New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-11-23
CHAPTER ".

1t was a musty smelling entrance. sc
dark that to see WAS scarcely possible
after the hot glare outside. Dimly
King made out Rewa Gunga mounting
stairs to the left and followed him
When he guessed himself two stories
ut least above road level. there was a
sudden blaze of reflected light and he
blinkcd at more mirrors than he could
count. Curtains were reflected in each
mirror, and little glowing lamps, sc
cunningly arranged that II was not pos
sible to guess which were real and
which were not. King stood still.
Then suddenly, as if she had done it
a thousand times before and surprised
a thousand people. n little nut-brOwn
maid parted the middle pair of cur
tains and said "Salaam = smiling with
teeth that were as white as porcelain.
King looked scarcely interested and
not at all disturbed.
Rewa Gunga hurried past him,
II rusting the little maid aside, and led
the way. King followed him into a
long room, whose walls were hung
with richer silks than any he remem-
bered to have seen. In a great wide
window to n side some twenty ON
en- began at Onc to make flute music.
Silken punkahs swung from chains,
waiting back and forth Il cloud of san
dal"OOd smoke that yelled the whole
scene in mysterious, scented mist.
BE welcome" laughed Rewa Gun
ga II am to do the honOrs, since she
is not here. Be seated. sahib."
King chose a divan at the rooms
farthest end, near tall curtains that
led into rooms beyond. He turned his
back toward the reason for his choice.
On a little ivOry-inlaid ebony table
about ten feet away lay Il knife, that
was almost the exact duplicate Of the
n inside his shirt. He could sense
hushed expectancy on every side
could feel the eyes Of many women
fixed IN him-and began to draw on
his guard as a fighting man draws on
There and then he deliberately
set himself to resist mesmerism, which
is the E;lStS cnle1 weapon.
Rewa Gunga, perfectly at home.
sprawled leisurely along a cushioned
couch with a grace that the West has
not learned yet but King did not make
the mistake of trusting him any better
for his easy manners, and his eyes
sought swiftly for some unrhythmic,
implanted thing on which to rest, that
he might save himself by a sort of
mental leverage.
CHANGING along the wall that faced
the big window, he noticed for the first
time a huge Afridi, who sat on a stool
and leaned back against the silken
hangings with arms folded.
"Who is that manY' he asked.
He? Oh, he is a savage-just a
big savage" said Rewa Gunga, looking
vaguely annoyed.
"Why is he here?"
He did not dare let 60 of this chance
side issue. He knew that Rewa Gun
ga wished him to talk of Yasmini and
to ask questions about her, and that if
he succumbed to that temptation all
his se%lf-control would be c%unningly
Slapped away from him until his Sc
crets, and his very senses, belonged to
some one else.
"What is he doing here?" he insisted.
"He? oh. he does nothing. He waits"
purted the Hangar. ale Is to be your
bOdy-servant OF your journey to the
North. He Is nothing-nobody at all /!
except that he is to be trusted ut
terly because he loves Yasmini, He is
obedience! A big obedient fool! Let
him be!
"No," said King. "If he's to be my
man I'll speak to him"
He felt himself winning. Already
the spell of the room was lifting, and
he no longer felt the cloud of sandal
wood like a veil across his brain.
won't you tell him to come here to
me,".
Rewa Gunga laughed. resting his silk
turhan against the wall hangings and
clasping both hands about his knee. II
wSs as a mar might laugh who has
been touched in a bout with foils.
Oh:-Ismail" he called, with a
voice like a bell. that made King stare.
The Afridl seemed to come out of a
deep sleep and looked b%ewifdered, rub
hing his eyes and feeling whether his
turban was on straight. He combed
his beard with nervous fingers as he
gazed about him and caught Rewa
Gunga's eye. Then he sprang to his
feet.
"Comei" ordered Rewa Gunga.
The man obeyed.
Did you sect" Rewa Gunga
chuckled. HE rose from his place like
a buffalo. rump first and then shoulder
after shoulder Such men are safei
Such men have no guile beyond what