The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-02-09
cast am WEsT
BY TALBOT MUNDY
erAlsor MuNDy-whu SERVICE

another. They came from two di.
rections. A 4
"Sentries. hold your firel" he
shouted.
Stoddart came charging up,
breathing hard, fastening his tunic
and belt as he ran.
"All present, sir! All ready!"
Every well, Stoddart. Keep your
hair on. Post two men to guard my
tent. Send two to the horse-line and
the remainder to guard the store
tent. Thieves--I think"
Norwood walked ahead into the
darkness, Swallowed by O'Leary.
''Now what?" asked O'Leary.
"For the love o."
Fetch a lantern on long stick.
Hurry"
Norwood stood in deep black
shadow waiting for him. O'Leary
ran up with a lantern at the end
of very long stick-at least ten
feet long.
"Give that to me. Next shot they
fire, raise a yell that I'm hit"
"Okay. I get you. You're a cred
it to your Uncle Moses
Norwood held the pole extended
toward his left to its limit. He
walked forward. The lantern danced
as if it were in someone's hand. A
bullet spat out of the darkness. Nor
wood fell. O'Leary shouted at the
top Of his lungs: \
"Stoddart! Hi there, Stoddartl
They've shot the Captain! He's
dead! They hit him through the
hearth"
Stoddart and four men came hur-
rying. Norwood whispered:
''Pick me up. Carry me into the
tent feet first"
''Mournful and solemn" O'Leary
added.
Lay me on the cot in full lamp
light. Spread a sheet over me-"
said Norwood.
"He's as dead as trouble" said
O'Leary.
So they carried Norwood to the
cot and there he lay, in lamplight,
while Stoddart slightly overdid the
business of taking over command.
O'Leary secuted. At the end of ten
minutes, O'Leary returned to the,
tent.
'That's done it. They've gone. I
crashed among the bushes like a
pig with a panther after him. No.
body fired a shot. There wasn't a
sound. They've gone for good. ALI
Kadur will know that you're dead,
within twenty minutes. They may
even tell 'em the news at the pal
ace, though I doubt that. Palaces
get the news late, after other folks
have had time to lay their bets"
Norwood sat up. He stared at
O'Leary. O'Leary held his tongue.
He watched, waited. Norwood didn't
speak for sixty seconds. Then:
"O'Leary, there is just one chance
in fifty that Prince Rundhia is on
the wall, by that kiosk, where he
was last night"
It almost seemed as if the night
knew that Norwood had made up
his mind. He was riding a fresh
horse, but he didn't hurry. He was
followed by a mounted sails, and by
O'Leary on another horse. The
horses, the sails and O'Leary be-
haved like a snakes tail. They fol-
lowed the head without asking ques-
tions. Norwood gave no orders. He
didn't tell O'Leary what he intended
to do. But as they came near the
palace garden wall, he reduced the
speed little and O'Leary, without
needing to be told to do it, went
scouting ahead.
O'Leary, on the other side, made
plenty Of noise. He made a signal,
pointing with his right arm, as he
broke from shadow into moonlight.
There was nothing mysterious about
his signal; he simply pointed to the
swinging tendril Of baobab. It
overhung the wall in search of earth
in which to take root. It looked
like a python, swaying slightly in
the faint evening breeze.
ITO BE CONTINUED