Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

THE CARAVAN who had interrupted him looked uncom- fortable. ‘‘ Bear witness, Sayaks,” Dono- van raised his low voice a little. ‘“* Was I not at the council since the shadows have changed—since noon? Ajfter that, you know that I came here, and that I sum- moned you directly. Is this not so?” Silence answered him, and Donovan’s lips tightened. “In that time,” he pointed out, “ I could not have taken the white woman through the guards and returned. Aravang knows that I was here.” Mahmoud spoke mildly, without raising his eyes: “ The Rul is low-born, Dono-van Khan: his word we will not hear. Because of our trust in you, because you have aided Yahka Arik, and because your word is the word of Dono-van Khan, we will listen. Tell now how the woman came to depart from Yahka Arik.” He paused, weighing his words: “It is well that you have spoken thus. For we knew that the woman was free of our guards. A watcher on one of the cliffs saw her ride hence, among several, and with a shot he brought down a rider.” At this, the assembled Sayaks nodded, scanning the white man with curious eyes. Well for Donovan that he had taken the right course, and confessed that Edith was gone, because they had known the truth before he summoned them. “ Likewise,” continued Mahmoud coldly, ** We know that the friends of the woman are riding toward Yahka Arik in the ravines not far away. And news has come to our ears from Kashgar that the one who is called the Vulture has been sent here by the father of the woman, to seek for her.” Donovan studied this, not revealing how much the words puzzled him. Mahmoud had an uncanny way of being aware of all that went on in the near-by hills. And the Sayaks had grown accustomed to thinking that Dono-van Khan knew everything. ‘She did not leave the valley with her friends,” he said slowly, “ nor is the Vulture her friend. : “Yet,” murmured Mahmoud, “ it is in my mind that the Vulture has taken her with him, for who but he knows the ravines around Yahka Arik whither he once struck, OF THE DEAD. and a husband? 107, sinking his talons into the hearts of ous fathers and husbands—” “Aye,” cried another, “he bore off our women!” “Peace!” cried Iskander harshly. ‘‘ Who should know that better than I—a father Fools! Will you not heed the voice of him who is Dono-van Khan?” The murmurs subsided, and the warriors settled back passively, only their dark eyes moving, following every motion of the white man. Outwardly, Donovan was quiet; in- wardly his thoughts were racing. Who were ‘the friends of Edith Rand that were near- ing Yahka Arik? Monsey, called the Vul- ture by the Sayaks? Perhaps. Yet he thought not. Had Monsey actually been sent by Arthur Rand to bring Edith back to Kashmir? Donovan, knowing Monsey, doubted it. He had made up his mind that Edith had not departed willingly from the valley. He felt that she would not depart without him. On this hope he based his next words, cast- Ing at a single throw the weight of his in- fluence against the uncertainty and sus- picion of the Sayaks. ‘“ Men of the council, when the Arghan mullahs and the Turks came to you three years ago and would have inscribed your names and those of the tribes of Central Asia in their ranks, to fight in the great war against the English, what was my advice to you?” “That we should not make war.” (Although Donovan barely spoke of it, his power among the hill tribes, and the Sayaks, had held back a weapon from the hand of the Turk, and more than once a resident of Kashmir had mentioned to Brit- ish India that a man who could not be found had aided them in this way. And even a worthy member of Parliament in London had made a long speech declaring that the man——who had once been an officer—should be found and rewarded. But he was not found, although Fraser-Carnie had his sus- picions, because John Donovan still occu- pied himself in the hills). ‘And before then,” he went on quietly, forcing himself to reason with them even while he was barely able to restrain his own impatience to follow the girl he loved, cComiclboooks C@