Glacier County chief., 1940-03-22
Not ONLY Adders Sting = 1''"''."s"*'"

Armed men baying for blood, were
pouring into and along the jigsaw cor
ridors, forcing him up the dark and
ladderlike stairs. In first floor passages
he twisted left, aiming for the royal
wing. But at the last turn of the pas
sage he spun in his tracks like a
hunted cat-the rattle of spear butts
and the growl of voices warned him
that the sacred person of the king had
realized the necessity of many guards.
Back along the galleries again, only
to halt in 10 strides. Voices coming
toward him told him that swords we're
closing in from that end. 1t seemed
the finish, for there was no stair to
help, but catching the glimmer of
light through door hanging. he dived
through, crossing the room at a bound
and found himself on a balcony over
looking a dark inlet from the Kari
shimbi river.
Not pretty prospect, for it was
full of crocodiles who, stirred by the
unwonted shouting, were lifting their
ugly shouts in hopeful anticipation of
unexpected meals.
No way out there and not much
anywhere else. for only a crazy bal
cony OF the floor above offered peril
GUS possibilities. Savaran sprang to
the rail and, as it sagged and cracked
under his weight. leapt upward, catch
ing the rickety beams of the balcony
above, hoisting himself to it with the
power of his steel-wire arms.
Half of it was lattice screened and
from the rooms beyond this came a
twittering shrillness that meant only
one thing-the harem. 1t had posi-
bilities for as supreme as master Of
hearts as armies. but not at that mo-
ment. Women in the bulk thought
Of screaming before loving; so ignoring
even the open section he heightened
his arms and climbed further.
A moment later he was lying flat
and painting on the roof, could survey
the situation and note its hopelessness.
The royal city Of Karishimbi is a
substantial dung heap admirably
adapted for the harboring of assassins
and other regular citizens against the
world and its laws. but highly incom-
patible for those who wish to escape
from it.
A broad river hens its dusty battle
ments on three sides. Not only is it
completely commanded by gunfire
from the wall, it is so deeply infested
with crocodiles that they lie on each
bank as thickly as logs in a Canadian
timber boom. More, they are highly
practical crocodiles. used not only as
scavengers but to save hangman's fees.
The fourth side of the city is a
man can pass except by the single
causeway road that winds across 1t
from the city's land gate.
The guards were already stopping
and searching every man and beast
that left the city; also they had strung
watchers along the whole length of
the road to examine each passer
while a whole company blocked the
end where it reached firm land.
Ngwato, the dead king. had been a
weak youth with good intentions. He
had been just wise enough to realize
that he was but a puppet figurehead,
under cover of which the gangsters,
who really ruled his court, were able
to exercise, without risk, their talents
for greed, extortion, tyranny and
crown was hated for the sins of others
and also that he himself had no ca
pacity for dealing with the cunning
of the criminal junta at whose head
was the powerful Wazir, rightly named
Seleka. the Adder, he had called in
Savaran to aid him in cleaning out the
crooks.
Wazir, seeing the profits of power
and graft swept away by an ideal Tor
honesty backed by a ruthless sword
for enforcing it, recognized that swift
action was necessary. When Savaran,
with no more than a riding switch and
the terror of his bearing, stalked
through the armed mob of hand
picked murderers who were Ba-
Chwene's retainers. and plucked even
that vicious cousin OF the King IRON
his own scornful foot, kicked him into
an obscurity where his gifts for ty-
ranny and greed would flower no more,
Seleka saw his chance. Ba-ChWene
was of royal blood and. if hated by
the people, would yet be the. right
ruler to deal with Savaran If sup
ported by Seleka's power. Therefore,
was now king, and once Savaran was
wiped out. vice would rule again.
Huddled among his guards few
roofs. Savaran saw the Waddlng figure
of the new king. AS Savaran sighted
his pistol and waited for the shifting
guards to uncover the figure, another
Shape appeared among the shields. Sc
leka the Wazir had come hurryhg
with some fresh news.
From the gestures of the Wazlr S
hands and the shouts that followed,
Savaran guessed what that news was
His discarded clothes had been found,
and all Karishimbi now knew that ne
was somewhere in the PALACE he
heard. indeed. the royal below ol
fear, the screen OF oe4eha 49,, ~ 9
saw the guards swirl and scatter "a, as
thev came running over the roofs. Inc
hunt had reached its deadliest phase
it was about to work downwards from
the roof as well as up from the ground.
Savaran was over the ,parapet IN a
flash. climbing back to the crazy pal pal
comics The topmost sagged and
groaned under his weight and ne co ti,a
almost feel the appraised Jaws Oh tti ne
nrocoG;1es waiting to catch him as ne
d io He swung desperately to the
end free from the lattice-a beam
broke under his hand and he was
falling, With a frantic wriggle ne
twisted to save himself, hit the rail,
hung. poised for a moment, then, py
the luck of his star, went inward oii'o
the boarding.