Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-27
CHAPTER XIV.
From a High Place.

| Inc pdSSdSeWdy was long and DARK anu
given to sudden curves and angles, pene-
trating. it seemed. the very bowels of the
Raj Nahal. 1t ended unexpectedly in a
low arch through which the two men
passed into an open courtyard, apparent
| ly given over entirely to stables. De-
spite the lateness of the hour it was ten
anted by several wideawake syces. dane
ing attendance upon a pair of blooded
stations of the stud royal, which, saddled,
bridled and hooded, paved and champed
impatiently in the center of the yard,
making it echo with the ringing Of iron
on stone and the jinging of their silver
| curb chains.
Salig Singh paused, with a wave of his
| hand calling Amber's attention to the su-
| perb brutes.
Thou canst see, hazoor. that all is pre-
pared.'
For what?'
| But salig Singh merely smiled enig-
| matically and shaking a patient head
| passed on.
second arch gave upon a corridor
which led upward and presently changed
into steep flight of steps, of ancient
| stone worn smooth and grooved with the
traffic Of generations Of naked feet At
| the top they turned aside and passed
through deserted hanging garden, and
| then through heavy door which SaIig
| uHIoch0u Will n private Key, into
a vast. vacant room, with a lofty ceiling
| supported by huge, unwieldy pillars of
| stone, sculptured with all the loves and
| wars of Hindu mythology. At one end
the f1tful. eerie flare OF great bronze
| braZier revealed the huge proportions of
| an ivory throne. gorgeous with gems and
| cloth of gold. standing upon a dais and
flanked by two motionless figures which
| at first sight Amber took to be pieces of
| statuary. But they quickened, salutins
a ant nd aoc of
steel as the Maharana drew nearer, and
/ SO proved themselves troopers of the
| state, standing guard with naked swords.
There is no need. perhaps, to tell thee,
haZoor,' Salfg Singh muttered, bending to
Ambers ear, that sitting upon this
throne, in this Hall of Audience for gen.
erations thy forefathers ruled this land,
making and administering it's laws, met
served. my lord. for generations by my
forbears. the faithful stewards of thy
House; even as I would prove faithful
brusquely. IL true. Is this what YOU
wanted to show me?'
| May hazoor, not this alone Come"
The Rajput led him out Of the hall by
way of a small doorway behind the
throne. and after little turning and
twisting through tortuous passages they
began to ascend again, and SO went on
up. ever upward, the flights of steps
broken by other corridors. other apart
! ments. other galleries and gardens until
| at length they emerged into a garden laid
out In the very tOpmost court of all-the
lOftiest spot In all Kuttarpur
| 1t was very wonderful garden, a jun
gle Of exotic plants and shrubs threaded
| by narrow walks that led to secluded
hooks and unsupported pleasaunces, and
| lighted by low-swung festoons of dim
| lamps, many-colOred. A bantam grew
| curiously in its midst, and there also they
<>f
a bed of brilliant pebbles. over which
small golden cleaning fish flashed and
loitered. Here, where the walls of acacia.
| orange. thuia and pepal shut out every
breath Of wind. the air was dense with
the cloying sweetness of jasmine. musk
| and marigold.
My lord" said the Maharana. pausing,
'if thou wilt wait here for little. per-
uniting me to excuse myself?
"AIl right" Amber told him, tolerantly.
| Run along"
salig Singh quietly effaced himself. and
the American watched him go with an in
ward chuckle. II presume I'll have to
pay for my impudence in the end" he
thought; but It's costing Salig Singh a
good deal to hold himself in" He was
for the time being not ill-pleased with
this phase of his adventure; he had a
notion that this must be sort of very
private pleasure ground of the rulers OF
khandawar. and that very few, IL any,
white people had ever been permitted to
inspect 1t. What the Maharana'S next
move would be he had not the least sus-
picion: but since he must be content and
abide the developments as they came. he
was minded to amuse himself He moved
away from the cistern. idling down a
path in a direction opposite that taken by
Salig Singh.
An abrupt turn brought him to the
outer wall, and he stopped to gaze, lean
ing upon the low marble balustrade.
From his feet the wall fell away sheer.
precipitous, hundred feet or more, to
another hanging garden like that which
lay behind him. From this there was
another stupendous drop. On all sides
the marble walls spread over the hill
sides. descending It in great strides
broken by terraces, gardens. paved courts
all white and silver and deep violet
shadow. with here and there a window
glowing softly yellow or web of SAT
from rays peeping through the intricacies
of a carved stone lattice. Far below, on
the one hand. the lake lay like sheet OF
steel; on the other the city stretched. a
huddle OF fat roofs not unlike an armfui
Of child's building blocks. At that great