Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

Om to glance around at him for orders. He signed to her to come to heel and then walked very quietly to the end of the alley, where the corner of a high wall intensified the gathering darkness. No lamps were yet lighted, although there was one fixed on an iron upright at the angle of the masonry above him; it was almost pitch- dark where he sat down, with his back against the wall, giving no orders to Diana, simply watching her. The hair on the scruff of her neck began to rise; she could hear voices, and so could he presently. A dog on guard; with her master near by, is a totally different animal to one free of control; Diana’s subtle dog sense, which would have transferred itself to other interests had she been scouting on her own account, intimated that they were enemy voices, and Ommony had to lay a hand on her to forestall an earthquake growl. He pulled her closer against the wall, where she crouched obediently, trembling because she added his alertness to her own. She was quite invisible in the depth of the shadow; Ommony was between her and the road into which the alley opened; but he knew that his own figure could be seen, something like a wayside idol, by any one with sharp eyes who should pass close to the corner. There were two men approaching very slowly, deep in conversation. One wore spurs. Unexplainably—without delving into such science as Chutter Chand expounds in his room behind the jewelry store—Om- mony received an impression that they had been pacing to and fro for a considerable time. They came to a halt around the cor- ner within three steps of where he sat, and when he held his breath he could hear their words distinctly: “You see, Chalmers, if we raid the place without being absolutely sure of our ground, all we’ll do is make trouble for ourselves and serve them notice to cover their tracks. We’ve got to have evidence that’ll make conviction certain, or they’ll hold us up as another horrid example of official tyranny.” “T tell you, sir, I know the women are in here.” “But do you know they are the women? But we can’t interfere with religion. We’d be in a fine mess if we haled a bevy of legiti- mate nautch girls into court. We’ve got to have proof.” 125 “Pardon me, sir. Lamaism doesn’t run to nautch girls. These people are Tibetans. They’ve no proper business in Delhi and absolutely no excuse for lugging unexplain- able women around the country. The lama was seen to enter Vasantasena’s place, and I myself saw him come out and drive off with his chela and two other people. I had him followed, and I know he drove in here. He hasn’t come out since. You know what kind of place Vasantasena keeps.’ “Yes, but we also know every member of her household. And she’s another in- dividual it’s deadly dangerous to monkey with unless we’re certain of our facts.”’ ‘“We’ve got circumstantial evidence enough to hang a raja, sir.”’ ‘Circumstantial won’t do, Chalmers. I spoke with McGregor about it today; he assured me there isn’t a thing on the lama in the secret archives. He admits there’s slavery on the Assam border,* and that slaves are sold into Nepaul and Tibet. But that don’t justify us in raiding this place, warrant or no warrant. We’d be inviting a riot. “The way things are at the moment, Moslems and Hindus ’ud get together and make common cause even with Christians if they thought they could jump on us by doing it—and slit one another’s throats afterward! They’d call it another Amritsar. [ll tell you what you may do if you like— surround this place and shadow every one who leaves it. That way we may get evi- dence.” There was silence while some one sup- pressed ill temper. Then a voice— “Very well, sir.” A piece of mortar from the top of the wall fell to the ground beside Ommony. He glanced up. It was growing very dark, but he thought he saw the shadow of a man’s head, vague against the colored gloom of an overhanging tree. The men who were talk- ing moved on, toward the alley mouth— passed it—turned and started back again. “Hullo!” said one of them, the taller, he with spurs. ‘‘Do you notice the audience? Wait! Don’t go down there—that’s a nasty, dark alley—might be an acci- dent.—Good evening!” he said, coming to a stand six feet away from Om- mony. “I hope we haven't disturbed your meditations,” *See U. S.daily papers 1923; atso official Indian Govern- ment reports. micloool (© inn