The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24
CHAPTER XIV.

AS descended into the great plain in
which Keinning lay, my eyes rested
steadily on this conical mound of earth,
Ne one gazing from those heights could
have overlooked that peculiar forma-
ton.
But as I neared il, rejoicing in my
freedom, the terrible fear that Dulcine
was not there-that she was something
worse, even, than buried alive, re-
turned. No matter how frequently
crushed down this awful fear, it would
return. and 1 would again hear the
devil Menin's sneering words of tri-
umph-
Il have gained all you have lost"
But was determined to stand fast to
my course. The fears, the sneering
Understanding should alter my trust
in Dulcine. She had known the signal,
and had certainly never given IL, and
that another could have accidentally
given it was a possibility too remote to
be considered now.
But If ever / had a hard problem it
was a kittens plaything TO this: How
could that mound, made impregnable
by the best OF human skill, be entered,
and the prisoner released?
The mound was about fifty feet in
height. The diameter of its base was
equal to its height. The gravel sides
had been turfed with grass since the
had been at its base had disappeared
with the army and the great concourse
of people. All the temporary buildings
had been taken away; but the Hall of
Spices remained, for il was not tempo
rary. 1t was 10 be the temple Of the
tomb, where services to the memory OF
the Queen would be celebrated. AS
pushed my horse down from the hills,
I felt the fever of fear fill my veins.
Was it. verify, tomb?
AS / came nearer-for I had to pass
the mound to reach the east gate-I
saw worl1men on its summit erecting a
diminutive temple roof to shelter the
face Of the great tablet. My spirits
strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of
a familiar form; for, during the ride
from the sword-dancer's cave, had de-
cided that my hope lay in one man-old
Ling's son, Kim. Not until then had
thought Of him, and remembered his
appointment as secret guardian Of the
Queen in his fathers place. I congrat-
ulated myself on having kept my hasty
promise TO the father, for as I thought
Of il / was surer than ever that Dull
cine Oranoff's life was in his hands
but I dared not think what the grave
youth would do or say. I knew the
penalty Of an attempt to mock the ter
rible legend and enter that mauscleum;
the body OF the ghoulish vandal would
be divided among the capitals Of the
twenty provinces, to be displayed in a
public place.
If Kim could not help me, there was
but one man left to ask. That was the
King, and asking him would be to tell
the whole miserable story of Lynx
Island and Prince Tuen's victory. And
yet, had not a week passed without
the fulfllment OF the terrible myth
Was the King not sane still. and the
dynasty still secure? And might not an
other week go by like this-and many
/ pushed my horse on as fast as ii
could go, knowing each moment was ar
eternity to Dulcine. / passed within a
hundred yards of the mausoleum and
watched the score of men who were al
work upon the little temple roof. The
material for it was being brought up or
the very car and track upon which the
golden sarcophagus had assembled.
AS j looked again upon these scenes
so indelibly impressed on my memory
/ thought of the terrible experience:
Dulcine had endured since she bade me
that last farewell. How the poor gir
must have waited and waited and
waited in her narrow cell for the sig
nal that never camel How her ex.
hausted nerves must have trembledl
How her very life-blood must have
been wrung from her heart as the mo-
ments passed! Did she know when the
service Of the priests was over? Gould
she have known when she was placed
upon the sliding car? Did she realize
that she was beyond the Altar oi
Spices-aye, beyond all human power
70 save? Did she feel herself being
lowered into the tomb-or had he stun.
ming, deafening shock Of the falling
tablet first told her that her lover hac
proven faithless and had sent her to q
living tomb after failing to bring bacl
the real body of the Queen?
] ached to hurry now to the mound
but could not. dressed as / was. And
so ] pushed on into the city. But her,
another question arose. Where should
/ go? i could not go to the legation. AL
ready Colonel Oranoff might have giver
out the news OF Dulcine's absence, anC
of mine. Yet / was sure he would be.
lieve we were together, and that h'
would not quickly make public our dis
appearance. / could not help wonder.
ing if in all his diplomatic days he hat
ever faced a riddle more difficult tc
solve than this.
And so 1 turned toward the Japanes,
settlement. as I went into Keinring
and lodged at a Japanese inn. From
there boldly indited letter to Colo
mel Orapoff, saying that for reasons
which he would fully approve when h,
knew them Dulcine and / had lef
Keinning together. I dated my not,
from Isl, the morning after the fu'