Evening star., 1914-04-19


warned her to keep out of it. should
have advised her to send native in
vestigators. she to remain In Peshawur
till she learned the truth. But the name
Hare suggested nothing to me. not till
after 1 had left her at Singapore. So
/ shall go back with you. But please
let Kathlyn continue to think of me
as a man who earns his own living
God bless you. my boy. You have
put new backbone in me. It's hard
not to have a white man to talk to, to
plan with. Ahmed expects that We
shall be ready for the return in the morn
ing He however intends to go back on a
racing camel. to go straight to my bunga-
low, if it isn't destroyed by this time
Perhaps Winnie has not arrived there yet.
I trust Ahmed"
so do l. have known him for
long time-that is. I thought I did
and during the last few weeks he has
been a revelation. Think of his being
your headman all these years. and yet
steadily working for his raj, the Brit
ish raj.''
They can keep secrets"
well. we have this satisfaction:
when Pundita rules it will be under the
protecting hand of England. Now let
us try to look at the cheerful side of
1he business. Think of what that girl
has gone through, with scarcely a
scratch! Can't you read something in
that? See how strong and self-reliant
she has become under such misfortunes
as would have driven mad any ordinary
woman! Can't you see light in all
this? 1 tell you. there is good and evil
working for and against us, and that
Ahmed's fakir will in the end prove
stronger than your bally old guru.
When I am out of the orient 1 laugh
at such things, but I can't laugh at
them somehow when I'm in India"
g. Nor l."
That night Kathlyn signified that she
- wished to go down to the beach be-
yond the harbor basin. Bruce ac-
n staring out at the twinkling lights on
board the Simla. BY and by they could
'e hear the windlass creaking. A vol
% ume of black smoke suddenly poured
- from the boats slanting funnel. The
70 ship was putting out to sea.
III 'Why do you risk your life for us?"
- she asked. suddenly.
es Adventure is meat and drink to me-
Miss Hare"
~ The prefix sounded strange and un-
familiar in her ears. Formality. She
90 had been wrong. then; only comrade-
- ship and the masculine sense of re-
IT. sponsibility. Her heart was like lead.
nu "It is very kind and brave of you,
u Mr.. Bruce; but I will not have it,"
er Have what?" he asked knowing full
al well what she meant
to This going back with US. Why
or should you risk your life for people
who are almost strangers?'
'Strangers?" He laughed softly.
"Has it never occurred to you that the
people we grow up with are never
10 really our friends; that real friendship
- comes only with maturity of the mind?
Why. the best man friend 1 have in this
1e world is a young chap 1 met but three
q years ago. 1t is not the knowing of
people that makes friendship. 1t is
the sharing of dangers of bread in the
y wilderness; of getting a glimpse of
- the soul which lies beneath the con
ventions of the social pact. Would
you call be stranger"
. 20. no. she cried, swiftly. 1T is
We -
your life any further for US. Is there
no way 1 can dissuade you?"
"None that I can think of. 1 am
going back with you. That's settled
Now let US talk of something else
Don't you really want me to go?'
''Ah, that isn't fair looking out to
sea again and following the lights
1 aboard the Smla
1t was mighty hard for him not to
l sweep her into his arms then and there.
II
1 she was free of this country. free of
/ the sense of gratitude. free to weigh
/ her sentiments carefully and unbas-
1 edly. He sat down abruptly on the
wreck of an ancient hull imbedded in
1 the sand. She sank down little way
] from him.
He began to tell her some of his past
exploits; the Amazon. the Orinoco. the
Andes, Tibet and China; of the strange
fotsam and jetsam he had met in his
/ travels But she sensed only the sound
l Of his voice and the desire to reach out
her hand and touch his. Friendship,
I Bread in the wilderness,
I * x
Ahmed was lean and deceptive to
/ the eye. Like many Hindus, he ap-
| peared anemic. and yet the burdens the
man could put on his back and carry