Adventure Magazine Cover — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

The Temple of the Ten one of our electric torches and my revolver. I think that will be all.” Half an hour afterward Severn and six Manchu riders set off in the direction of the temple. One of the Manchus bore a- note to Sir Fandi Singh. Under the fine starlight Severn had no difhculty in ascertaining his position per- fectly. When the camp was a mile away he drew rein and sent the Manchus on- ward. He watched them ride from sight toward the temple. “T hope Sheng Wu can accomplish. his part of the work,” he thought. “It’s more difficult than miné. I have only to fool a poor blind leper—while he has to deceive both Sir Fandi and the Mongols!” And he rode toward the defile, trying to assure himself that he would this time be able to shoot down Esrun on sight. In his heart of hearts he knew that he could not do it, at least, without provocation. He had never forgotten the horror that had seized him when, as he thought, he had shot the woman to death—even in the moment when he thought she had murdered Sir Fandi. After all sometimes these little things count big with the right sort of man. Day could have shot the woman without a scruple. Severn, although he knew that the life of Kilgore might hang in the balance, tried to persuade himself to do it, and could not. “We'll see when the time comes,” he reflected, and spurred his horses onward. “After all,it may not be necessary—she is only a blind woman, a helpless creature.” This was a mistake. CHAPTER XIV “THERE IS HEAVEN SO HIGH, AND THE STARS SO DISTANT?’—Li Low. a stood at the shore of the mys- terious little lake, whose surface no wind ever ruffled, and wondered why Day had been given those bank-notes to carry. _. “Tt -was an ironic jest, more than likely,” he concluded. ‘Probably Esrun guessed that he was looking for treasure—and gave it to him.” Noon had come and gone. He had waited here an hour, and nothing had happened. The two horses, hobbled, grazed among.the _ ~ Jush graSses to the left. Everything was 169 peaceful, hot, still as death itself. By dawn, at the latest, Esrun must have known that Sir Fandi had started for the lake; she would be so informed by her spies among the - horsemen of the Hutuktu. How would she receive the expected Rajput? Severn had not slept for twenty-four. hours. He reclined under the trees and vowed that he would doze only fer an hour. He needed sleep, and he could afford to risk that. He glanced at his watch, set the Ww -time in his head and slept. When he wakened, he looked again at his watch; lie was correct, almost to the minute. With a breath of relief that he had not over- slept, he came to his feet. His eyes fell upon the boat of Esrun, drawn up on shore. With a start of astomishment Severn whirled about, searching the shore. ‘There ‘was no sign of Esrun—yet the boat had come here while he slept! Had his presence passed unnoted? Vey likely. Where, then, was Esrun? Severn slowly approached the boat, sus- pecting some trick until he perceived that the rude craft was indeed empty, its paddle lying across the thwarts. He saw some- thing else also—a paper on the forward thwart, weighted down with a stone. Con- cluding there was nothing to fear, Severn . _ pocketed his automatic, leaned forward and " picked up the paper. Upon this paper was written in flowing Hindustani: Come in the boat to the cliff-opening. I will wait ‘you. Severn crumpled the paper into a ball, tossed it away and stepped into the boat. He pushed off from: shore. “That message was intended for the Rajput—she won’t dream that others could read it!” he reflected. “Therefore, my ap- pearance in the boat. will be sufficient guar- antee that I am Sir Fandi. Excellent!’ Standing erect in the stern, he paddled the boat toward the crags on the right. He had a good idea of where to seek the opening in the cliffs, since he had seen Esrun come out on the occasion of his former visit to the spot. He asked himself no useless questions about the matter. He understood perfectly that while he slept Esrun had brought out the boat and had left the message for Sir Fandi. How she had regained the cavern did not matter. EO PIG HOO S Could she pick his brain - COr