The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-12-29
cast am We5T
BY TALBOT MUNDY '~'a
orAlsor RuNDy-wNu SERVICE

ted artfully evasive perjury. Nor
wood sat at the foot of the long ta-
BILE, looked, listened, and made end
less notes.
They weren't half through by
lunch-time. They gave him tiffin in
the palace, all by himself, in a 81
lent room, where q clock licked as
loud as fork against plate and he
caught himself eating in time to the
hypnotic beat, thinking of diamonds.
Curried mutton and rice. Whiskey
and soda. Sweet cakes. Fruit. Cot
fee. A cigar And then back to the
Council room to listen to more argu-
ments that were interrupted by the
arrival of Rundhia's Bengali ply
stefan, shepherding servant who
carried big blue goblet on plate.
The Maharajah swallowed his tom
ic and Immediately became less
nervous. Then he asked, in Eng
lish, presumably for Norwood's ben
eft:
Glow is Mrs. Harding?"
Norwood cared less than nothing
about Mrs. Harding's feelings at the
moment, but he couldn't help hear
ing the doctors answer:
ssShe is not well. But I cannot
persuade her to take medicine. She
is petulant-very."
The Maharajah tried to seem in
credulous Of any lady's petulance
"Convey my solicitude."
Norwood managed to escape from
the conference soon after that. He
was away on the horse before the
sails woke up. He cantered to the
Residency, where he had to wait in
the Office an exasperating fifteen
minutes, until the Resident could be
awakened from his afternoon snooze
and could get tubbed and come
downstairs.
"May I see you alone, sir?"
The Resident nodded. He didn't
appear to enjoy the prospect. They
went into the darkened library, and
Norwood sat in the same chair that
Rundhia had occupied. He laid the
black paper package Of diamonds or
the table:
"Take a look at those, sir.
want to turn them over to you.
would like to get a receipt, and te
make statement in writing"
The Resident opened the envelope
and poured the diamonds into his
hand. He made wry face and
poured them back again: s
''Nine?''
81 haven't counted them
"They look valuable. Where die
you get them?"
II am not absolutely certain.
think they must have been slipped
| into my pocket, early this morning
by one of the unofficial representa-
tives Of the temple authorities, wht
met me by appointment, near the
waterfall"
"What were you doing?"
Inviting myself for a visit Of in
spection Of the mine. They met me
to discuss it.
"And you say they dropped these
in your pocket?"
81 believe so. It's q pretty OBJ
vious attempt to bride me to write
a report in their favor"
''But they said nothing? Not ever
hint?"
Zone of them, ] remember, die
say he hoped my judgment wouldn't
be affected by worthless arguments
He rather dwelt on the word worth
less, but it made no special impress
sion on me at the time"
Every well, Captain Norwood,
will take your statement. " The Resi-
dent glanced at his watch. "You' re
rather late with it. There seems te
me to be needed some explanation
when you called this morning."
II didn't know, at that time, that
! had them in my pocket"
The Residents face was expires
sionless: "You had better be sure
to include that in your statement
It's credible, Of course, in view oi
your record. But people might draw
inferences. Don't you think so?"
"You suggest, sir?"
Nothing. ] am offering advice,