The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-26
Chapter IA
Camp At Last

THE caravan was soon among
L the dunes, travelling sometimes
between the ridges, but more,
often up and down, up and down,
over the high-peaked mounds OF
yellew-gTay sand. - 3
BY camping time Lynn was so
wrenched and tossed and twisted
that she didn't care whether she
lived or died. They stopped in a
level canyon between two noun
tain-high old dunes on which bit
of vegetation had taken root.
Here where a well had been dug
small caravan on its way to
E S tie IN China had already
camped. The men were drawing
water with a goatskin bucket.
Lynn's mount collapsed by
joints back and forth like a vi
brating bridge and with a final,
peevish, groan dropped to her
knees As Lynn slid off, the spry,
old Duchess came trotting up and
led her to the dining tent. Lynn
sank into a comfortable Canvas
chair and groaned a bit as the
camel had groaned.
How do you feel, incarnate
Tara" Temu asked -
Anything but a goddess" she
replied and closed her eyes. She
was so absolutely miserable that
tears wet her lashes.
sfT,r1 6arrxy % abl--ea;l rs3Asr -
down in chair beside her and
bending forward to serutinize her
face, We'll see that you get a
good hot bath tonight to take out
the soreness. In a few days you'll
be feeling fine
She tried to smile but her chin
quivered.
He lifted one of her hands,
spreading it out in his and look
ing at the beautifully kept pink
nails. He and the Duchess dis
cussed the hand. Then he ex-
planned TO Lynn.
The Princess Mother has two
nails on her left hand as long
as your index finger"
Lynn marvelled.s what care
she must take of them"
eShe is a lady from the i'm
perial family of China. and
brought a large retinue when she
came to Delun forty years ago.
You will find many old Chinese
customs at the court. The Priri-
cess Mother IS gentle and retiring
and she paints and writes poetry.
She had no children. but her
husbands Mongol wife bore him
a daughter who IS married and
lives at the COURT 2iarEssss ssS.ss
Married to your" Lynn asked
with hmofe sharpness than she
had intended: Z 1a - ias
Il wasn't eligible. She is mar
ried to the Duke of > Saehto; q
man from Eastern :. Mongolia. y
And in answer to the question
she had asked indirectly, he re-
piled. II am not married. There
are many unmarried men in Mon
golia but no unmarried women
that know of. It is a country
that breeds men,"
at is a hard country" said
Lynn, aware once more Of her
pain-wracked body.
He rose. efYour tent is ready
now Let Little Bamboo take care
Of you." = : I3asa = >
That night Lynn managed to
place a letter, a duplicate Of the
one she had written in Pal Shu,
in the hands OF one Of the Chinese
camel-pullers Of the caravan
camped near them. The possibility
OF learning the nature of the diff
ficulties between Dick and the
Prince made her desire to 20 on
with the journey. But, this some.
how was a move she felt COM
PEELED to make in her personal
teud with Tefnn DARN. @Isesi''
New Caravan
TIE next day was not so bad
! Perhaps, she reasoned. hel
poor body had become Injured "a
the unaccustomed swaying. Her
consciousness felt suspended in q
queer mood of objective accept
ance, in the way she imagined .
saint must feel, taking everys
thing without resistance
dust and cold. the absurd antics
OF the camelS, the peculiar music
OF the trail that rang in the camel
bells, the song and laughter OF the
men urging the caravan through
the shifting lights and shadows OF
the interminable dunes. the sharp
combs of their crests, reminding
her Of The backs OF mighty. yell
low dragons,-all these were q
part OF an experiences not fully
realized. ~ f-a.s-s.lc "a -
The Duchess led the tentmen
on her fast-pacing camel, bat
Lynn and Tent stayed with the
slower-traveling pack animals
Early in the afternoon, on q
wide. agravelly bench between
two sand ridges, they met 4
travelling committee OF 1amas; a
pony catalcade in search OF an
incarnate saint. Temu sand Lynn
dismountedz and sat aen -tAe
ground. lotus-fashion, 10 visit
with them. Their leader, a priest
in faded. yellow robe, related his
story to- Tent who In turn told
u 10 Lynn. a
They came from q white mon
astery on AIRED hillside IN the
Tiger Mountains. Several years
before, the spiritual head Of the
monastery had died, and prog
nosticians now In d icate d that
somewhere on. the steppes east OF
this point he bad been reborn In q