Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

“The sahib still has the Akbar Lamp— the ruby?” the girl queried, presently. “T have it safe,” he answered, tapping his breast. ‘ “ Tf the sahib is not going to the shrine Bootea would desire that we go out beyond the village to a manga lope where there are none to observe, for she would like to make the final salaams in his arms—then noth- ing would matter.” : “Perhaps we had better go anyway, Barlow said eagerly, “ though I am gomg over to the shrine with you, for now, being a Hindu, I can pass as your brother. And there would not be opportunity.” The girl turned this over in her mind, then said: “No, we will not go to the grove, for Bootea can say farewell to the sahib in the cloister, where Swami Saras- vati has a cell for vigils.” Then, asking Barlow to wait, she went ‘nto the house, and soon returned clothed in spotless white muslin. He noticed that she had taken off all her ornaments, her jewelry. The bangle of gold that was a twisting snake with a ruby head, she pressed upon Barlow, saying: “ When the sahib is married to the Englay will he give her this from me as a safeguard against evil, and that it may cause her to worship the sahib as a god, even as Bootea does?” The simplicity, the genuine nobleness of this tribute of renunciation, hazed Barlow’s eyes with a mist—almost tears. She was a strange combine of dramatic power and gentle sweetness. “ Now come, sahib,” she said, “if you insist. It will not bring misery to Bootea, but to you.” Barlow strode along beside the girl steeped in ominous misgivings. Perhaps his presence at the temple would avert what- ever it was, that, like an evil jinni, seemed to poison the air. There was a moving throng of pilgrims that poured along in a joyous turbulent stream toward the bridge. No shadow of the dread god, Omkar, gloomed their spirits; they chatted and laughed. Of those who would make devotions the men were Stripped to the waist, their limbs draped in spotless white. And the women, on their __ Way to have their sins forgiven, were taking - _- * “ A ’ _. i s * e | : - * 2 . 2, - * « « J ge - —a. , .. \? d ts = tee * - 4, y r = ; ? é “a ’ ——— most forgotten, for this was Permits” the presence of the god. Even them b© tifully formed bodies and limbs, the sl fresh anointed, gleaming like copper ? sunlight, showed entrancingly, vc ously, with a new-born iberty.* "Se Once, half way of the bridge, @ man's’ voice rang out commandingly, calling back* ward, admonishing some one to hurry, cry- ing, “ It is the kurban!” San Barlow started. The Aurban meant a — human sacrifice. He looked at Bootez essa he could have sworn her head had drooped, ~ and that she shivered. The girl must have ~ sensed his thoughts, for she turned her eyes — up to his, but they held nothing of fear, Beyond the bridge they passed across a lower level, jungle clad with delicate bam= boos and dhak, and sweet-scented sh ; ibs, clusters of gorgeous oleanders. The way was thronged with white-clothed fi pures that seemed like wraiths, ghosts drifting back to the cavern of the Destroyer. Then they commenced the ascent, fo lowing the bed of a stream that he d cut ¢ chasm through back trap rock, leavi jagged cliffs. And the persistent jung ever encroaching on space, had outposts champac and wild mango, their giant rot like the arms of an octopus, holding ach age in clefts of the rock. And from the limbs above floated down the scolding voices of lungoor, the black-faced, whiskered monkeys, who rebuked the intr sion of the earth-dwellers below. Where 1 path lay over rocks it was worn smoc 12 slippery by naked feet, the feet of pilgrit for a thousand years. On the right 4 mouth of a deep cave had been walled 1 by masonry. Within, so the dr the high priest of Mandhatta, centuries fore, had imprisoned the goddess Kali stop a pestilence, making vow to. offer Bhairava, her son, a yearly human sacrifi Higher up, approaching the plateau - were the ruins of a thousand gor shrines, both sides of the pathway lined by mendicants who sat ¢ < in front of them a little mat f of alms—cowries, pice, silver—the ists Maeve 3.8 comicbooks.com . 7 a es : rr. nae = iol t — ~ - 0 te itn ae