Evening star., 1928-03-30
The Devils S Mantle
\ MYSTERY STORY.
BY FRANK L. PACKARD
cOryrsht Ipov. ev FrankL. Packard.
A MYSTERY STORY
By FRANK L. PACKARD.

! lay huddled there almost at his feet
! Yes. of CourSe--the man had been
wounded-that shot through Tajal Ali's
pocket-perhapS the man was dead
He was conscious, too, that Marion
now was bending over Aghar Pind, sup
porting the man in her arms. But
though he was conscious of these
things, they seemed to be strangely
apart from him. things that were only
vaguely real. things that were Curiously
outside himself And he stood there,
his face strained and drawn and hag-
gard-hiS eyes. as though held by some
hypnotic influence. Still upon the spot
where he had seen Taial All die.
A voice high-pitChed, shrill, strange
IL out of control-Aghsr Pind'S-roused
him brought him back to a realization
OF his immediate surroundings. Aghar
Pind had raised himself on his elbow,
and seemed almost to be struggling in
MarionS arms, The mans face was
stamped with the pallor of death, his
eyes were fixed and a glaze was creep
ing over them
The money!" Aghar Pind cried out.
Five thousand poundS-that is my
price, for l am a poor man. II is
great sum. but thus IT, was that Blake
Sahib and l. Aghar Pind. made agree
mcnt together. and Blake Sahib will so
with me to the white men who sit in
authority. that I may claim the reward,
and the sum shall be paid, and Blake
Sahib shall hang in order that the
Miss Sahib shall escape, but /
The mans voice wavcrcd. and. growing
suddenly fainter began To wander
How shall Tajal Ali know what passes
while he is aSleep2 Where Is the
Miss Sahib? The white SahloS
are fools with their women, but greater
than all fools is Blake Sahib
Did l say that I was poor? They
shall talk in the village Of the wealth
Of Aghar Pind, and"
Aghar Pind spoke no more. Peter
saw a ConvulSive movement shake the
mans form. and saw him fall back
again in Marion's armS-and he knew
that Aghar Pind was dead. And Peter
neither moved nor spoke. His mind
seemed dazed again. blunted. So Aghar
Pind. too. was dead-and there re-
manned only Rahim De. Was fate in
tent on more mockery--a tam
Cling Of the threads! He might never
prove his innocence now since Tajal
Ali was dead but If he would, he could
now live out his life as fugitive for
there was no longer any pledge to keep
with Aghar Pind. But that was for the
afterwards-what now? Would Marion
trust Rahim De? Had she even agreed
to trust Aghar Pind? They would have
taken her by force If she had refused
to go Would it come to that now?
Was that the part that he, as Rahim
De, must play?
He saw her lay Aghar Pind gently
back upon the ground, and rise slowly
10 her feet-and now she turned her
face full toward him. and her lips were
drawn with pain. and there was agony
IN her eyes And then she made a
queer. half faltering. half imperative
gesture with her hand.
You. Rahim De" she said in a
tonelcss voice, IF you speak English,
tell me where Blake Sahib is, for you
must know where he is, even as Aghar
Pind. from what he has just said be-
fore he died, must have known, though
he told me a little while ago that he
did not. And even II you do not under
stand English. you will understand the
name Listen Blake Sahibl Blake