The Washington times., 1911-08-11

nOurS 10 mQnlSnt WOul
doubtless have availed mucl
could we have utilized them; but tn
impending venture made sleep, or evel
rest, impossible to me.
AT o'clock l got up and climbed ou
OF the machine. The clouds had rollet
away, and the air was still. l walke(
OH short distance and sat down. De
spite his intention, Gwynne had fallel
into a sound sleep.
Ihe graVelly spur where we had an
chored dipped a short distance below
growing into a steep incline a little far
ther down. AS l sat there, broodnt
over the situation and staring into tn,
blackness, | was startled by the sounC
OF voices. Bristling with amazement
l got up and walked back to the air
snip. GWynne was still sleeping-ther,
was no one near him, neither was there
any possible explanation for what hac
heard.
Returning to the rock, 1 sat dowr
again. All was still. | filled my pipe
ano lighted 1t, and was just beginning
10 wonder II l could have been mis-
taken, when-there it was. The sounC
OF human voices, and not very far away
For the second time l got up, tinglinG
with excitement. No road, path, ol
habitation was visible We had beer
there twice and all day. We knew the
IT the barrenest, most isolated spot upon
the globe. We had seen no trail OF
footway for days, and we did not think
We could have crossed one unObSerVed.
or all the mysteries, the sound of hu-
man voices in such spot was the most
ineXpliCable.
l crawled out upon a projecting ledge
and listened. A black void stretched
beneath me. AS far as l could see there
was nothing to suggest the abode Of
man, nor in the faint glimmer OF the
stars could | see anything like road.
II was a shelf built out Nom the wall,
and overhanging a bottomless pit. To
the right and left and partly behind me
the wall continued TO rise.
Then thought l detected the faintest
possible simmer of light upon the rock
above. l looked at il carefully. and
even climbed a little way up toward
tie spot Of illumination. But there was
nothing. Though full of irregularities
and uncOuth projections, the rock was
solid. i mean that there was no open
ing. 1t was pale disk of light. There
was no ice, mica, or snow as a back
ground for the reflection of the stars.
There was nothing to explain it, and
yet l was sure l was not deceived. The
place was distinctly lighter than the
spaces around it. l climbed to the right
and'to the left l went as near to the
edge as l dared. l crawled in and out
among the crevices, more puzzled each
time. But the voices continued. Spas
lnOdic. now lower, now more distant.
l was about to go back to Gwynne
and report, when l was startled by a
streak OF light issuing from the rock
under my feet. Moving my head from
side to side, | perceived that it was the
rejection of this light that l had seen
above. l now got upon all fours and
Crept cautiously toward the opening. 1t
was split that communicated with
cave beneath, in which there was sonfe
kind of illumination.
from time to time there were inter-
cepting shadows. and l could dimly per-
ceiVe that human figures were moving
beneath me. Placing my eye close 10
the opening, l looked in.
FenChurch and Chumley were sitting
upon the ground directly under me.
So astounded was l at this sudden
Nothing could have been more unex-
pected. How had they outstripped us?
How was it possible that they had
reached this desolate place before We
had, and without visible means of
transport, road, or beasts of burden?
For a minute l was tempted to make
my self known through the opening, but
IN instant later changed my mind and
was very still.
With eyes and ears alternately applied
10 the crack, watched and listened.
Fenchurch was speaking.
1t surely can't be far from where we
are" he was saying. But, how to get
v here that Scoundrel said ii was, we
ought 10 be in sight of it tomorrow.
See. Here is the mountain We're on,
m sure of it; and over there, just be
'ond that ridge. is the monastery. Per-
oendicular? Yes, of course; everything
5 perpendicular here-but-''
How far are We from the trail?"
asked Chumley.
Just below. Not dozen yards"
80! Are the guns lOaded?"
Rather! What do you take me fOr?"
There couldn't be a better place for
stand said the younger man.
Nor for an ambuscade," answered
"enChurch
There must be no parleying, no hesi-
alton. We must not give them the
shadow of a chance"
Naturally, if we can help it,
Il mean We must open fire at the ap-
)roaCh of a shadow or the sound of a
oOt."
l was intensely interested and watched
nd listened alternately with all my
night. In the dull glow of the lantern
here was a look of expectancy on the |
len's faces. There were also traces |
f blood upon the hands of each, and |
thought l noticed a scalp wound on
forehead. But 1t was hard ,
oint of view being restricted and |
he light had.
Besides this, there were shifting !
hadows that cut off the vision and |
1T the cave quite dark for a mo-
lent. These alternating flashes of !
ght, though not intense, made it |
oubly hard to see what was going |!
n. In addition to this, the smoke |,
rom the lantern was constantly ris- |
lg through the crack. directly /
gainst my eyes, so that had to stop !
gain and again to rub them.
From what l heard, 1 concluded that |
lis cave was just above and i'm |
Iediately off some mountain trail, !
hich we had not observed from the |
Irship. Such caves are common byi
le roadside in Tibet. and are fire.
uently used in winter as places of |
,fuge from the cold and the hordes
T bandits that infest the country.
| had no doubt that the English |
en- had taken shelter there from an
lemy. 1 also felt sure that the en-
.e. Il now lifted my head and listen
l. But the night was still.
'Tf we can reach Tad-sa- fuh tOmor-
wv" said one of the voices, "the re-
ard can wait-if were not cut off
ON the prize.
Darn the reward. ChumIey. You're
IT as mercenary as that, surely"
What did we come here for?"
The girls. of course"
Chumley laughed.
'True. But the girls may be bald
.aded and toothless. What guaran-
e have you that they're less than
ghty?"
None"
And what guarantee have We Of
e reward?"
'The ladies' MOrd-and--'