Evening star., 1934-07-18
KING COBRA
By MARK CLAIMING {

/ love ] am hungry for her who pleases
mel Speak TO me, therefore. as one
who Is 10 help me rule my people
| and bear me sonsl Art thou Of
ice, that no love stirs thee7" His
eyes, as he stretched out appealing
hands to her. glowed like FIRE.
Dianas heart stood still. What she
had been dreading had come. He
expected her TO reciprocate MS
passion.
In that moment danger. torture
death, dwindled to INFINITE unimpor-
tance compared to the horror OF bis
arms about her. Her frightened eyes.
dilated to blacknexs by her terror.
roamed wildly round the great room,
seeking q way OF escape.
She caught her breath sharply.
In the shadows, immediately behind
the Cobra, was standing the SwaS-
tika sadhu.
The Cobra, suddenly conscious OF
her gaze, spun round on his heel.
The next second, with his naked
scimitar glittering In his hand, ne
strobe toward the grave faced Hindu.
Thou dogl" hc thundered; and
the great curved blade swept through
the air with O force that would have
behaaded an OK.
The sadhu ahould have been
sundered from neck 10 vast. but the
lean, tall figure In white did not stir,
II seemed TO Diana now ~ II the
ruby swastika was lined with ouiv"
ering FIRE.
Swiftly the Cobra stepped back
from beside her.
"Thou art q witchl" he Missed. "And
witches who think TO frighten me
with the ghosts Of dead men diel"
He raised his scimitar TO cut her
down: but the weapon remained
| lifted. He had no power to strike.
The white clad flgure OF the Sadhu
was fading away; and, bewildered, the
| Cobra slowly lowered his arm as
\ Shireen crossed the veranda and en-
tered the room. Swiftly she looked
| from one TO the other OF them.
What has angered my lord?" she
asked, going up TO him and frowntng
darkly at the unfortunate Diana as
she passed her.
There was a bhoot---a ghost ;.
which she called upl" swore the
Cobra. driving his weapon home into
its scabbard with a click. II said she
is witch, and 1t Is true (. But
I have ways Of dealing with witchesi"
he added, glaring ominousiy at the
English girl.
shireen's trim Of laughter relieved
the tenseness.
"The Inglis girl has given you her
fever, belovedl" she declared with
well simulated amusemsnt. She
clapped her hands and the chief OF
her slave women entered. Bring
sherbet and bid the musicians play~
she ordered hurriedly, and turned
again to the Cobra.
But the Cobra. troubled. spoke TO
Diana.
"If thou canst see the ghosts OF
| dead meTi--thou canst, perhaps, see
hidden thingsl There Is book
seek: a secret book In which . cer-
| tain sahib has written strange words.
i In order that he may write letters
10 the Sirkar Government OF India).
which no man but having the book
may read. Canst thou tell me where
1t is7 And what Is written IN itT
/ In n flash Diana understood. She
| nn0 neAfQ neE AAehCA AuSAeSh s..~
secret Byzantine cipher that Colin
Gray had invented.
81 can sometimes read what Is In
the mind OF q man." she said I'M
pressiyely. "But I cannot see or
read what Is not before me" she
had q faint hope that he might de-
eide TO confront Ger with Colin Gray,
and for q moment the hope seemed
not altogether wild.
"I, too, can read what Is In the
heart Of q manor Of woman" said
the Cobra slowly. II can read thine.
Thou liestI"
Diana looked st him interroga-
| lively.
Il lie noti" she said. What had
he In his mind? she wondered.
Thou liest, ! saidl" he retorted
furiously. Thy very mouth isra lie
IL is too beautiful to be true. Thou
madest bad fool-play In saying thou
vert glad to see mel Thou art not
glad. Yet one who has thy
beauty must love--or diel Whom
lowest thou2"
"An Englishmanl" Such q chal-
lenge allowed of no equivocation.
what Englishman7 There are
manyP' he spat vtciously.
"A soldier" answered Diana de-
family. "One who frightens not
childrenl" she went on, glancinR at
Gulbudun, who was covering in q
corner, her small arms round the
deer's neck, 'nor steals unwilling
girlsI"
The Cobra shook on Shireens re-
straining arm and began 10 stride
up and down. One Of his fits Of
temper was coming upon him.
"I said thou vert free TO come and
goi" he roared, kicking viciously at
a pair OF tame pigeons which nut
tered away from him with whisper
ing of clipped wings. "That pernais-
sion revoked Until have married
thee thou art prisoner-unleas thou
wilt do the thing I shall bid theel"
what Is that thing?" demanded
Diana, who in some queer way felt
mastery Of the situation coming 10
her.
Get from the sahib who made up
this book Of strange words their
meaningi"
II win try-but our sahihs are bad
at revealing secrets"
Then thou shalt be chained to a
wall and whipped until thou dost. and
/ will tell those dogs back in Gin1la
that I have done 1t to thee"
MY father shall exact bitter pay
ment for the shame thy words have
put upon mep'
But the Cobra's laughter pealed to
| the domed roof.
Thy fatherl Thy dog OF father
Is deadi"