The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-11

seated himself with a sigh of relief.
His highness' elephants are very
fine" the messman supplemented his
information. He is going to have a
dress rehearsal tomorrow of the pro-
cession, leading it himself. and wear
ing all his jewels. 1t will pass our
camp, sir, so you will have a fne
VieW'
glanced down at Nightingale. He
showed no sign of interest, unless q
curious twitching of the muscles at
the back of his neck could be taken
as such. 1t was Minna Van Cortlandt
who commented on the announcement,
merrily suggesting that they should
humbly offer the NiZam's elephant a
bun as it went by.
Il am afraid the common or gar
den bun isn't product of the glowing
east" laughed Vanneck.
"Ah, that's only an excuse" the girl
rejoined sharply. you are just fright
ened to do il, I guess. I'd love to do
il myself-if only to get a longer look
at the famous diamond"
At this, after a sidelong glance at
Don Ignacio, Nightingale looked up
quickly.
IF | were younger and more agile,
my dear young lady, you would not
have to accuse me of lack of gallantry
in the matter" he said in those bland
tones that had earned his sobriquet
Alas! / fear l should be trampled be-
fore / could get out of the way"
That's what Charley is afraid of, &"
snapped Miss Minna, coqUettishly de-
termined to pique her favored swain.
Il am sure that Don Ignacio would do
it if I asked him."
The somber Mexican opened his
mouth to speak, but old Van Cortlandt
who evidently preferred his fellow
countryman as a sutton for his daugh-
ter, raped out:
We'll, you haven't asked him and
there amt any buns, so there's an end
of the matter"
After dinner having helped to clear
the table l went out into the open,
where under the Chinese lanterns, Mr.
Van Cortlandt was entertaining his
guests with stories of his early strug-
giles. Nightingale being among the au-
dienee, l slipped away to the range of
sleeping tents that fianked the large
pavilion. 1 wanted to seize the oppor-
tunity of looking round the sham doc
tors tent in his absence, and having
been told off to valet him, 1 had an
excuse for doing so.
The tent had been pointed out to me
by the messman, and, unperceived. as
/ hoped, l drew aside the flap and stole
in. An oil lamp on the pole shed a
feeble light, bringing into relief the
scanty furniture and two pOrtman-
teauX. The suspicion was strong upon
me that Nightingale would turn to &C
count the Nizam's dress rehearsal, and
/ had decided if l could only lay my
hand on the bomb to thwart him by
simply boiling with it.
l bent over the pOrtmanteaux, and
was not surprised to find them both
| fn a Tin
which | had on my pOcketknife, when
l heard step approaching. Catching
up an empty water can, | made for
the entrance, there to run full into
Nightingale himself. He pushed me
roughly back into the tent.
What are you doing here?" he
asked, with ominous calm
Come to fetch Sahib's bath water
/ replied, with what nonchalance l
could assume.
He went and sat on the bed, and it
was hard to realize that the slender.
STOPPING figure of a man, with silver
hair and scholars face, was plotting
murder and robbery. He fumbled in
the pocket of his dress trousers.
thought he would produce a pistol, but
out came a bunch of keys, from which
he selected two.
open those pOrtmanteaux,' he COM
shaving tackle, and put the other
things away in the chest of drawers"
His motive / could not guess but 1
Quilted the portmanteauX thoroughly,
conscious all the while that those sar-
dOnic eyes were watching me from the
bed. When l had completed my task,
took up the can and made as though
TO retire, but ne motioned me to stop.
DO you know why l made YOU do
n Er ngn-fa 4
tently.
It's my business-keep Sahib's tent
tidy" was the best answer 1 could
think of. If only l knew whether he
had recognized me, or was merely try
ing TO satisfy himself that 1 was what
l seemed,
NO, it was not because of your
duty" he said, still fixing me with
those TemOrseless eyes. 1T was to
show you that something you are Gu
rious about is not in my trunks, Mana
jee''
Money, Sahib?" I exclaimed, re-
spectfully indignant Il am a high
caste man-nO thief"
Would he never take those sorching |
eyes OFF me-never cease caressing the |
breast pocket of his coat, in which. no /
doubt, pistol lurked? My own revolt |
yer was in my cummerbund, and the |
SnSnteSt movement on his part would /
have been the signal for me to try and |
draw first.
But the electric moment passed |
without an explosion. Either / had |
deceived this past master of deceit. or |
ne was confident that he could treat /
me with contempt. He might easily /
have Matched an excuse for shooting /
me, but the formaIities consequent on /
The killing of a marauding servant |
might have upset his plans for the |
morrow.
Take the can" he said at last |
After that 1 shall want nothing more |
He had left the tent when I returned /
with the water, and peering out saw |
he had rejOined the party under the /
anterns. Creeping as near as l dared /
flung myself on the ground to try /
and pick up crumbs of talk. The sit
nation was growing desperate for
Nightingale was still in possession of |
The bomb, and shortly after dawn the /
NiZam, wearing THE Star of the |
South" would pass the encampment
/ gathered little from my ambush,
Except that Nightingale was again do
ng the agreeable to the surly Mexican.
Once or twice / thought that he drew
he Don's attention TO Minna Van Cort-
md AL