joshua grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"What are you doing?" Stephen protested.
Joshua pointed at the bamboo viper coiled among fallen leaves on the trail just three steps in front of them. "I'm keeping you alive. You'd better let me lead."
Stephen rolled his eyes. "I saw him. I was just seeing if you did."
Joshua took the lead and knocked the green snake off the trail with his walking stick. "Yeah, sure. Just like you saw the boar's lair in the valley."
Stephen sighed. "Okay, so you know the forest better than I-I give you that. And I give that you are a better rider and shooter. But who helped you with your studies, and who is helping you become friends with Su?"
Joshua abruptly stopped and turned around. "Yeah, big help you are. She won't even speak to me. Stephen, I think you're after Su yourself and just messing with me."
"Su? Never. The only woman I can see is beautiful Chi.
She is my dream and the one for me."
"Wait a minute. Last week it was Sak See and the week before that, Daa. Since when is Chi the one?"
Stephen grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Since she asked me to take her riding after the tests. She loves me. She said so in a note."
Joshua sighed and again began walking up the trail. "You may be a brain in school, but with women you're as dumb as they come. Maybe we should ask Teacher to help us with girls instead of making us fetch black stones."
Stephen laughed and motioned ahead. "There's the top.
Let's get there, start a fire, and discuss how we will approach Teacher on this delicate subject-" Stephen froze as he saw Joshua suddenly raise his hand.
Joshua lowered himself slowly to the ground and whispered, "Do you smell it?"
Stephen sniffed the air and immediately recognized the putrid odor of saddle sores that he and Joshua had smelled during other treks in the forest. He nodded. "A mule train."
Both boys scrambled off the trail toward a huge sayo tree's aboveground root, which stood like a winding wall. Joshua climbed over, then slithered on his belly to a spot where he could see without being seen. He had to wait only a few minutes before the lead scout of the train appeared. It was a Wa guide, easily identified by his flat nose and greased hair.
Short and powerfully built, the scout was obviously in a hurry, for his face was glistening with sweat. Behind him came the first mule, loaded with large woven sacks that formed a huge mound on the small animal's back. Waiting, Joshua counted ten mules-and more were coming. He also counted the drivers, all lowlanders, identified by their dirty Western clothing and shaggy, unkempt beards.
Stephen had crawled up beside Joshua. He whispered, "What kind of train is it?"
Joshua backed up. "It's a lai train, an opium train. The drivers are carrying new rifles."
Stephen pulled at Joshua's arm. "They will shoot first and ask questions later. Let's just stay here and wait for them to pass."
Joshua leaned against the root wall with Stephen to wait.
Suddenly a shot rang out, then another. The mules brayed and struggled to break their ropes. Men shouted and more shooting broke out, louder and
Bak dipped his chin. "Stephen's heart has grown cold for his father. I do not think he would accept anything from him, even if it was an opportunity to go to a university."
Sarah's lips curled upward. "There are scholarships granted to gifted students. If the Chindit would provide a `scholarship,' Stephen would not have to know where it came from."
The old Horseman smiled. "Ah, Mrs. Brown, you are a very clever woman. I can assure you a scholarship can be made available whenever you desire."
It was the second day of the test, and both Joshua and Stephen were sweat-soaked as they made their way up a steep, twisting trail. Stephen led and stopped for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at the sun that was just beginning to sink behind the mountains. "We'd better camp once we reach the top."
Stephen began to step off, but Joshua grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"What are you doing?" Stephen protested.
Joshua pointed at the bamboo viper coiled among fallen leaves on the trail just three steps in front of them. "I'm keeping you alive. You'd better let me lead."
Stephen rolled his eyes. "I saw him. I was just seeing if you did."
Joshua took the lead and knocked the green snake off the trail with his walking stick. "Yeah, sure. Just like you saw the boar's lair in the valley."
Stephen sighed. "Okay, so you know the forest better than I-I give you that. And I give that you are a better rider and shooter. But who helped you with your studies, and who is helping you become friends with Su?"
Joshua abruptly stopped and turned around. "Yeah, big help you are. She won't even speak to me. Stephen, I think you're after Su yourself and just messing with me."
"Su? Never. The only woman I can see is beautiful Chi.
She is my dream and the one for me."
"Wait a minute. Last week it was Sak See and the week before that, Daa. Since when is Chi the one?"
Stephen grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Since she asked me to take her riding after the tests. She loves me. She said so in a note."
Joshua sighed and again began walking up the trail. "You may be a brain in school, but with women you're as dumb as they come. Maybe we should ask Teacher to help us with girls instead of making us fetch black stones."
Stephen laughed and motioned ahead. "There's the top.
Let's get there, start a fire, and discuss how we will approach Teacher on this delicate subject-" Stephen froze as he saw Joshua suddenly raise his hand.
Joshua lowered himself slowly to the ground and whispered, "Do you smell it?"
Stephen sniffed the air and immediately recognized the putrid odor of saddle sores that he and Joshua had smelled during other treks in the forest. He nodded. "A mule train."
Both boys scrambled off the trail toward a huge sayo tree's aboveground root, which stood like a winding wall. Joshua climbed over, then slithered on his belly to a spot where he could see without being seen. He had to wait only a few minutes before the lead scout of the train appeared. It was a Wa guide, easily identified by his flat nose and greased hair.
Short and powerfully built, the scout was obviously in a hurry, for his face was glistening with sweat. Behind him came the first mule, loaded with large woven sacks that formed a huge mound on the small animal's back. Waiting, Joshua counted ten mules-and more were coming. He also counted the drivers, all lowlanders, identified by their dirty Western clothing and shaggy, unkempt beards.
Stephen had crawled up beside Joshua. He whispered, "What kind of train is it?"
Joshua backed up. "It's a lai train, an opium train. The drivers are carrying new rifles."
Stephen pulled at Joshua's arm. "They will shoot first and ask questions later. Let's just stay here and wait for them to pass."
Joshua leaned against the root wall with Stephen to wait.
Suddenly a shot rang out, then another. The mules brayed and struggled to break their ropes. Men shouted and more shooting broke out, louder and
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