Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

THE CARAVAN to start. Take me to”—she pondered swiftly— Abbas Abad. Abbas, effendi.” The man fumbled uneasily with his weapon. He had not expected this, but the white woman seemed to be certain of her purpose. What was he to do? He rose. She thrust him aside indignantly, with beating heart. “Kul!” Edith crieds? “I must go to Abbas—to Abbas.” The man hesitated. He was little better than a slave. Greatly he dreaded punish- ment and the anger of the higher beings, his superior. And the name of Abbas hint- ed at both these things. It would be well to take hex as she asked, lest the soles of his bare feet be beaten. Watchfully he climbed down the ladder, motioning her to follow. It was then that the kindred longing of two hearts came near to defeating the girl’s new purpose. Seeing Donovan stand- ing, tied fast by the wrists to the table, brought hither apparently, for this purpose, Edith gave a low cry and ran to him. Her arms went around his neck and his lips pressed hers swiftly. Breathing quick- ly, her cheeks aflame and her eyes soft, the girl looked up at him. Donovan kissed her again, intoxicated by the nearness of this beautiful woman, and more than a little dazed. Her hands touched his rough cheek shyly. The sud- den knowledge of Edith’s love and the brief possession of her lips were a miracle that rendered him voiceless.. Then a rifle stock thrust roughly against his chest. “Edith!” he whispered. ‘“ You must not bother about me. Good luck!” “Stupid!” she laughed. ‘I am coming back.” Her Alaman escorted her vigilantly to the door. Lanterns were already lit in the courtyard. Overhead, the crimson of the sky outlined. walls and tower. Within a few paces of her, by one of the lights, Ab- bas was distributing cartridges to a group of men. “W’at you wan’?” he cried angrily. “ Nakir el kadr! You go—” Edith walked nearer quietly. ‘Monsey sent for me—Monsey.” _ Abbas glanced at her and shrugged his OF THE DEAD 263 plump shoulders. He pointed to the en- trance to the courtyard. ‘The excellency, out there.” Monee? was bringing the patrols closer to the walls. “A fool. By God, I am no fool! You stay near: yes, near.” He glanced at the darkening sky and turned irritably to his work. ‘There were ceftain pine torches to be raised high over the walls. In-the daylight these flares had been kept carefully lowered behind the ram- parts, _ Edith watched a while as slouching Ala- mans and Tartars received an allotment of cartridges and departed. She drew back a little from the lantern. Abbas, after satis- fying himself that she was accompanied by her attendant, did not spare his attention from his task. The girl, he knew, could not escape from the castle. _ So Edith attained the first point in her objective, a tumbled pile of stone blocks against the raised walk that ran inside the parapet nearest the cliff. The Alaman stood before her, leaning on his rifle, well content that there had been no beating of his feet. The eastern wall, together with that of the north and south, was more battered by the weather than that facing the plateau. The parapet was broken at intervals. Edith moved her position casually until she was abreast one of these breaks, and perched herself upon the stone walk that had served | as a fire-step before the days when guns and cartridges had been invented. Here she could look out through a gap in the masonry, and glimpse the dark space that was the ravine. A distant murmur of running water reached her ears. She watched the two sentinels pacing the ram- part, and understood why Monsey had not posted a stronger guard. This side of the kurgan was impregnable to attack. A scant dozen feet of steep in- cline led to the break of the cliff. Below was the five-hundred-foot drop to the river. Edith cast an anxious glance at. the wes- tern horizon. Only a crimson and purple glow was visible. The sun had set some time ago. cliff facing her a few stars were visible. In the courtyard, the lanterns had gained ull strength. NOOK Across the dark bulk of a C@