The Washington herald., 1920-02-16
CHAPTER XIV.
GEAIMEp EYES.

CHAPTER XIV.
GEMMEp EYES.
Square patches of koresh lay on
each side of the trail. The mines
were perhaps a mile or less to east
ward; and beyond that ridge an In
finity of shifting dry nought. The
stars sent a pallor that was diffused
in the fog from the bitches. At night
these lowlands about the city were
cool. The black vague hill that was
the palace was receding into the
gloom as the two fastened on. The
net OF distant cries was spreading.
DO you suppose" suggested Lev
ington, that we can keep under
cover. and perhaps manage TO get a
beast of some kind, and then sprint
for the water-holeT'
Con realized very well that the
nearest water-hole was a matter of
days. once they left the zone of fer
tility. Food was yet to be consid-
cred. and a city was rising to seek
them out and punish. But he felt
the need of cheering his friend.
we can get into the vineyard"
he continued with enthusiasm he
did not feel, and the fruit will
serve for water, too-and lay for
camel-and you still have the
guide book on your foot"
Andrew March laughed miserably.
He saw what his friend was trying
to do.
why not knock at the gates"
said March,. land demand water and
provisions for our return trip?"
We'll, We blundered out here"
said Lexington. "and half the planet
httr irD IL
and spinning dust instead OF
breeze. with a few robber giants on
the side-so maybe We can break
away for home again"
81 don't mean to be sarcastic"
said March very humbly. Il under
stand you You are trying to make
me feel happier. But do not
dodge the responsibility. was
grossly selfish. My work. and all
my hopes. led me here. And / want
ed a partner. to face the Gobi, some
one strong and young, who didn't
take himself seriously. someone
with the ability to lose decentIy. 1t
had to be an artist You were the
one ] found. But / did not want
il to mean sacrifce. / made myself
believe We should not actually lose.
| held certain dreams. They were
beautiful. they Saited you, as they
baited me long ago. and always.
But am done with dreaming. Tau
kuan is death to all dreams except
that yellow fantasy. itself. 1t is so
Cold-do you know what i mean?
The hand that guides it is the
sRhctype Of inf'exible purpose. The
empire is not contained within the
walls. 1t spreads beyond the Cobb,
into Dory street; YES, and further.
IN web Of horror. 1t does not spring
from life. The only human being
within those walls has been slowly
and fully poisoned. She can never
know life. You have seen that"
March paused. and Dpvington
shivcred. They peered into the
darkness ahead. One direction
seemed as Improbable as another
Far to the rear. the base of the
palace showed rcd in torch refec-
ticn, and the brazcn gong ceased
its pulse OF alarm. March asked:
will you try to forgive me?'
Con spoke quickly. You arc for
getting something. You are the
difference between past and future
to me. Suppose l had found my
man that night, away back in Gin
cinnati: I should have far thicker
walls bothering me tonight, and all
|
forget that you are the man who
got me out Of all that? You were
a federal officer. and ought to have
jailed me. Instead, owe every
minute of my freedom to you. I
don't know now why I wanted to
shoot him up, I can't recall his
name or his face, but / was out to
get him, and would have finished
strong. only you came in front of
me, and-why. 1 never began to
live at all until after you took me
home that night,
II used to stand on Rush Street
Bridge in Chicago. and. If I was
far enough gone. I could think /
was looking at the Thames and the
lights of the British shipping. or
Id think I was an Arabian caliph.
nosinE about my own city at night.
Only it needed a big thirst to shift
the globe around that way. and
make aNGreek waiter look like the
King Of Ashamede in disguise. I've
looked over toward Brooklyn and
told myself 1 was on the Bund at
Shanghai. But it couldn't be done
that way. ] was close to the rocks.
You seemed to know what l wanted.
fYou opened the world. Do you
think ! would back up, even il I
could? You did not bait me. 1t was
Understood that l should proba bly,
die along the way, in the Cobb. It's
been a grand passage"
Thanks. boy" returned the elder
man. And in the twilight their
hands met and gripped an instant.
Whatever turmoil was imaginable
within the city. the Americans were
too far away to hear it. and the Sc
Crecy of the dark paye them a Kind
of leisure, with also a stimulation.
They continued rapidly beside the
gray bitches, not particularly heed
full of direction. They jumped over
the intersecting arms of irrigation.
and at moments caught the low