Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1917-11-22

on the knife instead Of on the Hangar
lie could have questioned him-knel
ON him and perhaps forced EXPLAIN
tons from him But with a sudder
swift effort like a snakes the Rangal
freed himself and was up and gone be
fore King could struggle to his feet
gone like a shadow among shadows.
King got up and felt himself all over
for they had fought on stony grounG
and he was bruised. But bruises faded
into nothing and WEAKNESS as well, as
his mind began to dwell on the new
complication to his problem.
1t was plain that the moment he
had returned from his message to the
khyber the Hangar had been sent on
this new murderous mission. Yasmln!
had never believed her letter would be
treated seriously by the authorities
and had only sent IL In the hope of
fooling him and undermining his de.
termination. Perhaps she saw her
own peril. Perhaps she contemplated
gosh what Il contingency perhaps
she contemplated boiling into India
with n story of her own, and leaving
the muilah ~ his own devices, Would
she dare escape into India and leave
himself alive behind her?
There was an alternative, the very
thought Of which made him fearfully
uneasy, and yet brought thrill with
IT, In all Eastern lands. love scOrned
takes to the dagger. He had half be-
licyed her when she swore she loved
him! The man who could imagine
himself loved by YasmInl and not be
thrilled 10 his core would he inhuman,
whatever reason and caution and caS 9
and creed might whisper IN imagina.
tons wake
Keeling from fatigue Che felt like a
man who had been racked, for the Ran
gar's strength was nearly unbeliev-
nble), he started toward where the
muliah sat glowcrng In the cave
mouth. He found the man who had
carried his bag asleep at the foot Of
the ramp, and taking the bag away
from him, let him lie there. And ii
took him five minutes to drag his hurt,
weary bones up the ramp. for the fight
had taken more out Of him than he
hud guessed at first.
The mu!ah glared Mt him but let him
by without a word II was by the fire
at the back Of the cave, where he
stopped TO dip water from the null
labs enormous crock that the next
disturbing factor came To light. He
kicked a brand into the fire and the
flame leaped. Its light Shone on II
yard and half of exQuisltely fine
hair. Ike spun gold. that caresSed his
shoulder and descended down one arm.
One thread of hair that conjured w
Il million thoughts, and In second
upset. every argument
II Rewa Gunga had been near
enough TO her and intimate enough
with her not only to become scented
with her unmistakab,e perfume but
even to get her hair on his person.
then gone was all Imagination of her
love for HIMSELF Then she had lied
from first TO last! Then she had tried
10 make him love her that she might
use him, and finding she had failed. she
had sent her true love with the dagger
10 make mn end
In moment he imagined a whole
picture, as II might have been in
crystal. OF himself trapped and made
10 don the Romans armor and forced
10 pose tn the savage "lllllS"-or
fooled into posing to them--as her
lover while Rcwa Gunga lurkcd be-.
hind the scenes and waited for the
harvest IN the end. And what kind 81
harvest?
md what kind of man must Rewa
;nnca be who could lightly let 20 all
he prejudiccs Of the East and submit
10 what only the West has endured
hitherto with any compaccncy-a
"tertium Quidi"
Yet what fool he, King. had been
not TO appreciate nj once that RrwG
Gungn must he her lover. Why should
he not be? Were they no, alike rs
cousins? And the East does not love
Its contrary but its complement, being
older in love than the West. and wiser
In Its ways in all hut the material.
He had been blind. He had overlooked
the obvious-that from first TO last her
plan had been 10 set herself and this
Rewa Gunga on the throne Of India
He washed and went through the
Of Muslin prayers for the
watchful mullah's sake, and climbed
on to his bed. But sleep seemed gu,
OF the question. He lny and tossed tor
an hour, his mind rs busy ms Il terrier
In hay. And when he did fall asleep
at last II was so 10 dream and mutter
that the mullah came and shook him
and preached him n hnlf.hour sermon
against the mortal sins that rob men
OF peaceful slumher by giving them a
fore'aste OF the punishment to come.
All that seemed kinder and more re-
frcshing than Kings own thoughts had
been, for when the mullah had done
at last and had gone stridlnc back to
the cave mouth, he really did fall
sound asleep, and It was after dawn
when he awoke. The mullah's voice.
not untuncful, was rousiue all the val.
ley echoes In the call to prayer.
CHAPTER XXI.