Evening star., 1928-03-26
The Devils Mantle
A MYSTERY STORY.
By FRANK l.. PACKARD.
by L.
A MYSTERY STORY
By FRANK l.. PACKARD.

would undoubtedly nave cost Agnar
Pind his life. and, ne, Peter, would have
been OverpoWered, and Marion would
have been worse of even than before
and the end would have come then.
What Vas the mans motive? Why
didn't he come2 Why
peter rose suddenly 20 his feet. The
door from the engine room vas being
cautiously opened.
Aghar Pind's voice came in a whisper
"Sahib. are YOU there?"
Peter moved forward quickly. He
could just distinguish the others form
bulking gray-white in the blackness.
'EeG." he said-and caught tensel9
at Eahar Pinds arm. Miss Garth--ls
she saf2-is she all right? Has that
cur Taial Ali"
"Al is veil. sahib, even g told the
sahib it t,0uld be for a little while" In
tcrruDtcd Aglar Pind softly, He closed
the door cautiously. and stopping down.
placed at his feet a bundle that ne had
been carrying 1T is aftcrward that
t." danger comes Not very long from
nov. sahib, We make land, and the ship
comes to the secret place where Tajal
Ali fer wears has hidden himself and
his plunder from the eyes Of those vino
have searched for him He Is too bus
now to think Of the Miss Sahib-ard
he Is content 70 welt II Is In his mind
that he VIII land with the Miss Sahi5
end a few men. /. AC2-ar Pind. amOngst
them. szhib and that re will send the
ship away for little while. for here Il IS
near the spot where the Isis was al
t9cIed. and il might come about that
he ship would be seen. and. after that
this hiding place. itself Sahib. it =
not until the landing IS made and Taial
Ali is ashore that the danger comes 70
the Mss Sahib. Does the sahib under
ssand?"
Peters jaws we're suddenly clamped
CODES Too WELL" ne answered
hoarsely. But I'll kill the man first!7
Even that may Ocme to pass" said
Aghar ?ind quietly, for what is written
is written. But before that-for the
killing Of Tatal Ali would not save the
Miss Sslib from others who are chiefs
eTen as Tajal Ali is. and one even who
is chief above TajaI All have a plan
VIII the sanib listen?"
"Yest" Peter spoke through dry Iipa.
Yes Go on"
"Sahib," said Aghar Pind. there IS
not much time. and I must SPEAK
quickly Listen, then, saaib- The hid
ing place IS great cavern whose e.
tent no man knows. that is beneath a
mountain which in the DAYS that are
gDae-I do not know the English word.
sahtb-Spat fire ana melted rock from
its mouth"
An extinct volcano" supplied Peter
quickly Il understand Go on"
Yes. sznib. that is the name" said
Aghar Pind. 1t is a tan mountain. and
the mountain comes down to the sea II
a straight line from a great height. and
there is no shore. And when the sea IS
smooth the ship can 60 alongside. and
at cer-ain point there is a ledge. .
pathway, sahib. that winds upward be
tween high rocks and leads into the
cavern-bUt from the sea 10 opening
can be seen. and even from close u
beside the mountain one might search
for years and find nothing And also,
sahib. without a beat or ship. there IS
no escape for those within the cavern
. from this side. for the water IS deep
and for miles after the pathway ends
there is no hold for the feet. and every
where the mountain comes up straight
/ from the sea"
You mean. then. that there's ar
other way Of getting IN and out2" said
/ Peter swiftly
Yes. sahib " said Aghar Pind grave
/ "; but no man. except Taial Ali and
those who are chiefs with him. has eEsr
/ seen il. but Il IS in the minds OF all the
crew that there is such a way. II Is
a strange tale sahib. and how it was
born I do not know. but thus It runs
F that the wav through the other side 'of
the mountain is through s cave that Is
T opened By a key"
+ Peter frOwned
Il can't say that sounds very cen
vinelng," he said, especially as you
are not sure there IS another way o}It
at all"
"sahib.~ replied Aghar Pind. 7 an
! stire-though / have never seen u.
Listen. Sahih! The cavern under the
mountain is very big. but the space
where men may walk about and live IS
but little par Of Il all. Sahlb. Il IS
in s. ipe like the moon when 1t is less
/ than a quarter full The part OF the
moon that can be seen is a smooth and
even floor Of rock; the part that can
not be seen is q gulf Of blackneSS tia,
reaches down into the bowels of s1S
earth-and deep down in this is 3 roar
Of waters. as though, Sahio. far under
meath the sea poured into a bOttOnleSs
abyss. And the distance from the roc.
floor TO the water below is 50 grea; glIst
no man has measured It. and 70 fan
Sahib would BE- certain death. Wlll Iae
sahib remember what the moon is IKE
III lis fiTSt quarter The lower point ls
the entrance To the cavern, and from
there halfway 10 the other tip IS where
those OF the crew live wasn they eagns
aShore-but no man may pass that
point except the chiefs and I Aghar
PInd, because I am the servant OF Tagsl
Ali. At the other tip, Sahib IS the en-
trance to the cave. ana Ii is here in tbs
cave that T9Ial Ali has made a lvla.
place OF great comfort FOR himself Hov
far this cave runs. Sahib. d. not know
Tor ! have never gone beyond = po.0t
SSt for me by Tajal Ali for the penalty
would bs death out ] have seen Tatal
Ali so and he has been gone FOR MANY
hours. ana 50 I am sure Sahlo that ;t
is the cave men talk % which IS tbe
other way out beneath the mountain
Continued in TOmorroW'S Starl
STEAMSHIPS.