Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

126 Ommony’s hand closed on Diana’s muz- zle. She crowded herself closer against the wall. “T say, I hope we haven't disturbed your meditations!” Ommony did not move. “Maybe he don’t know English, sir.” eS it, I can’t see his caste-mark. He looks like a Hindu. Haven’t a flashlight, have you?” The younger of the two men struck a match; its yellow glare showed Ommony in high relief, but darkened the shadow behind him. “By gad, sir, that’s the Brahman who came out of Vasantasena’s with the lama!” The last thing Ommony wanted was police recognition; with the best will in the world the police may bungle any intricate investigation through over-zeal and_ be- cause they must depend on underqualified subordinates. He was satisfied to learn that McGregor had kept his promise not to unleash the Secret Service on the trail; dis- turbed to learn that the police on the other hand were busy. During thirty seconds, until the match went out, he cultivated the insolent stare to which Brahmans treat ‘“‘unclean”’ intruders. “Brahman and a lama keeping company? That’s strange.” “T’d cal] it suspicious, if you asked me, sir! What’s he doing here? He’s not even sitting on a mat. That corner’s ritually unclean—fouled by dogs and knows what else.” “T’ll try him in the vernacular.—I’m curi- ous to know why you are sitting here,”’ said the man with spurs. “Is there anything wrong? Are you ill? Can I help you in any way?” ‘‘Leave me to my meditation!” Ommony answered in a surly tone of voice. ‘“‘Why meditate just here, O twice-born? This is a bad place—dangerous—thieves, you know. Don’t vou think you’d better move on?” Ommony was in doubt whether or not to answer, but he was afraid Diana might be- tray her presence unless he could get rid of the inquisitors. He made up an answer on the spur of the moment and growled it indignantly: ‘““A year ago my son died on this very spot, slain by a bullet from a soldier’s rifle. Therefore I choose this place to meditate. Adventure I abase myself in dirt before the gods who visited that evil on me.” 7. unlikely story, sir, if you asked me!”’ “Everything in this country zs un- likely! Have him watched. You’d better stand at that corner and if he moves off, have one of the men follow him. Ill go back and send you twenty or thirty men to surround the place.—Good night, O twice- born! Meditate in peace!” Ommony listened until their footsteps died away in the near distance. Then, tak- ing very great care that Diana should under- stand she was still stalking danger, not defy- ing it, he crept on tiptoe to the gate at the other end of the alley and drummed on it with his knuckles. There was no answer. He tried the gate, but it was fastened on the inside. So he made Diana jump it, and in less than a minute after that Dawa Tsering came and undid the bars. “Oh thou, Gupta Rao, there are hap- penings!’’ he said, showing white teeth that gleamed in the dark. CHAPTER XV THE ROLL CALL BY NIGHT To him who truly seeks the Middle Way, the Middle Way will open. One step forward is enough.—From the Book of the Sayings of Tsiang Samdup. Wo the courtyard there was not confusion but a silent flitting to and fro as purposeful and devoid of collision as the evening flight of bats. Tall, specter- like figures, on the run, were carrying out loads and arranging them in a long row under the cloister. There was no sign of the lama nor of Maitraya, and only one dim light was burning—a guttering candle set in a sconce under one of the arches. “They go!” said Dawa Tsering. 1?? ““They gol”? He was excited—thrilled by the at- mosphere of mystery. ‘There was a fellow on the wall, along there at the corner of the garden, where the tree is. He came run- ning; and another summoned the lama; and there was an order given. May devils eat me if they weren’t quick! They are like ants when the hill is damaged!”’ Ommony approached the cloister where the candle-light threw dancing shadow, and the first thing he recognized was his own trunk, with the bags and bundles of micloool C© in