The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-03-17
stones. and seemed 10 be WRITING ~

| Il away.
did not want him to find me watch
ing. j should learn nothing OF his
doings except in secret; he was more
than match for me in guile, I knew.
l was out early the next morning to
examine the stones, which had an
peared to interest Burton so much
the night before. Butwhen / reached
the Coloneis garden 1 found that
they had gone.
stood gazing at the impressions
In the damp ground where they had
been, unable to credit my senses. I
could not be mistaken, for l had no.
ticed exactly where Burton had stood.
There is some deviltry at work. "
L muttured at last, but 1 can't get
at the meaning of 1t. They were
| common stones, of no value, l should
say, to anybody, and yet Burton takes
the trouble to come late at night and
make some cabalistic signs over them.
He did not take them away with him.
know, but they are gone this morn
ing. What does 1t mean?"
l shut myself up in my room di-
rectly L got back, and unlocking a
trunk L carefully looked through the
papers 1 had collected during my So
journ in India and the notebooks I
had written until came upon an ac-
count of my interview with the saint
OF the Himalayas. So far had found
nothing to help me; IL this did not
give me clue to Burton's strange
behavior l could do nothing more.
But the clue, thank heaven, was
there.
Some of these Hindu ascetics." I
had written, acquire extraordinary
powers, but the woodworking sad
hus are not to be found in crowded
streets and bazaars, but in the lonely
jungle and snow-locked mountain,
where the foot of man is rarely seen.
Here, after years of penance and pro-
patton, they are able to perform what
seem miracles to grosser minded men.
The sadhu 1 have seen to-day is
such a one. At my urgent entreaty
he gave me an example of his power.
lie told me that he had only to make
certain mystical sign on anything
he wanted and it would be brought to
MIN by an unseen agent, and in proof
touched a plant growing in a cleft of
rock I saw it lying at his feet. 1t
appears, however, that all such things
brought by his djinn, or familiar
spirit, only remained with him for a
time. He had no power to keep them
permanently"
put my notebook down.
Burton attached himself to him
and became his disciple, doubtless
with the object of learning his power
and making use of it to unworthy
ends" / mused "And, unfortunate
ly, the old sadhu must have taught
him good deal. 1 understand now
how the stones disappeared, though
still l do not see why he wanted
them"
But 1 was to learn that a little
later.
was bad sleeper and often went
for stroll after other people had
gone to bed. Lately l had been par
ticularly wakeful and uneasy, being
convinced that some mischief was at
work, and not understanding what it
was, and when l went out instinct
lively made it a habit to walk past
Colonel Langley's bungalow. 1t
seemed possible that Burton would
repeat his secret visit, and if so 1
wanted to be there to see. But a
week had passed since the incident
or the stones, and, as far as l knew,
he had not gone again at night.
He had looked worried and anx-
inmg 10
getting desperate. He had lost
ground with Cynthia, who obviously
avoided him, and altogether things
seemed to be reaching a crisis. The
station generally had had enough of
him, and he was more or less ostra-
cised, but he was too absorbed in his
mad infatuation to care about any
thing else.
AS 1 leaned against the Colonel's
palings, looking idly down the empty.
moonlit road, thinking that / would
turn in when l had finished my Gig
arctic, heard soft footstep behind
me, and swinging round sharply I
saw Cynthia Langley. 1 started for
ward with an exclamation on my lips
when 1 stopped short.
The girls eyes were wide open,
but fixed and empty; she was walking
In her sleep, or something like it, and
IL might be dangerous to rouse her.
she still wore her white evening
dress, and gliding along with that
light, unconscious step, she looked
like some fair spirit. Too bewildered
to wonder where she was going,
followed her.
For some minutes we walked over
the silent plain, she a little ahead of
me, then suddenly she turned off the
rough track and stopped. as though
arrested by an unseen hand.
In a moment I knew the reason.
Jerome Burtons white encampment
was close by. and Burton himself now
came forward with outstretched hand
from the shelter of a tree. Ny first
inclination was to seize him by the
throat. but he evidently had not seen
me, and crouching in the shadows
watched and waited.
His touch and voice reused the
girl, and she gave a sharp cry.
What IS t.? Where am II" she
said, looking round wildly
with me. dearest. You are quite
safe, don't tremble so. You must
have been thinking Of mo. as I was of
you, and YOU came out to give mo
kind word, SO that / might sleep in
peace. You have not given me many