Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-27

! he returned, slowly. aware of the morn
! ing dampness and of a comicai chagrin
| Chatra and the grooms, hereafter, might
| sing back and forth unmOlested. Before
the clump of lilies. where his pursuit had
| begun, he halted in the path TO study the
dim prospect stretching far below in steep
| undulation.
From this hanging garden. as from
green parapet or jutting Prov of foliage
| he could see only a region of sky and
| darkness. floored with billowing pa1lor
| of clouds. which reflected upward. faint
ly, the thin but increasing light of dawn.
The world below was plain of milky
vapor. that shaded without edge or limit,
into nothing. Yet close beneath his feet,
straight downward as in a pit, there
glowed a sullen, ragged light quaking
subterranean flame. He craned over the
verge. Sheer underneath, by the stream
ing fire-points of bamboo torches. little
squad OF hillmen were tOlling like ants
upon the road Enormous shadows of
their heads, arms and shovels, quick in
tercroSsing legs. that Spindled to hun
dred yards of altitude, went rioting in sill
houette across the nearer clouds like a
combat of phantoms. Unconscious of
their own gigantic turmoil over the land
scape, the coolies worked steadily, mend
ing the highway. where clustered their
flaming fasces of bamboo splinters The
| road itself. slanting from left to right.
showed like a fshhook of orange metal,
with the barb bent downward into the
carriage, in depth the squad of laborers
stood SO near that David could distin-
guish their flattened profiles against the
torchlight in the thin white steam of
mountain eXhalatiOns, and could plainly
tell one man from another as they toiled
and shifted. 1t was the more strange,
therefore. to see. vastly menacing above
and beyond their preoccupation, the stilt-
ed giants fighting that vague war of
shadows.
Four dull booming notes, In slow sue
cession, rose through the clouds to re-
mind him. A time log, beaten in one of
those drowned villages far below, was
humping out the hour.
Time to get ready" thought the young
man, and turning promptly, he rounded
the clump Of lilies, regained his bull-hide
sandals and once more headed for his
bath.
He had long stood by his window.
dressed and helmeted, and was beginning
to fidget with his watch, when along the
drive came quick patter Of little hoofs
and rumble of wheels. The coachman,
in the vermilion LACQUER hat, perched high
on vehicle of BrObdingnag, pulled up his
Lilliputian horses at the door Of Miss Ar
nots room. Barefoot servants scurried
out with luggage; Chatra came swaying.
her arms full of wraps. to stand humbly
and languidly by the carriage step: then
quickly. with light, firm tread. her mis-
tress followed across the veranda and en-
tered the leathern gulf Of the "mylord.'
Good morning." The girl, answering
David's salute. looked up with pale. sad,
yet friendly countenance, to where he
stood beside pillar. In white from he'll
met to point of toe, she wore at her
throat some black thing. which in the
lamplight seemed hardly darker than her
eyes. Thank you for sending this
She raised from her lap and let fall
again the small packet tied with party
colored Irvine.
Il can never thank you enough" she
continued, for the offer you made me
last night. We shall meet at the train?
I've great many questions to ask you.''
David. replying, found his confusion di-
vided. He rejoiced to meet her brave and
steady look. but still more to find that
not even the silver locket contained her
likeness in the world.
Your carriage follows mine?" she
asked.
Directly As he answered, David sud-
denly discovered. to his ANNOYANCE. that
down the whole length of the veranda no
sign appeared Of his own carriage. my
villains will soon be along
Miss Arnot smiled and nodded. The
coachman wagged his conical vermilion
gilt fishing rod like rifle. "Hrri! hrri."
he cried. And before the servants ended
their salaams the four little Sandalwoods
jumped forward at a gallop.
AS the portly carriage swept out of
lamplight into darkness a nimbIe figure
in golden-bowl hat and notified sarong
hoped up into the rumble. 1t was only
Miss Arnot's groom, who had stood hid
den. apparently, In the shadow Of the
leaders. Yet something in the hurried
motion caught David's eye, and for a mo-
ment left him staring after, down the
dark incline.
A moment only-the young man had no
thought Of being left behind.
Sidin! He turned on his boy "Sidip
where are my horses? Where are they?
Run quickly. My horses Fetch them.'
Like deer into the bush Sidin jumped
through the bank of lilies and was off to-
ward the stables. his feet slapping hard
and loud along the volcanic path. The
noise of the carriage wheels had died
away before his brown face and white
Jacket again burst the lilies apart, as
though he were riding in on surf.
Master. they come he reported, smh-
ing. Your men harness them rapidly
There was error. One Of those foolish
groorns '-Sidn pointed with his chin,
Malay fashion, after the departing euui-
page-"they carried word to the stables
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