Adventure Magazine Cover — page 156: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

146 of worship abandoned in favor of the upper hall, Chinese fashion; except for the table and chairs it contan-cd only ten pillars spaced at intervals. But these pillars were remarkable. The lower portions of these pillars were shaped in the form of dromedaries or camels, nearly full size; from the humps ascended stone columns to support the roof. Each pillar had obviously been carved from the living rock, as had the chamber itself. Severn glanced up excitedly as the two men entered,-and raised his hand. “Look! I want you to notice something— this table! It’s been hewn out of the bare stone, you see? And note its position, here at one end of the place. Does that suggest anything to you?” Kilgore and Sir Fandi shook their heads. “Not:a thing,” said the Canadian. He produced half a dozen packets of English cigarets, procured from the store- room, and tossed them wearily on the table. Severn brushed them aside with a gesture of swift irritation. “But look again—can’t you see that this room, is like a church? That this table stands in place of the altar—what was anciently a table indeed? And now look at the under side of it——’”’ Severn lighted one of the candles, whose soft, pigmented wax stained his fingers a vivid scarlet. Unheeding, he lowered it to the floor. Kilgore, catching a spark of his ardor, came to his knees and looked up at the under side of the table. Sir Fandi, a grim smile under his beard, dropped into a chair and lighted a cigaret. “Inscription,” grunted the Canadian, and rose. ‘Looks dike Mancina and Chinese, - what?” “Mongol, also: Chinese,” corrected Severn, a flush of excitement in his face. “The Mongol i is well preserved—I've been copying it. I can read nearly all of it. Listen!” Kilgore opened a box of cigarets and flung himself into a chair. Sir Fandi watched the American, still smiling, yet mildly curious despite himself. Severn clutched at the tabletop, reading there whatihe had copied and written on the stone with red wax: “The period name is gone; but we don’t need it—this thing was built’ by Ung-khan in the sixth year, a year of the Yellow Rat, and was dedicated on the first day of the éleventh month, a day of the White Cock. Understand what that means? Do you Adventure : understand? It’s the most ancient Mongol inscription we have, of course, but the name Ung-khan and the titles! Here is the significant title, from the Chinese text—the word ngu-se-tal It’s a representation of the Persian wstad, which in turn rendered the Hebrew. rab or rabbi... “Now wait! Here Ung-khan cal him- self ngu-se-ta, or teacher, of God, and also beloved of Buddha. He was a lama, but also a Christian—a ‘not uncommon circum- stance among the Tatars.” “What of it?” demanded Kilgore, smiling at the earnestness of Severn. “What of it? Good ——, man! It con- firms the old supposition—this Ung-khan was not only a hereditary lama of the form — of Buddhism then extant here, but he was also the teacher of God! The Nestorian monks, finding him a Jama or priest, re- ported that John Presbuteros “Prester John!’’ exclaimed Kilgore, snap- ping to his feet. ‘“D’you mean “We're in the church of Prester John this minute—and——” Day appeared in the doorway with a cool interruption. “And we're likely to stay there a —— of a long time,” he cut in. “Gentlemen, we’ve found mighty little loot in this place. I don’t like to cut in upon a scientific dis- cussion, but two things interest me a —— sight more than relics; first is loot, and second is the getaway. Do you chaps know what we’re up against?” Obviously Day had been doing some thinking. He went on stubbornly: “Esrun, whoever he is, seems to have all the loot—let it pass. But this same Esrun, blast him, is going to signal the five novices who jumped poor Sheng Wu to get here and go up against us with the tribe. We can’t hold out here indefinitely. Our one best bet is to find this chap Esrun and find him quick! Get me?” Sir Fandi assented mildly. “Quite right, gentlemen. I propose we abandon archeology in favor of defense——” “Very well,” snapped Kilgore, sitting down. “Sir F andi, your report?” “All went off excellently,” returned the Rajput. ‘“We bagged the caravan com- plete—it will arrive here before daylight. T-rode on with five men, leaving six to bring the camels “Lost four men, eh? Dashed good work you lost no more, Fandi,” said Kilgore. EOomicboo “Ss GOr