Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

132 there have been kings, reformers, con- querors aplenty marked with that pe- culiarity. Wisdom—for a man may sum- mon wisdom even in a howdah, behind curtains, in the night—suggested that the best course was to accommodate the lama’s saintlier side, which was easy enough to discern if difficult at times to understand; and as for the other side of him, to ignore it as long as possible. To play for safety—to look for it, to expect it—would be ridiculous. He must run all risks without a gesture of self- protection. He was glad he had not even a revolver with him, for a hidden weapon might betray him into rashness of the wrong kind. He made up his mind, if he were threatened, to rely solely on what- ever wits the gods of emergency might sharpen for him at the moment. Meanwhile he felt reasonably sure of one thing: That the elephants were a raja’s property. The camels might possibly be- long to some one else, but it was more likely they were also the same raja’s. There might be a raja who would not ask questions, but who was linked in some chain of more or less esoteric brotherhood, akin perhaps to Masonry. If so, the procession would arouse no comment on the countryside, for it is no man’s business and to no man’s profit to inquire too closely into a raja’s private doings; he who does so may count with almost absolute precision on what the jury will subsequently call an accident. “I don’t know, I didn’t see” and “I forget” are difficult, exasperating pegs on which to hang a chain of evidence. | AT THE end of two hours’ swaying (Ai Dawa Tsering’s stomach, void of 455 embarrassing content, began to re- cover. His sunny disposition followed suit. “Loose me, Gupto Rao. I am sorry I bawled out thine other name. I will slay this fool who heard me. Then none will be the wiser, and thou and I friends again.”’ “Do you hope ever to see Spiti?” Ommony inquired. “By the wind that blows there, and the women who laugh there, surely! I have a treasure tucked away in Spiti—earned on the te-rains. Loose me, Gupta Rao, or I call thee by thine other name again! I can shout louder, now my belly aches less.” * Adventure “Shout, and let us see what happens,” Ommony suggested. The small boy’s mind that had its king- dom in the Hillman’s bulk considered that a moment. “Nay,” he said presently, “I think that an evil might happen. The luck is not good lately. Who would have thought a camel would kick me? The devils who live in the hills around Spiti woe me for many a good turn I did them. The devils of these parts seem very mischevious. I had better behave myself.” ‘How about a promise?” Ommony sug- gested. “You mean, a promise between me and your But I would have to keep it. That might be inconvenient.” “Tf would promise for my part to assist: you to return to Spiti at the proper time.’’ “Oh, very well. Only I shall judge the proper time by when the devils have turned friendly. Loose me. I will behave myself.” Ommony undid the rope; and the Ti- betan, far from objecting, stuck a stump of candle on the bare wood of the howdah frame, lighted it, produced a pack of cards and challenged Dawa Tsering to a game. They played interminably, both men cheat- ing, both appealing to Ommony to settle constant arguments, although there was no money involved “My honor is at stake,” Dawa Tsering grumbled after about a dozen furious dis- putes. “This ignorant Tibetan says I am a liar.”’ “So you are,” said Ommony. “That may be. But he has no right to give himself airs. Look! He has five cards tucked under his knee, whereas I had but two!’’ He shoved the Tibetan so that his knee moved and uncovered the missing cards, two of which slipped down between the howdah and the elephant’s flank, thus put- ting an end to the game. “But I have dice!” said Dawa Tsering; and from then until dawn they murdered time and peace with those things, while Diana, her tongue hanging out with the heat, panted and shifted restlessly. Om- mony snatched scraps of sleep, dimly aware that Dawa Tsering was losing more often than he won, growing more and more indignant with devils who refused to bring him luck, although he spat on the dice and abjured many devils by name. micloool He is the greater one. - CO inn