Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-26
THE IVORY CHILD
By H. RIDER HAGGARD

Auth ot 'Moric." "Riro Solon,on's Vines"
CHAPTER yX-(Continued) event

my mind every event connected with them.
Once more saw the fires of sacrifice faring
upon the altar and heard the roar Of the
dancing hail that proclaimed the ruin of
the Black Kendall as loudly as the trumpet
of a destroying angel Very glad was I
when the morning came at length and
having looked my last upon Simba Town,
crossed the moats and set out homeward
through the forest whereof the stripped
boughs also spoke of DEATH though in the
spring these would grow green again.
Ten days later we started from the Holy
Mount, caravan of about hundred
camels, of which fifty were laden with the
ivory and the rest ridden by our escort
under the command of Harut and our three
selves. But there was an evil fate upon this
ivory as on everything else that had TO do
with Jana. Some weeks later in the desert
great sandstorm overlook us in which we
barely escaped with our lives. At the height
OF the storm the ivory-laden camels broke
loose, flying before II, Probably they fell
ana were buried beneath the sand at any
rate of the fifty we recovered only ten
Ragnall wished to pay me the value of
the remaining loads, which ran into thou
sands of pounds, but l would not take the
money, saying that it was outside of our
bargain Sometimes since then 1 have
thought that was foolish, especially when
on glancing at that codci to his will in
after days, the same which he had given
| me before the battle, l found that he had
| given me before the battle, found that he
| had set me down for a legacy of 100000
| But in such matters every man must follow
| his own instinct.
The White Kendall, an Unconditional
| people especially now when they were
| mourning for their lost god and their dead
| watched us go without any demonstration
| OF affection,sor even of farewell Only those
p, priestesses who had attended upon the ner-
son or Lady Ragnall while she played a
divine part among them wept when they
| parted from her, and uttered prayers that
they might meet her again "n the presence
| of the Child"
The pass through the great mountains
| proved hard to climb, as the footboId fo,.
the camels was bad. But we managed q
| az iast' most of the way on foot, pausinR a
little while on their crest to look our last
for ever at the land which we had left,
where the Mount of the Child was still
diiniy visible. Then we descended their
further slope and entered the northern
| desert.
Day after day and week after wee,, we
travelled across the endless desert by a wav
khowh 10 Harut on which water could be
found, the only living things in all its vast
ness, meeting with no accidents save that
OF the sandstorm in which the ivory was
lost. l was much alone during that time
since Harut spoke little and Ragnall and
his wife were naturally wrapped up in each
other. " N"0'
At length, months later, we struck n ,,,t,.
port on the Red Sea, of which / forget tbs
Arab name, place as hot as the inferna
regions. Shortly afterward, by great pnoS
luck, two trading vessels put in for water
one bound for Alden, In which I embarkef
en- route for Natal, and the other for m,
port OF Suez, whence RagnalI and his wiz,
could travel overland to Alexandria.
our parting was so hurried at the Ia st
as Is often the way after long fellowshin
that beyond mutual thanks and good wishe,
we said little to one another can 40,
. them now standing with their arms abou
each other watching disappear Con
cerning their future there is SO much To tel
that OF 1t l shall say nothing; at any rat
here and now, except that Lady Ragnal
wa5 right sha and did not part for tn
last time.
AS 1 shook old Harut's hand in farewe,
! he told me that he was going on to Egypt
! and asked him why.
"Perchance to look for another god. Lor,
Maeumazana," he answered graveiy, WHOM
now there 10 no Jana to destroy. We ma,
Y speak Of that matter II we should NEE
Y again"
Such are some Of the things that I re
Z member about this journey, but TO tell IN
truth. l paid little attention to them an
I many others
! For oh my heart was sore because o
r Hans.
. (THp ENp>