The Washington herald., 1920-02-09
CHAPTER XII.-Continued.

March called out TO the gray SEN
tinel. in the best Chinese he could
frame with swollen lips. In re-
sponse. the left arm of the rider
came up. glittering. to shield the
face below the eyes.
A rushing cloud of horsemen
thundered into the ravine from the
upper levels. Swords were bare.
flashing in the ruddy light Harsh
battle-chanting filled the dust. The
riders swooped down to trample the
intruders.
Lexington was not accountable.
He leaned forward to breast them.
His hands worked with strange
power. Something elemental lived
in him; something like the CEN
taurs that had peopled the night
horizons. His throat ratified the
challenge. The first of the wild
horses swerved as II he were
crouching wolf. Con rocked for
ward, and seized a sword wrist as
II swung low at March's head. And
abruptly all strength left him. He
fell in the road.
A maze of hoofs tangled about
him, but through this a clear voice
sounded-and again. The gray fig-
ure, the sentinel, was standing up
in the stirrups. with right arm up
raised, and the clear call of COM
mand was repeated. Sword thrusts
reared back in obedience to an i'm
perious gesture.
A circle widened around the two
white men. The wild horses stood
trembling and disappointed. A fur
ther command came from the per-
son whose face was again hidden
by the left forearm upraised. and
who now spurred away. out of
sight. whispering Ioudened
among the battle-riders, a low CIV
ing and taking OF advice. Four of
their number dismounted, and Con
felt the familiar leathern thongs
tightening about him. The white
men were lifted up and set behind
two broad-backed horsemen, and
the entire party moved at a walk up
the ravine road.
Ask for water" called Con to
his comrade.
March did so, in native speech.
but no heed was given. The party
emerged abruptly upon an open
plain at the head of the ROAD.
Here was the wonderland they
had come to find. the treasure for
which generations of elect wander
ers had given their lives. Leving-
ton stared DULY, believing it all a
mirage.
Spread out as far as eye could
discern. lay a green valley, moist and
fertile. An evening breeze drifted
the fragrant earthly breath of life.
Fields were level and marked into
squares by bitches.
In the middle distance was a city
of red stone, its battlemented wall
enclosing roofs that CLEANED. There
was, rising above all, a palace, its
many-angled roofs and long caves
blocked against the west: suns fire
flared back from it's lofty embras-
ures. 1t was mansion set upon man
sion, each with the stonecraft of
its own age, maze of narrow walls
in irregular layers, pagodas point
ing in the midst. all in mad
dreamy harmony of architecture.
The white men logged behind
their captors, and accepted the city
and palace as a noble illusion. The
beauty was bitterness, for they dar-
ed not believe, they had not the
strength.
It's all overw cried Con. MY
eyes are gone"
TOO far" said March. too far"
. The bitches were cool. The main
road passed between patches of un-
familiar vegetation, pale green. The
palace seemed to leer from mar
row eyes, a thin smile that was evil
and secret. Its mass had a strange
reddish cast, like the rust of the
desert. At the southern end of the
inclosure was a grove of trees,
nothing less than North American
white oaks. somewhat stunted, their
tops showing just above the rim of
the city wall. Lexington looked
again over the shoulder of his cap
tor. and was even further from ad-
mitting these things to himself. The
western plains were beginning to
veil under the violet mists of eve
ming. Higher the palace lifted as
they approached, like an unnatural
hill of bright roofs, and many
apartments perched in fantasy, to
be reached by some inner miracle
OF stairs. Now from the city itself
a murrnur ran around the white
men. like invisible bees.
The notched wall had but a single
broad gate. Beneath it's masonry
ancient and perfect, they rode Ave
ABREAST. A crowd was gathered, to
witness the arrival of trespassers
from strange world. Gray and
Down faces stared up at Lexington.
In them furtive malice showed.
some of the people wore sandals,
but most were barefoot, and not
every man showed a queue. Faces
at latticed windows were heavily
veiled. Children ran about naked
and screaming. Old men, large OF
frame but failing and spent. stood
over their sticks and gaped in ugly
amazement. The common dwellings
were close packed under the forti-
hcations. while the palace was set
further Within, wide lawn separat-
ing 1t from all else. Three white
fountains were jetting, and the
grass was spread with yellow sun
diamonds. A white-faced monkey
grew frightened at the approach of
the company. and leapt from the
rim of the nearest pool to the sill
yer stem of a fountain, and clung
there. watching with haunted eyes
the tattered, uncouth men behind
the warriors.
Here. along a marble curb, a can
opied litter approached from the
palace. Its bearers came gliding
swiftly, The curtains were satin