Gilpin observer., 1912-01-11

and brought 1t away. wet with oor.
spiration-
In some remote spot bell began to
toll; at first slowly-clang!
clang! clang!-then more
quickly. until the roar of its sonorous.
gong-like tones seemed to fill all the
world and to set 1t a-tremble. Then.
insensibly, the tempo became more 80.
date, the first clamor of It moderated.
and Amber abruptly was alive to the
fact that the bell was speaking-that
its voice. deep. clear. sound. metallic.
was rolling forth again and again a
question couched in the purest Sans
krit:
who is there? Who IL
there? Who Is theref :"
The hair lifted on his scalp and he
swallowed hard in the effort to an
swer; but the lie stuck in his throat:
he was not Rutton and and
1t is very hard to lie effectively when
you stand In stark darkness with q
mouth dry as dust and your hair stir.
ring at the roots because of the in
tensely impersonal and aloof accents
Of an inhuman bell-voice. tolling away
out Of nowhere.
who Is there?"
Again he failed to answer. Some
where near him he heard a slight
noise as Of man moving impatiently;
and then a whisper: Respond. thou
fool!"
Art thou come, o chosen Of the
Gateway" the bell-voice rang.
II l am come" Amber man
aged to reply.
Hear vel" rang the bell. Hear
ye, o lords and rulers in Medhyama!
o children Of my Gateway. hear ye
we'll! He is come! He stands upon
the threshold of the Gateway"
A great drum roared like the crack
Of doom; and Amber's jaw dropped.
For In the high roof of the temple
six-foot slab had been noiselessly
withdrawn. and through it a cold shaft
Of moonlight fell, cutting the gloom
like a gigantic rapier. and smote with
its immaculate radiance the true
Gateway Of Swords.
Not six PAGES from him 1t leaped
out Of the darkness in an iridescent
sheen; an arch scant ten feet In
height, and in span double the width
OF big mans shoulders, woven across
like a weaver's frame with ribbons of
pale fire. But the ribbons were Of
steel-steel blades. sharp, bright,
cleaning. With their pommels cum
ningly afixed SO that their points
touched and interlaced, yet swung
free. they lined the piers Of the arch
from base to span and all the grace
full sweep Of the intrados, a curtain Of
shimmering. trembling steel. barring
the way to the mystery beyond. Which
was-darkness.
20 ye swords!" belled the voice.
20 ye swords that have known
no dishonor! o ye swords that have
sung In the grasp of my greatest!
Swords Of Jehangar, Akbar, Alamgir!
Swords of Alludin, Humayun. Shah
Jehan! Swords Of Timur-Leng. Arung-
zeb, Rao Rutton! :"
The invocation seemed intermina-
BILE. Amber recognised almost every
name noted in the annals and legends
of Hindustan.
"Hearken, o my swords! He. thy
chosen. prayeth for entry! What is
thy welcome?"
One by one the blades began to
shiver, clashing their neighbors. until
the curtain Of steel glimmered and
glistened like phosphorescence in a
summer sea, and the place was filled
with the music of their contact: and
through their. clamor doomed the bell:
20 my chosen!" Amber started and
held himself firmly in hand. Look
well. look well! Here is thy portal to
kingship and glory"
He frowned and took a step forward
as II he would throw himself through
the archway; for he had suddenly re-
membered with compelling vividness
that Sophia Farrell was to be won
only by that passage. But as he