Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1911-07-20
CHAPTER TX. (contInued).

AS Amber left the room Labertouche
extinguished the lamp, shut and
locked the door. and followed, catch
ing Amber by the arm and guiding
him through pitch darkness to the
head of the stairs. Don't talk" he
whispered; trust me-" They de-
scended an interminable flight OF
steps, passed down long. echoing
corridor, and again descended. From
the foot Of the second flight Laber-
touche shunted Amber round through
what seemed a veritable maze Of pas
sages-in which, however, he was evil
IDENTIFY at home. At length: Now
so ahead" was breathed in Amber's
ear and at the same time his arm
was released.
He obeyed blindly, stumbling down
a reeking corridor. and in a minute
more, to his unutterable relief, was
in the open air of the bazar.
Blinking with the abrupt transition
from absolute night to garish light
he skulked in the shadow of the
doorway, waiting. Beneath his gaze
Calcutta paraded its congress Of peo-
ples-a comprehensive collection OF
specimens of every tribe in Hindustan
and of nearly every other race in the
world besides.
Like a fat, tawdry moth in his gar
ments of soiled pink, babu loitered
past, with never a sidelong glance
for the loaferish figure in the shad-
owed doorway; and the latter seemed
himself absorbed in the family Of Eu-
rasians who were shrilly squabbling
with the keeper Of vegetable stall ad-
jacent. But presently he wearied OF
their noise, yawned, thrust both hands
deep in his pockets and stumbled
away. The bazar accepted him as a
brother, unquestioning. and he picked
his way through II with an ease that
argued nothing but absolute familiar
ity with his surroundings. But always
you may be sure, he had the CLEAN OF
pink satin in the corner Of his eye.
In time broad Machua bazaar street
received them-Pink Satin and the
saIlorman out for a night Of It, And
now Pink Satin began to stroll more
sedately. manifesting a livelier inter-
est in the sights of the wayside. Am
ber's impatience-for he guessed that
they neared the goldsmiths stall-in.
creased prodigiously.
Without warning, Pink Satin pulled
up, extracted from the recesses of his
costume a long, black and vindictive-
looking native cigar, and lighted 1t,
thoughtfully exhaling the smoke
through his nose while he stared COW
etously at the display Of a slipper
merchant whose stand was over
across from the stall of goldsmith.
With true oriental elaboration Pink
Satin finally made up his mind to
move on; and Amber lurched heavily
into the premises occupied by one
Dhola Baksh. a goldsmith.
A customer, a slim, handsome Ma
layan youth. for the moment held the
of the proprietor. The two
were haggling with characteristic en-
joyment over q transaction which
seemed to involve less than twenty
rupees. Amber waited, knowing that
patience must be his portion until the
bargain should be struck. Dhola
Baksh himself, a lean, sharp-featured
gray with age, appraised
with a single look the new customer,
and returned his interest to the Ma
lay But Amber garnered from that
glance a sensation Of recognition. He
wondered dimly, why; could the gold
smith have been warned Of his com.
Ing?
Two or three more putative custom {
srs idled into the shop. Beyond its
threshold the stream Of native life
rolled on. ceaselessly fluent; pageant
Of the middle ages had been no more
fantastic and unreal to western eyes. |
Now and again wayfarer paused, his
interest attracted by the goldsmith's I
-ush Of business.
Unexpectedly the proprietor made {
substantial concession. Money
passed upon the instant, sealing the !
bargain. The Malay rose to go. 1
)hola Baksh lifted a stony stare to '
Amber. Z
''Your pleasure, sahib?" he inquired.
With a thinly.Felled sneer. What need c
o show dsferOneO TO q downat'ths- Z