Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

sd CASTE ‘qa a Englishman who muttered a half- so far as he was cc ae the ee ek eowpritt | want ——— <= = ’t be—ho uld the princess be subtlest mentality, ce ge soch?” gs woman he had ever known. = “Better there than sacrifice. Hunsa There was a flicker of § learned of this thing through listening be- Kassim’s dark eyes. neath the wall of a tent at night while one said, “ that evil-faced Bagree B A Singh spoke of it to the Gulab. It yen the rana got a yogi, a man skilled in magical things, either drugs or charms, and that Kumari was given a potion that caused her to lie dead for days; and when she was brought back to life of course she had to be removed from where Jaipur or Marwar might see or hear of this thing, be- cause they would fly to the swor” again.” Kassim ceased speaking, and his eyes carried a look of interrogation as if he were anxious for a sustaining of his halt- faith in the story. “Jt’s all entirely possible,’ Barlow de- clared emphatically. “It’s a common prac- tice in India, this deceit as to death where a death is necessary. It could all be easily arranged, the rana yielding to pressure to save Mewar, and dreading the sin of being guilty of the death of his daughter. Even the Gulab is like a princess of the Sessodias —like a Rajputni of the highest caste.” “Indeed she is, Captain Sahib, quality of breeding never lies.” “What discredits Hunsa’s story,” Bar- low said thoughtfully, “is that the Gulab was in the protection of Ajeet Singh, who was but a thakur at best—really a pro- tector of decoits.” ‘“To save Kumari’s life she had been given to the yogt, and he would act, not out of affection for the girl’s standing as a prin- cess, but to prevent discovery, blood-shed, and her life. It is also known that these ascetics—infidels, children of the devil—by charm, or drugs, or otherwise, can cause something like death for days—a trance, and the one who goes thus knows not who he was when he comes back,” Kassim argued. | ** Weil,” Barlow said, ‘“ it is a matter un- . solvable, and of no importance, for the _ Gulab, Kumari or otherwise, is a princess, such as men fight and die for.” __ There was a little silence, Barlow carry- ing pm = his mind this, the main interest, The deep cunning, I believe. Dll s the hilt of my dwar that he whole story for the purpose of h ence with me, and in his. nee a desired, for, as I was caving, a I would have his turban given E to wear on his going; he ssa fe course, sa#ib, a turban is an aff sit and I suppose he was feeling a» going forth without it. It ae had taken it as an evidence that he been killed, but when I sent an n f she told him that the cloth was pt vermin, and she had burned tas “ But still, chief, though EF animal cunning, yet he conslel ah such a story—he had heard ice Barlow felt his heart warm 1 grizzled old warrior as he, d nebulous matter of Kumari, s to think, Captain Sahib, that: it: Gulab we would have slain y 7 tl derer of Amir Khan. As a Patan, ev had wished it, I could not have fend tulwars from your-body. Paul rou. brave man, such as a Pindari loves; than announce thyself as an paper gone and thy mission | wouldst have stood up: to. soldier.’’ % He put his hand caressin knee, adding: “ By: the b phet thou art a man! But. is to this end—we hold as ence, as did Amir Khan, and if mitted, I would have her put ir ; for her going. Those that v the camp with her fled at t an and my riders discovered to-day. that they hid in an pee about three miles st r daris scoured the c when my riders eturne a 3 ith ey the Gulab is alone, I will till thou =. comicbooks.com “os a - nn ate re |