Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-11-16

Nay, but tell me, King Of my Soul.
did 1t, not leap a little at the thought
Of meeting met"
With a quick gesture she threw her
veil aside and lifted her incomparably
fair face to his, and he was conscious
that he trembled a little, and that his
voice shook as he answered ~evasiye-
ly: "Thou shouldst know, Rance"
Thou wilt not draw back in the
end?" Her arms clipped him softly
about the neck and drew his head
down so that her breath was fragrant
in his face, her lips a sweet peril be-
meath his own. Thou wilt brave
whatever may be prepared for thy
testing, for the sake of Naraini, who
awaits thee. beyond the Gateway. o
my Beloved"
Il shall not be found wanting"
1.-the as a snake, she slipped from
his arms. Nay, I trust thee not!"
she laughed, a CULVER Of tenderness in
her merriment. Let my lips be mine
alone until thou hast proven myself
worthy of them" She raised her
voice, calling: "ohe, Runjit Singh!"
The cry rang bell-clear in the still
ness, and its silver echo had not died
before 1t was answered by n who
stepped out Of the black shadow of a
spreading bantam, some distance away,
and came toward them, leading three
horses. AS the moonlight fell upon
him, Amber recognized the uniform
the man wor as that of the imperial
household guard of Khandawar, while
the horses seemed to be stations he
had seen in the palace yard, with an
other but little their inferior in mettle
or beauty.
Now" announced the woman in
tones of deep contentment, I'VE will
ride!"
She turned to Amber, who took her
up in his arms and set her in the sad.
die of one of the stations.
The sowar surrendered to Amber
the reins Of the other stallion and
stepped hastily aside. The Virginiar
took the saddle with a flying leap, and
a thought later was digging his knees
into the brute's sleek TANKS and saw
ing on the bits, while the path flowed
beneath him, dappled with moonlight
and shadow, like a ribbon of gray
green silk, and trees and shrubbery
streaked back on either hand in {
rush of melting blacks and grays.
Swerving acutely, the path ran into
the dusty high road. Amber heard {
rush of hoofs behind him, and ther
slowly the gauze-wrapped figure Of the
queen drew alongside. >
marc! Let him run, my king
The way is not far for such as he
Have no fear lest he tire!"
But Amber set his teeth ant
wrought with the reins until hi
mount comprehended the fact that h
had met a master and, moderating hi
first furious burst Of speed, settle'
down into a league-devouring stride
crest low, limbs gathering and stretch
ing, with the elegant precision o
clockwork. His rider, regaining hi
poise, found time to look about hin
and began to enjoy, for all his cares
this wild race through the blue-whit
night.
They circled finally a great, round
grassless hillside, and pulled rein Il
the notch of a gigantic V formed b,
two long, prow-llke spurs running GU
upon a plain whose sole, vague bound
airy was the vast arc Of the horizon.
Before them doomed dead Kathiapul
an island of stone girdled by the shal
low silver river. Like the rugge'
pedestal Of some mammoth column, 1t
cliffs rose sheer t~hreescore feet fron
the waters edge to the foot of tn
outer1host of its triple walls. From
the notch in the hills a great ston
causeway climbed with a long an
easy grade to the level Of the frs
great gate, spanning the chasm owe
the river by means Of a crazy woode
bridge.
A gasp from the woman and a
oath from the sowar startled Ambe
out Of somber approximations int
which he had been plunged by conten
plation Of this ~impregnable fortres
: Of desolation. Gone was his lust fc
peril, gone his high, needless Joy {
adventure, gone the i~ntoxication whic
had been his who had drunk deep {
: the cup of romance; there RENAME
/, only the knowledge that he, alone an
: single-handed, was to pit his wit
! against the invisible and might
: forces that lurked in hiding with
those walls, to seem to submit
their designs and so find his way !
the woman Of his love, tear her frol
the grasp Of the unseen, and with he
] escape.
Naraini had, indeed, no need to CT
aloud or clutch his hand in order I
:, apprise him that the Eye was vigilan
t He himself had seen it break forth,
I lurid star Of emerald light suspende
high above the dark heart Of the cit
. Slowly, while they watched Il
Q star descended, foot by foot, droppir
until the topmost pinnacle Of a hide
temple seemed to support II; ar
Q there it rested, throbbing with ligh
now bright, now dull.
Ambe. shook himself Inpatient
"Silly charlantryl" he muttsred, irl
tated by his own susceptibility to |
h sinister suggestion. . "Fd iii
to know how they manage 1t, though
d the light itself's comprehensive
. enough, but their control Of 1t. .
II there were enough wind, I'd suspe
Q kite.
b '"Thou art not dismayed, my king
< He laughed, not quite as s~uccessfl
. " On he could have wished. and ~