Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-26
vHAPTER xIV-Continued.

BY the door servant StoOd, MS dtti-
| tude deferential. AS the Virginian's gaze
| fell upon him he salaamed respectfully.
Amber entered, his eyes quick. his right
| hand in the pocket and grateful for the
| cold caress of nickeled steel, his body
poised lightly and tensely upon the balls
| of his feet-in a word. ready. Prepared
against the worst he was hopeful OF the
best; apprehensive, he reminded himself
| that he had first met Labertouche under
auspices hardly more prepossessing than
| these.
| The clang of the door closing behind
him rang holloway in the stiffness. The
| warder moved past him to the entrance
! of the corridor. Amber held him with a
sharp question.
"Am 1 to wait here?"
For moment, Heaven born" He
disappeared.
| Without sound door at Amber's
elbow that had escaped his cursory no.
| tice, SO cunntngly was it fitted in the
| wall, swung open and a remembered
voice doomed in his ears. not without a
| certain sardonic infection: Welcome,
my lord. welcome to Khandawar!'
Amber swung upon the speaker with q
snarl. "Salig Singh!''
"Thy steward bids thee welcome to thy
| kingdom, hazOor!'
| Dominating the scene with his lmpos-
| ing presence-a figure regal in the regi-
| mentals of his native army-the Rajput
| humbled himself before the Virginian.
| dropping to his knee and Offering his
jeweled sword hilt in token of his fealty.
"Oh, get up!'' snapped Amber impa-
| tiently I'm sick of all this id TOM
foolery. Get up, d'you hear?-unless you
want me to take that pretty sword OF
| yours and spank you with it.
A culver, as of self-repression. moved
| tIo Of fha ar
with a jangle of spurs. Salig Singh leaped
| up and stood at distance of two PAGES,
his head high, his black eyes glittering
ominously with well nigh the sinister bril-
| lance of his vibrating emerald a1grette
My lord!' he cried, angrily. Are
| these words to use to one who offers thee
! his heart and hand? Is this insolence TO
| be suffered by a Rajput, son of kings!
| lily. giving him look for look. your grand
| father was bunia and you know 1t:
| Whether or not you're going to suner
what you call my insolence. don't know
and I don't much care. You've MADE a
fool of me twice now and I'm tired of it.
l give you my word I don't understand
why / don't shoot you down here and
now, for 1 believe in my heart you're the
unholiest scoundrel unhung. Is that Ian
guage plain enough for you?"
For an instant longer they faced one
another Extensively, Amber cool enough
| outwardly and inwardly boiling with rage
that he should have walked into the trap
with his eyes open. Salig Singh trembling
with splendid restraint.
LAS for me-" continued Amber, Il sus-
pect I'm the most hopeless ass In the
three Presidencies. if that's any comfort
to you, SaliS Singh. Now What you
want with me?"
A shadowy smile softened the blackness
of the Rajputs wrath. He shrugged and
moved his hands slightly, exposing their
C{o fHv,o
Thou art my overload" he said. quiet
ly. with silky Difference. I'm time
thou wilt see how thou hast wronged me-
For the present. remain thy servant L
harbor no resentment, l owe thee naught
but loyalty. 1 await thy commands.
The dickens you do!' Amber whis-
tied inaudibly, his eyes narrowing as ne
pondered the man. You protest a lot,
Salig Singh. If you're so much at my
service why, prove it.
BY way of reply Salig Singh lifted MS
sword in it's scabbard from its fasten-
ings at his side and. with magnificent
gesture, cast it clanking TO the moor r ne-
pattern revolver followed it. The Rajput
spread out his hands Thou art armed.
nv lord he said. Il. at thy mercy. Ii
| thou dost misjudge my purpose IN caus-
in thy hands" ..r.
very pretty. But presuming 1 chose to
take it?''
Thou art free as the winds of the
morning. See, then" Salig Singh strobe
to the outer door and threw it OPEN The
Way of escape is clear-not even locked
The lamplight fell across -, the ,s stone
boat with Dulla Dad sitting patiently at
the oar. o
II see," assented Amber. 'Well?'
salig Singh shut the door gently is
there more to say?' he inquired. nave
oh o,.,, tboo that thou art free
'Oh, SO far as that goes, you've dem
onstrated pretty clearly that you're not
afraid Of me. OF course / know as Wen
as you do that at the first shot Duila
Dad would slip out to the lake and leave
me here to die like rat in corner
..Thou knowest. lord, that no man IN
Khandawar would do thee any hurt.
| Thy person is sacred
to believe that you still stick to that alb
surd fiction Of yours-that I'm Rutton!
..Then mine eyes have played me false,
hazoor. Shabash" Salig Singh bowed
resignedly.
well, then. what do you want? Why
have you brought me here?
why didst thou come? There was no
force used-thou didst come of thine own
wil-thine own will, which Is the Will VI
the Body, haZoOr!
"Oh' damnation. Why dyou insist on
beating round the bush forever! You
know we'll why l came. Now, what DO
you want?
my lord, move. it seems. in the ways
of error A little time ago the words OF
the Voice were made known to thee In
far land: thou didst answer, coming to
this country few days agone myself
did repeat to you the message OF the Bell;
thou didst swear thou wouldst not an
swer. vet art thou here in kuttarpur. Am
| to be blamed for taking this for sign
of thy repentance? Hazoor, the
Body is patient, the Will benignant and
ong-suffering. Still is the Gateway
open."
lis that what you wanted to tell me-
Salig Singh?"
What else? Am 1 to believe thee
mailman, weary of life, that thou shouldst
venture hither with a heart hardened
against the Will of the Body? l seek
but to serve thee in thus daring thy dis
pleasure Why shouldst thou come to
Bharuta* at all if thau dost not intend
to undergo the Ordeal of the Gateway!
Am / fool or-I say it in all respect,
my lord-art thou?"
simultaneously, with a soft swish OF
draperies, a clash of jeWeled bracelets
dull and musical, and a flash of coruscat-
ing color, the woman stood before him'
young, slender, graceful, CARRIED In IN
describable splendor-and yelled.
For the space of three long breathS the
Virginian hesitated, unspeakably amazed.
Though she were yelled. it were deep dls-
honor for a woman of Rajput's house
hold to be seen by stranger. II seemed
inexplicable that Salig Singh should have
Willingly left him in any place "hefe ne
might encounter an inmate of the zenana-
Yet the Maharana must have known