Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-11-29
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER w.
It was musty smelling entrance. 20
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
at least above road level, there was
sudden blaze Of reflected light and he
blinked at more mirrors than he could
count. Curtains were reflected In each
mirror, and little glowing lamps, 30
cunningly arranged that It was not pos.
sible to guess which were rea, and
which were not. King stood still.
Then suddenly, as II she had done II
q thousand times before and surprised
thousand people. a little nut-brown
maid parted the middle pair Of cur.
tains and said "Salaaml' smiling with
teeth that were as white as porcelain.
King looked scarcely interested and
not at all disturbed.
Rewa Gunga hurried past him,
thrusting the little maid aside, and led
the way. King followed him into o
long room, whose wills were hung
with richer silks than any he remem.
bered to have seen. In great wide
window to one side some twenty WON.
en- began at once to make flute music.
Silken punkahs swung from chains
waiting back and forth cloud of san.
tlalwood smoke that yelled the whole
scene In mysterious, scented mist.
BE welcomed laughed Rewd Gun.
"a; II am to do the hOnors, since she
10 not here. Be seated, slhib."
King chose divan ut 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 a knife, that
was almost the exact duplicate Of the
one inside his shirt. He could sense
hushed expectancy on every side
could feel the eyes of many women
fixed on him-and began to draw on
his guard as fighting man draws on
armor. There and then he deliberately
set himself to resist M 'nerism, which
IL the casts chief wei. IN.
Rewa Gunga, perfectly at home
sprawled leisurely along y cushioned
couch with grace that. the West hat
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 sort OF
mental leverage.
CHANGING along the wall that faced
the big window, he noticed for the firs'
time huge Afridi. who sat ON stoo
and leaned back against the sllker
hangings with arms folded.
"Who Ia that MANI" he asked.
'IIe? Oh, he il a savnge-just 8
big savage" said Rewa Gunga, lookint
vaguely annoyed.
"Why Is he here?"
He did not dare let 60 Of this chance
side Issue. He knew that Rewa Gun
"a wished him to talk of Yasmini ant
to ask questions about her. and that II
he succumbed to that temptation al
his self-contrOl would be cunningly
Slapped away from him until his Sc
crets, and his very senses, belonged tc
some one else.
"What Is he doing here3" he insisted
"He2 Oh, he does nothing. He waits
purred the R,.ngnr. "He la to be youi
body-servant on your Journey to the
North. He Is nothing-nobody at all :
except that he is to be trusted ut
terly because ne loves Ynsmini. He IL
obedience! A big obedient fool! Let
him bel"
mo" said King. III 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 veil across his brain.
"Won't you tell him to come here to
met"
Rewn Gunga laughed. resting his silk
turban against the wall hangings and
clasplng both hands about his knee. II
was a. man might laugh who has
been touched in bout with foils.
s"Oh !--Ismailt he called, with a
voice like bell. that made King stare
The Afridi seemed to come out of q
deep sleep and looked bcwildered, rub
hing his eyes and feeling whether his
turbun was on straight. He combed
his beard with nervous fingers as h
gaxed about him and caught Rews
Gunga's eye. Then he sprang to hi,
1ooG
Comet ordered Rewa Gunga
The man obeyed.
did you see4" Rews Gung,
chuckled. "He rose from his place lik'
Z buffalo. rump first and then shoulde
after shoulder! Such men are safe
Such men have no guile beyond wha
Will help them to obeyl Such mel
think too slowly to invent deceit II
IT. own sakei"
The Afridi came and lowered abov
them, standing with gnarled hand
kDOtted Into clubs.
What b thy namer King asks