Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-08-09
CHAPTER X. (contInued).

Pardon, hazoor, but is this worth
thy while? l am no child; what
know | know. If thou art indeed not
Har Dyal Rutton, how is it that thou
dost wear upon thy finger the signet
Of thy house"-Salig Singh indicated
the emerald which Amber had for
gotten-"the Token sent thee by the
Bell? If thou are not my lord the
rightful Maharana of Khandawar, how
is it that thou hast answered the
summons of the Bell? Are the serv-
ants of the Body fools vino have fol-
lowed thee hither, losing trace of thee
no single instant since thou didst Stay
the Bengal who bore the Token to
thee? Am l blind, Salig Singh, thy
childhood's playmate, the grand vizier
of thy too-brief rule, to whom thou
didst surrender the reins of govern
ment of Khandawar? l know thee;
thou canst not deceive me. True it is
that thou art changed-sadly changed,
my lord and the years have not
worn upon thee as they might nad
thought to find thee an older man
as l am Salig Singh, thou are none
other than my lord, Har Dyal Rut-
ton"
Salig Singh put his shoulders
against the wall and, leaning so with
arms folded, regarded Amber with a
triumph not unmixed with contempt.
1t was plain that he considered his
argument final, his case complete, the
verdict his. While Amber found no
words with which to combat his false
impression, and could only stare. open
mouthed and fascinated. But at
length he recollected himself and
called his wits together.
That's all very pretty" he admitted
fairly. "but it won't hold water. l
don't Suppose these faithful servants
of the Bell you mentioned happened
TO tell you that Chatterji himself mis-
took nie for Rutton, to begin with,
and Just found out his mistake in
time to recover the Token. Did they?"
The man shook his head YEARLY.
Nothing to that import hath come
to mine ears" he said.
All right. And of course they didn't
tell you that Rutton committed sui
eide down there on Long Island, just
after he had killed the babu?'
Again Salig Singh replied by making
a negative movement of his head.
We'll all I've got to say is that
your internal Body employs a
giddy rot of incompetentS to run its
erranda"
Salig Singh said nothing, and Amber
pondered the situation briefly He
understood now how the babu's com.
panion had fallen into error; how
ChatterH, possessing sufficient intel
ligence to recognize his initial mis-
take, had, having rectihed 1t, saved
his face by saying nothing to his com
panion of the incident; and how the
latter had remained in ignorance OF
Rutton's death after the Staying of
Chatterji, and had pardonably mis-
taken Amber for the man he had been
sent to spy upon. The prologue was
plain CROUCH, but how to deal with
this, its sequel, was a problem that
taxed his ingenuity. A single solution
seemed practicable, of the many he
debated; to get in touch with Laber-
touche and leave the rest to him.
He stood for so long in meditation
that the Ratput began to show traces
of impotence. He moved restlessly,
yawned, and at length spoke.
rs not my lord content? Can he
not see. the dice are cast? What
profit can he think to win through
furthera7ee of this farce?"
Well" curiosity prompted Amber
to ask, what do you want OF re
then?"
rs there need to ask? Through the
Nouthpiece, the Bengal. Behari Lal
Chatterji, whom thou didst Stay, the
message of the Bell was brought to
thee. Thou hast been called! it is for
thee to answer"
Called"
ITO the Gateway of Swords. ha
zoor."
"Oh, yes; to be sure. But where
in thunderation is IT."