Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

882 Midge felt the world spin round her as she dashed into the small circle, only one thought in her mind, spreading out her arms and throwing her little body between the man she loved and this blazing death. She felt a stinging blow, a sensation of choking, and she knew no more. On a morning of exquisite opalescent serenity Midge awoke to find the White Horseman’s eyes looking into her face with a glowing passion of love and a darkness of overwhelming anxiety. ‘Thank God!” he said in solemn thanks- giving as she stirred and tried to sit up. He helped her as tenderly as a woman. She found herself, wrapped in blankets, ensconced among some great rocks on a bare and stony plateau that fell in one vast sweep as far as the eye could reach toward a distant plain. In a sky of the delicate blue of a hedge sparrow’s egg the sun shone with a gentle warmth; not a breath of air stirred. A little way off three horses were nibbling at the low growing scrub. ‘Two of the White Horseman’s men sat like statues, enveloped in their cloaks. ‘What happened?” Midge asked, sort- ing out her confused thoughts as best she could. ‘“ Wait until we see if you are hurt!” the White Horseman said. ‘“‘ Can you stand? Let me help you. You were so exhausted —TI had to let you sleep.” She could stand. Her shoulder ached badly, and one of her hands and her lower arm was bandaged up. ‘You were burned,” he said. saved my life.” “Ohno? “Yes, you did. You took the men’s at- tention for a second. My men were equal to it. There was a stampede; all the torches were trampled out; and these two got us away. We owe our lives to them.” He looked pale under his bronzed skin, and when he walked he limped badly. He had been shot in the leg and had lost much blood. But once on horseback he was all right. “They are good men, those two,” he said almost boyishly. ‘‘ Splendid jolly men! How they found the horses in that wild “You ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. mess I don’t know. But they did, and I carried you round to the back of the tent while those madmen fought each other in the darkness. They put you in front of me on my white horse, Midge, and I car- ried you in my arms all through the ride. That will be something for me always to remember,” he added to himself. But there was no time to lose. Some- thing must be done, and at once. By a miracle they had escaped with their lives, but, although in safety for the moment, they could not roam about this desert and dangerous country with a large force of British troops on the road to capture the White Horseman. “You must get away,” Midge said in a frenzy of earnestness. ‘‘ Don’t think of me! You must get away!” “Not until I know you are safe,” he answered. “But what would be the good of my having come, if you are taken?” she asked feverishly. “The good of your coming, my heart!” He gave a sigh. ‘‘ That will always be the best thing in my life.” ‘But you mustn’t be taken!” ‘““No—I mustn’t be taken!” The old hard look came back into his eyes. “ For reasons that I can’t tell you. I must think.” He called to the two natives and held a consultation with them; then turned to*her and said: “ They know a way back to Banzat which they say is perfectly safe. They are quite sure the troops would never dream of going that way, and our friends of last night have by now gone back to their lairs. Do you know, by the way, what their quarrel was with me? One of my men stole a cup of milk from a cow of theirs that was feeding by one of their stones of worship. A costly drink of milk, wasn’t it?” He laughed, as if trying to make the at- mosphere less tense for the parting that was to come. “T don’t want to go back to Banzat,” Midge said in alarm. “‘ How can 1? What could I say to them? What would they say to me?” “You must go back to Banzat,” he re- plied gravely. “It is the nearest place COMmMicoooksS.ec©