Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-11-02
CHAPTER XIV. (contlnued)

See, my king!" she cried, her voice
vibrant, her eyes kindling as they met
his. Look down upon thy kingdom.
North, south, east, west-look!" she
commanded. Wherever thine eyes
may turn, and farther than they can
Q upon the clearest day, this land is
III thine for the taking. Look
snd tell me thou hast strength to re-
sounce 1t and me, beloved"
She opened her arms with infinite
allure. 1T Is SO little that is asked
pf thee-only TO ascend thy fathers
throne and be honored of all Bharuta,
only to WELD the scepter that is thine
by right, only to reign an undisputed
king In two Observation-Disclosures
and thy Naraini's hearth"
4 am very sorry" he returned. 1T
Is quite impossible. Besides, 1t seems
that you leave the sirkar altogether
out of your calculations. 1t may not
have occurred to you that the supreme
government of India may have some
thing to say about the contemplated
change"
He saw her bite her lips with cha
grin, and the look she flashed to his
face was anything but kind and ten
der. s"Arre!" she laughed derisively.
"And of what account is this frail,
tottering sirkar's will besides the Will
Of the Body? OF what avail it's dicta
against the rulings of the Bell? Thou
knowest-"
Pardon, I know nothing. / have
cold thee, Rance, that / am not Har
Dyal Rutton."
She was mistress of q thousand ar
eifces. Brought to a "standstill on the
n line of attack, she diverged to an
other without a culver Of IN eyelash
to betray her discontinue.
yea, thou hast told me-" she purred.
"But /, Naraini, | know what | know.
Thou dost deny myself ven as thou
dost deny me, but art thou
willing to be put to the proof, my
king?"
If you've any means of proving my
identity, ! would thank you for ma
king use Of 1t, Rance.
There is the test Of the Token,
Lalji."
Il am not aware of It,"
THE test of the Token-the ring
that was brought to thee, the signet
Of thy house. Surely thou hast it with
thee?"
He thrust a hand within his shirt
and brought forth the emerald. "Here
It is," he told the woman, cheerfully
Nov this test?"
place it Upon thy ~finger-so, ever
upon thy little finger, as was thy ia
theirs wont with 1t. Now lift uI
thine arm, so, and turn the stone t.
the west, toward Kathapur."
Without comprehension he yielded
20 this within, holding up his right arm
and turning the emerald to the quar-
ter indicated by Narafni.
The hour had drawn close upor
dawn. A cold air breathed down thu
valley and was chill to them In. that
lofty eyrie. The moon, dipping to
wards the rim of the world, wal
poised, a globe of dull silver, upon thu
ridge of a far, dark hill. AS theJ
watched 1T dropped out Of sight ant
everything was suddenly very bleal
and black.
And a curious thing happened.
Naraini cried out sharply-"Aho!.
as II unable to contain her excitement
Somewhere in the palace behint
them a great gong doomed like thun
der.
A pause ensued, disturbed only b,
the fiuttering Of the woman's breath
for the space of thirty pulse beat
nothing happened Then Naraini]
fingers closed like banda OF steel abou
Amber's left wrist.
"See!" she cried In a voice OF awe
while the bracelets shivered an,
clashed upon her outstretched arll
"The eye, my king, the eye!"
Amber shut his teeth upon an 81
ciamation of maze For Just abov'
Ne tar. dark mountain ridge. uncau