The Washington herald., 1920-02-21
CHAPTER XVII
THE YELLOW BOWL

THE YELLOW BOWL
AS he returned to the mouth OF
the shaft. with no thought OF eau
tion, even the Cobb seemed familiar
and right to Lexington. it's purple
band of horizon, its scarlet rocks,
the mighty pour Of the sun no
longer inimical, for his head was
filled with her final words. They
brought hope and hurt together.
/ When once more in a normal
state, Con was frightened at the in-
tensity of his speech. the FIRE he had
sent out to her. Earth held no
other fear than that he had said
too much, that he had stumbled over
the fealty in her nature. in attack
ing her expectations OF empire. Also
| he saw afresh the extent of the
consequences of March's blunder,
THE forcing of escape last night.
Helen had secured a sort OF truce
for them, but it was unavailable
now. Con grimly remembered the
blows he had given the soldier in
March's rooms.
He wanted to find her father. The
drop down the shaft did not seem
so long this time, but the darkness
at the bottom was overpowering.
His eyes remained full OF green
patches of sunlight. Then he start
ed back. as nearly as he could re-
member. along the tunnel toward
the larger cavern where the gas.
burned. He thought he could smell
the burned gas. or the baking lem
tiIs. Enthusiastically he scented cam
els. None of the dwarfs was in
view. He had to grope, having no
torch. 1t was like a starless night
1t was some time before he saw
a glow far ahead, which satisfied
him as the reflected light from the
cavern in which he had taken leave
Of his friend and the interpreter.
He was thinking with a newborn
power. and perhaps did not realize
that he had been wandering deeper
into the earth for twenty minutes.
The light proved to be a torch car
ried over a group of miners. They
were little fellows, each with
twisted knee and spine made hid
eous in childhood. Under the naring
light. Con could not steady a shud-
der at the picture they made. Half
starved, long-armed, dark creatures.
with the eyes narrowed, all human
ity drawn from their faces, they
peered at the large man in the tun-
mel before them. and a united whis-
per rustled from lip to lip.
Where is my friend - white
man."
Lexington made signs and vari-
March. The eyes turned upon him
grew piglike. and the whisper was
repeated. Heads turned back. then
toward him. Hostility was like
powder to the match. They were
blaming him for the taking off OF
their kin. Con felt that he was a
bad omen to them. which was the
greater need for finding March and
the Arab friend.
Now the little party lined up
against one side of the passage,
plainly intending the white man to
pass.
THAT way?"
Con inquired also With his hands
IL they were directing him to go on.
Perhaps they had just come from
March. Now they made no response,
their stony countenances full upon
him in the fiickering light. Hav-
ing small choice, Con nodded his
thanks. and strode past them. Again
the dry soft crackle Of their voices.
He turned. They were going on
with the torch. Darkness closed
about him once more.
His reverie was spoiled for the
moment. A touch OF the horror cf
numberless generations was upon
him. the burial-fear. He could
touch the earth over his head. as in
a tomb, and span the walls from
side to side. Then he laughed at
himself. 1t was a relief, a neces-
sity. He came back to himself:
identity was renewed, another ne
cessity, for new worlds had been
fitting through him and he had
forgotten much. Confident Of locat-
ing his friend or the brown-skinned
sailor who had gone from Alden to
Buffalo in his time, Lexington push
ed onward down the tunnel
He thought of Helen's~ face-oval.
calm. day-kissed. unawakened. Yet
each moment she seemed different.
for now she was fully awakened. a
princess of evening lights and clear
wine and music. subtle in Eastern
wisdom--a princess only, a mottled
flower. This latter was form of
torture to him WhosA heart had