The Washington times., 1911-08-10
CHAPTER XVIII.


WhStled through the gorge anC
II defied our efforts to sleep. sc
Gwynne and I climbed into the
airship for protection. Here, wrapped
IN skins, under the lee Of the rail, we
lay and talked until after midnight.
or course, we are far above the
lamasery of Tad-sa-fuh," Roedler was
saying, and we must get to much
lower level before we can hope to reach
It Yet these intervening ramparts must
be crossed first"
But we've a better chance of catch
Ing sight of the old pile from high
ground than low l observed.
True, but for the fogs."
But the fogs are bound to Co."
suggested; they can't last forever"
Gwynne sighed.
might get there before us, after all.
Rubbish! Can an OK travel faster
than a flying machine7"
Than flying machine that can't fly
yes. Besides, they have a guide"
True, murderous hound that will
carry them of to some dong-ky and rot
them. I'd rather be alone than with
such scoundrelly guides as we've met sc
far"
Maybe you're right. 1 hope you are
OF course, I've every confidence in the
machine. II the power holds out-with-
out IT, we're worse of than we would
be with the yaks. What's that?"
l listened.
Out of the stiffness a faint murmur
rose upon the air. 1t was hardly per-
ceptible; yet, when once the attention
was directed toward II, 1t seemed TO
grow in importance-to fill the ears.
was quite sure 1t was not the Surgtng
of the blood against the ear drums.
Neither was 1t quite like the wind. Be-
sides, the wind was dying.
Another Of your darned waterfalls,
] SUPPOSE
Perhaps" Gwynne graunted.
We lay perfectly still and listened: II
though
and distant, and unlike the surglng OF
Reminds me of the Tsnapo,'" said
Gwynne sleepily. There was, indeed, a
lullaby cadence in the humming monot-
ony of the voice. 1t was soothing, rest
full. and now seemed to come from un-
der the ground.
But the Tsnapo is too far away
There's no telling where we are"
Gwynne corrected. Besides, I've no
ton that much of this ground is honey
combed. The drip of that eternal snow
and ice up yonder has got to get off
somehow; and when we don't see the
water above it's bound to find its way
by subterranean passage. That rumb-
ling may, of course, be something else !;
but, in my opinion, it's water tumbling
over rocks either above or underneath
the ground"
We talked until late, and finally fell
asleep, listening to the strange, hol-
low droning in the air.
BY morning the fog had lifted, but 1t
still hung like lead over the higher
peaks. l climbed over the side OF the
vessel and looked around. Dull walls
OF gray and a close curtain shut out the
view. 1t was impossible to see Where
we were; and, If the atmosphere didn t
clear, 1t would be equally impossible to
proceed upon our journey.
walked slowly from the side OF the
vessel, in the hope Of finding some dead
grass or brushwood. But there was
nothing The place was as barren as any
we had seen. Another cold breakfast
or, at most, a chafng- dish one-was the
best we could hope for.
l was about to turn and report the
discouraging news to Roedler, when
there before me, half a dozen feet
ahead. Law nv pipe II II had been an ap-
partition don't think should have been
more startled. / knew II at once, and'
going slowly forward. picked It up;
My Initials were cut upon one side OF
the bowl The mouthpiece had been
bitten nearly through in a peculiar way
by an ill-shaped tooth. | should nave
known it in the moon. How on earth
had II go there?
] hurried back to the vessel. Gwynne
was just tumbling out There was
half frightened look about the eyes
when ] told him of my discovery.
You're dead sure there's no mistake
about it,
"Suren'
Then, Of course. it can only mean
one thing. Pete, and a darned uniucky
thing, too"
asked what he meant
''That we camped here yesterday for
dinner That we've been going round IN
a circle, and that We haven't advanced
q single rod since yesterday noon"
Strangely enough. I hadn't thought OF
that. The most impossible theories had
forced themselves upon me. AT one mo-
.uent I had imagined that an eagle, or
some other high-flying bird. had picked
up the pipe, being attracted by the Sill
yer band around it. carried and dropped
II here At another l fancted the vino
had borne ii aloft and-but, OF course
fhe idea was absurd; l knew it at the
time, but they were the only eNplana-
tions that occurred.
Now. it was perfectly clear. We haH
simply been pirouetting around one OF
these awful peaks of the Himalayas and
come hack to the starting point e
had sailed into the wrong valley-that
was all. 49,
mistake" Gwynne said. TT was when
You first discovered your loss. 1 made
TT puts us whole day back" re-
Gwynne was thinking. He was toying
With the great bushy locks that clus-
tered about his forehead. Presently he
looked up.
DOaI yet lIC o"N'N'
waited for him to go on, but he
hadn't quite done scratching his head
'sWhat are you going to do?" 1 asked
How are your nerves." Roedler
asked. ,,,o,,-e G,
that was lying. -,,,r,.
Then wen do it-but not until night
comes"
He Still hesitated to tell me.
go ahead" l urged. What are you
thinking off" A.. ,,o,,,d
here where we are. want to go up
higher and make sure what 1t Is.
/ begged him to explain how greater
elevation could reveal the secrets OF
the earth, but he only repeated the
query about my nerves. ,.-
"Do YOU think you could stand olp
heavenward of. say. three or four thou-
sand feet? Do you think 1t woulo uh-
nerve you?
aPsFhaps; = il, 4 you go with me-Ou'
"Tsf believe e. ~ at that elevation we can
see Tad-sa-fuh."
What makes you think so?'
''These cursed waterfalls!
WHY do YOU want to wait until after
night?'' I asked. y. A.,
listen and / will tell you. III the
water we've heard growing around us
for the last few days in not the Isanpo,
It's very much like II. If the formation
~ tba country here is not the same as