The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-09-03
Chapter Seven
Discovered

Discovered
NEXT morning KhaIima rerted
a donkey from the inn keep
er: Anne might ride but She her
sell insisted on walking. she had
always walked this road Thev
would stay with the caravan as
men. Z -
Anne noticed that the little
lama joined them as If he BE-
longed to their party. They passed
q caravan OF corpSes bound Cor
Turkish holy ground and once
lney met a party bearing the
empty coffin of an ancient Chinese
still alive but expecting 10 die
on the way and be carried beyond
the Great Wall for burial.
Shortly after they stopped AT
another caravanserai that night
TOUR men ard a pack camel came
into the courtyard. When Anne
looked UP and saw them she felt
her face suddenly grow warm
enough for the black grease 10
melt and run Sherwood, Mackey
the headman and his Younger
son.
With y happy heart Anne saw
that the camel carried the hug.
gage from the plane-incIuding
her own. Perhaps somehow she
could gain possession of il. The
white men were not shackled In
any way though their keepers
kept them pretty much under
their eyes
Anne and Khalima had chaser
a little room off the main court
next door to the common kitchen
Presently the lama came in and
squatted down in corner as if
ne meant TO stay. Anne objected
mildly. Khalima explained she
had planned it. Her relatives were
present They might suspect in
trlgue; they might suspect she was
travelling with the woman sup
posed TO have disappeared in the
storm. But as ii was. she accom-
panied family she had met on
the road She was servant to the
old mother of holy man.
She looked up as Khalima
stepped back from the doorway
and permitted her relatives To
enter. Motioning the white men
to follow, they came in and
squatted down and began sn0k-
ing their pipes, taking it for
granted they had a right in the
room.
With trembling fingers Anne
took the bowl of food KhalIma
handed to her. The native men
stared sharply at the holy one in
the corner. Khalima explained
demurely that she was being paid
to lock after the old mother WhA
sat looking helplessly at her bowl
of food Anne could not bring her
self to eat with her dirty fingers
as she was supposed to do.
Sensing her need without being
told. the little lama handed her
his chopstieks, but Anne felt as
helpless as before. Sherwood who
had been watching offered the
servant woman spoon from his
pocket.
.sTry feeding the old woman
with this, he directed.
The native men picked I'D a
conversation with the lama while
Sherwood and MackeY began
talking between themselves.
Mackey refilled his pipe and Sher-
wood took a book and a candle
from his pocket and settled down
to read.
When Anne felt that the atten-
ton of the Others had been suf-
ficientIy Withdrawn from her she
turned her back and began eating
her evening meal. Then she
crouched down in her corner hug
ging herself for warmth, for the
room was chill and becoming
colder.
With a start she became aware
that the white men were talking
about her.
aYou wouldn't think" said
Sherwood, shat a person could
get So gEimy in one short life
4 time
Maybe it's not so Short re.
marked Mackey idly. She looks
to me as if she might be hun:
dred"
''These women are sometimes
mothers at twelve and t0othless
at twenty" Sherwood reminded
him. Did you notice if the Ole
gal has any teeth2R
Mackey laughed. with your
scientific curiosity you'll prob
ably know before the night y
over.
Sherwood spoke hastily. look
at that nose of hers" he chuckled
"A Iibetan with q retrousss
nosein
aAnd bald head. / bet" Of.
fered Mackey, lying down fiat on
his back.
SherWa0d Kn0Ws
a NNE felt an impulse tn hide
"A her face from All this fun q
her expense, but she realized u
might be confession that she
understood the talk.
Il wonder, unused Sherwood
IF we could persuade her to sing
for US
Suddenly the lama rose and the
native men followed him out into
the courtyard directing Khallms
to guard their prisoners. q
Mackey sat up when they lei
and looked about the room. II Is
cold in here.H he said, "and my
COMPOUNDED tooth is beginning ic
ache again
Sherwood took a camelskin
from the bed platform and hung il
before the doorless entrance Then
he told Khalima to bring in q
brazier of Goals for warmth. He
promised they would not stir
from the room.