Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-22
: THE BRONZE BELL
BY LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
b. Louis
includ the scandin


like to him for one reason or another"
'Narainir" queried Amber.
The genius of the place. Raikes nod
ded toward the Raj Mahal. shining like a
pearl through the darkness on the hill
side over against the residency. She's
Saligs head queen. At least that's about
as near to her status as one can get.
She's not actually his queen. but some
sort OF heritage from the Rutton dy-
nasty-1 hardly know what or why. Sally
never married her. but she lives in the
palace. and for several years-ever since
she first began to be talked about-shes
ruled from behind the screen with high
hand and an outstretched arm. So the
bazaar says
i've heard she was beautiful" Farrell
observed
| rumor. You never can TELL very likely
she's a withered old bag: nine out of ten
native women are by the time they're
thirty" Raikes jerked the glowing end
verified to English. shall we join Miss
Farrell?"
They arose and left the table TO the
servants. the resident with Amber fol-
lowing Farrell and young Clarkson.
"Old women we are, forever talking
scandal, said Raikes. with a chuckle.
| "Oh, we'll! it's shop with us. you know.
"Of course Then | understand
that the tamasha is the reason for the
| encampment beyond the walls?"
Yes, they've been coming In for q
week. BY tomorrow night. I daresaS.
every rajah, prince. thakur. baron, het
| tall horse and foot. will be camped
down before the walls of kuttarpur
You've chosen an interesting time for
your visit. It'll be sight worth seeing
| when they begin to make show. My
| troubles begin with state banquet to-
morrow that I'd give much to miss; how
ever. I'll have Farrell for company.
and institute reforms-railways and
1 metaled roads and SO forth?'
mo, he was quite suited to his master.
| But the bazaar says Narani took dis
| I'm glad to be here" said Amber.
thoughtfully. Could 1t be possible that
the proposed abdication OF Salig Singh
| in favor of his son were merely cloak
| to conspiracy to restore to power the
| house of Rutton? Or had the tamasha
| been arranged in order to gather to-
gether all the rulers in Rajputana with
out exciting suspicion. that they might
! agree upon a concerted plan of mutiny
| against the Sirkar? This state affair Of
| surprising Importance had been arranged
| for the last day of grace allotted the
| prince of the house of Rutton. What
| had 1t to do with the Gateway of Swords.
the Voice. the Mind, the Eye. the Body.
the Bell?
| "By the way Mr.. Raikes.'' said the
Virginian, suddenly. what do they call
| the gate by which We entered the CITY
! the southern gate?"
| 1.-The Gateway Of Swords. l believe
| Farrell, on the point of entering the
house. overheard and turned. us that
so? Why, I thought that gateway was
| in Kathapur."
rye heard of Gateway of Swords in
Kathiapur," Raikes admitted Never
been there myself
"Kathiapur?'
"A dead city. Mr.. Amber, not far away
originally the capital Of Khandawar
It's over there in the hills to the north
| somewhere. Old Rao Rutton. founder OF
the old dynasty, got tired Of the place
| and caused it to be depopulated. building
Kuttarpur in it's stead-I believe, to COM
memorate some victory or other. Ihat
| sort of thing used to be quite the fashion
| in India before we came" Raikes fell
back, giving Amber precedence as they
entered the resdency. by the way. re-
! mind me, If you think of Ii, Col. Farrell.
| to get after the telegraph clerk tomor-
row. There's new man in CHARGE
Bengai babu-and ] presume he's about
| as worthless as the run of his kind
! Amber made careful note of this IN
| formation; he was curious about that
| babu.
CTo be continued tomorrow