The Raymer enterprise., 1921-01-13


The quest that had drawn his father
Stephen MS boy. across the American
plains, onward across the Pacific, and
yet onward to China. Peking and the
dread Sha Mo was wrought into the
very texture Of the mind and soul Of
the son, Andrew. The yearning Of
his mother was woven there. also, AZ
she had hoped. loved. prayed. resented
and finally mourned for Stephen until
he returned. late by two years. This
Cobb desert mastered him. The heart
Of China would not let him 90. He
could not live down the terrors that
Peking had stamped upon him IN In
fancy. Now he looked long at Con
sleeping beside the flre, relaxed. grace
full. breathing steadily, something boy
ish and pure about him. Andrew
March's eyes shut against sudden
tears. He arose silently and walked
out. away from the camels. 30 far thai
the lre was only q red spark to him.
The night spaces whispered In vague
conspiracy. At daybreak the whole
world was without color, only dead
gray hills and gullles, rocks and
shadows and vacant air. Lexington
wakened. glanced up at Andrew. who
was making the morning tea; and Il
seemed as II the air were powdered
with the delicate rooty aroma that Con
associated with John Lexington and
all manner Of evil fate. Then he
realized that the faint spice Of It was
ciinging about March. He said moth.
Ing but II was q black moment for
him.
They studied their map. and held q
6eid compass beside It. Their din.
Guilty was to hold 0 direction, BY rea.
son Of the twisted formation Of desert
surfaces. Each crooked line Of rise
or dip mlsled the eye, and the camels
persisted In staying low. preferring to
pass around hill rather than take
the safe straight line across It.
March was watchful. usually silent.
For their third camp they halted In o
little valley wedge. out Of the gale.
All night the sand sifted In upon them,
like gray snow. but this was preferable
to facing the whip Of II on the levels
above.
The fourth day they saw a different
formation OF rock. Closer. II showed
to be the collapse Of q city, yet one
In no wise related to the villages they
had left behind, for these buildings
had once been Of solid gray rock.
Strangely. through a crack In the mid.
die Of slab came the greenish- Yellow
line Of flame. II was gas from the
depths Of the world, and It burned
slowly. waving like a transparent
plume In the sheltered place. OF all
that city Of long ago. this eternal flame
remained.
The walls had been shaken down
with terrible age; every block Of stone
was rounded smoothly by the blowing
sand. The original level OF the city
had been much below the present.
Lexington shivered. He felt around
him the faded life Of another, time,
lingering human shadows tied to the
stones. March moved solemnly over
the. tumbled pile, pauslng before the
languid green fire issuing from the
rock. In the emptiness overhead they
saw A bird, high up and black. sailing
steadily, watching these two white In.
truders upon his dominion. seeming to
wait with perfect patience until they
should perish. and leave to him once
more the crumblIng, forgotten empire.
Now. the black bag contained saw.
ing grace-the razor. a holy instru.
ment. keen with decency. Con rubbed
bit Of fat over his jaws and scraped
with JUNCTION. Water was too precious
to waste In lather. The oil was toler.
able and cleansing. His cheeks were
taut. the line Of chin and jaw vividly
marked. Sometimes his thoughts
seemed about to surprise the ending
Of the story that Bill the cook had not
finished that night in Elopura harbor.
Sometimes he talked to March Of the
mother he had never known. Yearn.
Ing came to the surface, eagerness for
far trails and nameless destination.
Distance was to him like the though,
Of home to other men. The horizon.
shrouded afar. drew him on.
In this rhythm Of desert travel. his
body did not wear down any further
but went into q state resembling fhmi
OF the prairie wolf, who goes on an,
on without change.
The silver-haIred friend solneiirn,