The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-02-17


DO you think it is posslble7" asked
Con.
After silence, the elder comrade :.
said slowly: ITO be frank, have
had faith and lost II, and regained and
lost II so many times that I cannot
say. II is my duty to try. but l can't
say any more than that"
Lexington felt the curious depres-
sion again in his friend, an alarming
weight.
The Arabian sailor appeared below
them, grinning.
you hold stiil7"
Like stone." said Con.
"She do not strike you at all?"
Passed both of u.s." said March.
"You are cherished of Allah" de-
clared the sailor. "They have taken
away four of u.s."
He grunted world OF meaning. The
sailors were Furnishing the miners for
completely. Perhaps the tale of the
white mems murder" did not Impress
the searching party.
what will they do to the four7"
Break leg" said the Arab. Maybe
starve."
Andrew March shuddered, and the
strange one below volunteered: "My
men do not like"
Lexington saw that two white
strangers causing great trouble for
the miners could not become very
popular. March also understood. He
said simply: Take me before your
men,"
rs there anything you can say3"
asked Con.
only what I told them before" re-
piled March. "we represent nation
that Is as eager to punish Tau Kuan
as these workers can be, If we can get
back there to tell the story. l can
make that clear, at least"
"They may not be In mood to lis
ten."
March smiled sadly. Moods" he
began. but shook his head.
The three men passed into the larger
portion of the cavern, where the red
dish roof was marked with the flare
from the burning gas below. Several
women cried out sharply ut sight of
the white men and fled like timld AMI
mails to their rock-pockets up the
walls. Their skirts were brief and
ugly. Several very young children
darted after their mothers to the safe
| ty OF dark familiar haunts-too young
TO have been spoiled" II was only a
period OF months before they would be
taken into the city, to be nodded into
slaves In the houses of the soldiers,
the circulation of their blood retarded,
their very souls distorted. Returning to
the mines year or more after, they
would be lost and strange and as IL
orphaned, among their own kin. Their
family life did not receive sanction of
| the state.
The frightened women left food be-
| hind them. Jars stood close to the fis-
sure from which came the fire. The
contents had been prepared for bak-
ing. Con bent down to sniff at the
open jars. March and the Arab passed
on together. and Lexington waited,
| feeling himself useless In such q con-
| ference. He was more interested In
finding an exit.
To the left was the passage leading
to the foot of the slanting shaft. He
noted a long vine that came down over
the loose gravel like gulde-rope. Con
climbed into the enlarging daylight to-
ward the top. Sunlight, the old enemy,
was beguiling. He was thinking that In
Tau kuan they have either too much
sunshine or too little. The pale,
haunted faces of the children below
| troubled him. An intense light was
binding him from above. A flash Of
desert days came over him oddly, a
swift reminiscence Of pain and thirst,
gone In the space Of one upward step,
| yet leaving a dryness In the throat.
Con realized that the only trees within
| thousand miles were the half-grown
oaks outside the easements of the prin-
| cess.
Now the air changed in his nostrils
and he caught again the hot, sweeping
currents Of the sand. When the l;reen
| blots left his eyes he raised his head
above the level of upper earth and
stared away. The city, less than a mile
distant, was shimmering behind heat
waves, at moments dimmed by clouds
Of dust that rushed across the valley.
He squiated to find the path they had
taken last night through the fog, with
the sleepers rising to find them.
dromedary with baskets and a
driver was coming out at the big gate.
Out to the south was a motionless
horseman, the sun flashing from his
silver and steel. He seemed to be
guarding the horizon He was one of
the scores who sought trace Of the
fugitives. But nearer, along the road,
was a third rider. cantering between
the green squares. Cons heart beat
violently. He recognized the gray
cloak of his princess.
She rode under the full blaze OF high
morning sun. The pony moved brisk