Evening star., 1934-08-04
KING COBRA
By MARK CLAIMING

figure was looking down st the actors
in this minor drama.
Hand her over TO the Keeper Of the
Beasts" went on the veiled man
rAsping Tomorrow she dies in the
Place Of Fightsl7
The CobFa's eyes blazed with i'm
potent fury. He had been publicly
derided-and with impunityl He who
had slain more than one man for the
incautiots curling Of a hpl His au
thority had been set at nsught! He
had been Inundated before his own
men, and his honor shattered q.
But such was his superstitious dread
Of the veiied mans power that he did
not dare to reply.
Thrusting the Persian brutally from
him with his foot. he strode into the
palace. striking the marble pillars
with his bare fist as he passed be-
tween them.
In the moment Of silence before the
stupefed guards took her away, Diana
could hear Shireen weeping.
Limbu's Story.
The story Of Limbu's adventures
after his return TO Labak with Ris-
saldar Sher Singh began again a day
later, at midnight. on the Maha CUM
Pass.
Il wait until dawn. Mother Kari"
he muttered, half in prayers. And
If, then. thou showest me not the
beans that mark the way to my Sahib
surely will knock of thy stone head
when get back"
With the rising Of the sun came
joy; for after hours Of searching
Limbu found the trail of black beans
that had dropped from the sacks
which Firoz Khan had tied on to the
back Of Diana's saddle.
AS he followed it, bent almost
double and half running, the sharp
report Of a rife and a squirt OF dust
feet away from him brought back
a realization of the danger he was
in-for the life and property of any
Hindu who ventures alone into the
hills. is by hill law, legitimate prey.
was sniping him.
Eighteen times in five hours his
single pursuer fired at him. each time
missing him by inches and 18
times Limbu forebore to attempt re-
taliation. Time was too precious to
allow OF luxuries.
At length he reached the cluster
Of boulders at the foot of the cliff,
behind one Of which was the tunnel
through which Diana and the Cobra
had passed. There the trail ended.
And there his casting round in search
Of q possible continuance of it very
nearly cost him his life. for a bullet
from his unseen pursuer grazed his
shoulder.
Swearing between his clenched
teeth, Limbu took cover behind one
Of the great masses of rock, and
Straining his eyes till they ached
again searched the hillside for his
enemy. But though there was still
no one to be seen, his keen eyes OBJ
served something else-something far
more important than the mere sight
ing OF a relentless pursuer. There
were unmistakable indications all
round him of large body of horse
men having halted there.
The problem which now faced him
was to discover where they had gone
for careful search failed to reveal
any sign of continued march.
Thoughtfully his eyes studied the
cliff and the boulders.
Something shining among the peb-
bles near the base of the largest of
them caught his eye.
Swiftly he ran out toward it, took
bullet through the f1eshy part of his
thigh as he did so, and picked I'D
what he had seen.
1t was gold bracelet, on the inside
OF which were engraved the letters,
ID. L. from J. L." Dianas.
Enemy or no enemy, this was a
clue that was going to be followed up!
(To be continuedl