Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

278 along. Monsey and Abbas swayed slight- ly in their seats with the movement of their mounts. Edith wondered why her father and the major, standing close to the cara- van, did and said nothing. By now the last camel had passed, wend- ing its way among the trees. Fraser-Carnie wheeled and called to Donovan, his ruddy face serious. “Where is that caravan bound?” ‘“‘ Kashgar — anywhere, most likely.” Donovan still held Edith’s hand firmly. *‘ The natives say ‘ nowhere.’ ” The major seemed inclined to ask fur- ther questions, but checked himself with a glance at Edith. “Strange, Rand, what?’ he muttered, shaking his head. “I’m glad your daugh- ter was not as near as we were. ‘These le- gends of the hills sometimes take the form of a rather ghastly reality. And I’ve heard of a caravan—”’ he broke off to glance at his friend. “I think you and I have had the privilege of an unusual insight into na- tive customs. Did you see what I saw?” “They seemed to be in a kind of rigid state,” responded the American uncom- fortably, “some form of epileptic trance, perhaps.” (The THE ARGOSY. Again Fraser-Carnie shook his head. “I know a dead man when I see one,” he said quietly, “ or two, for that matter.” A little way behind them Edith pressed ' Donovan’s hand to her cheek. She real-- ized that the passing of Monsey and Abbas had held something of the unwonted in it, but she knew that Donovan did not want to explain further. The silence of the ravine, and the star- ing native troopers who were looking, with her father and the major, after the cara- van, brought a chill upon her new joy, and she turned to Donovan with a gesture that asked for comfort. A sleepy weariness was in her eyes that held, however, another light. “You will take me away with my father, Dono-van Khan,” she asked—“ away from here? And never, never leave me?” He looked down into her eyes. “If you will be happy, dear. me that you will be happy?” - She glanced quickly around, noting, as a woman will, whether or not they were observed. Then she put her arms around his shoulders and lifted her face shyly. “TI won’t promise anything more, Dono- van Khan.” End.) Promise THE MOUNTAINEER HERE a needling granite peak Pierces billows of the sky, Where the tongues of torrents speak And the four winds loose their cry, Here I fare where claw and beak Spell the hazards I defy. O’er my head is golden light; "Neath my feet are beating rains; In the pulsing starry night, Worlds below me, stretch the plains, Cities, brawling in their blight, With their Abels and their Cains. Freed I fare, but not alone; For in laughter of glad streams, In the thunders’ growling moan, Or in sunlight’s searching beams Showers sweet essence of the known “ *Mid the peaks where truth weds dreams! Paul Steele. MICLOOOK Coin