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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..312b8b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65825 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65825) diff --git a/old/65825-0.txt b/old/65825-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3deacd7..0000000 --- a/old/65825-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9102 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Marching Sands, by Harold Lamb - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Marching Sands - -Author: Harold Lamb - -Release Date: July 11, 2021 [eBook #65825] -[Most recently updated: October 14, 2021] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARCHING SANDS *** - - - - - - - MARCHING SANDS - - BY - - HAROLD LAMB - - - - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - NEW YORK : LONDON : 1920 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1920, - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - Copyright, 1919, by - Frank A. Munsey Company - - - - - CONTENTS - - I. The Lost People - II. Legends - III. Delabar Discourses - IV. Warning - V. Intruders - VI. Mirai Khan - VII. The Door Is Guarded - VIII. Delabar Leaves - IX. The _Liu Sha_ - X. The Mem-Sahib Speaks - XI. Sir Lionel - XII. A Message from the Centuries - XIII. The Desert - XIV. Traces in the Sand - XV. A Last Camp - XVI. Gray Carries On - XVII. The Yellow Robe - XVIII. Bassalor Danek - XIX. Concerning a City - XX. The Talisman - XXI. Mary Makes A Request - XXII. The Answer - XXIII. The Challenge - XXIV. A Stage Is Set - XXV. Rifle against Arrow - XXVI. The Bronze Circlet - - - - -MARCHING SANDS - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE LOST PEOPLE - -"You want me to fail." - -It was neither question nor statement. It came in a level voice, the -words dropping slowly from the lips of the man in the chair as if he -weighed each one. - -He might have been speaking aloud to himself, as he sat staring -directly in front of him, powerful hands crossed placidly over his -knees. He was a man that other men would look at twice, and a woman -might glance at once--and remember. Yet there was nothing remarkable -about him, except perhaps a singular depth of chest that made his -quiet words resonant. - -That and the round column of a throat bore out the evidence of -strength shown in the hands. A broad, brown head showed a hard -mouth, and wide-set, green eyes. These eyes were level and slow -moving, like the lips--the eyes of a man who could play a poker hand -and watch other men without looking at them directly. - -There was a certain melancholy mirrored in the expressionless face. -The melancholy that is the toll of hardships and physical suffering. -This, coupled with great, though concealed, physical strength, was -the curious trait of the man in the chair, Captain Robert Gray, once -adventurer and explorer, now listed in the United States Army Reserve. - -He had the voyager's trick of wearing excellent clothes carelessly, -and the army man's trait of restrained movement and speech. He was -on the verge of a vital decision; but he spoke placidly, even coldly. -So much so that the man at the desk leaned forward earnestly. - -"No, we don't want you to fail, Captain Gray. We want you to find -out the truth and to tell us what you have found out." - -"Suppose there is nothing to discover?" - -"We will know we are mistaken." - -"Will that satisfy you?" - -"Yes." - -Captain "Bob" Gray scrutinized a scar on the back of his right hand. -It had been made by a Mindanao _kris_, and, as the edge of the _kris_ -had been poisoned, the skin was still a dull purple. Then he smiled. - -"I thought," he said slowly, "that the lost people myths were out of -date. I thought the last missing tribe had been located and -card-indexed by the geographical and anthropological societies." - -Dr. Cornelius Van Schaick did not smile. He was a slight, gray man, -with alert eyes. And he was the head of the American Exploration -Society, a director of the Museum of Natural History--in the office -of which he was now seated with Gray--and a member of sundry -scientific and historical academies. - -"This is not a _lost_ people, Captain Gray," He paused, pondering his -words. "It is a branch of our own race, the Indo-Aryan, or white -race. It is the Wusun--the 'Tall Ones.' We--the American -Exploration Society--believe it is to be found, in the heart of -Asia." He leaned back, alertly. - -Gray's brows went up. - -"And so you are going to send an expedition to look for it?" - -"To look for it." Van Schaick nodded, with the enthusiasm of a -scientist on the track of a discovery. "We are going to send you, to -prove that it exists. If this is proved," he continued decisively, -"we will know that a white race was dominant in Asia before the time -of the great empires; that the present Central Asian may be descended -from Aryan stock. We will have new light on the development of -races--even on the Bible----" - -"Steady, Doctor!" Gray raised his hand. "You're getting out of my -depth. What I want to know is this: Why do you think that I can find -this white tribe in Asia--the Wusuns? I'm an army officer, out of a -job and looking for one. That's why I answered your letter. I'm -broke, and I need work, but----" - -Van Schaick peered at a paper that he drew from a pile on his desk. - -"We had good reasons for selecting you, Captain Gray," he said dryly. -"You have done exploration work north of the Hudson Bay; you once -stamped out dysentery in a Mindanao district; you have done unusual -work for the Bureau of Navigation; on active service in France you -led your company----" - -Gray looked up quickly. "So did a thousand other American officers," -he broke in. - -"Ah, but very few have had a father like yours," he smiled, tapping -the paper gently. "Your father, Captain Gray, was once a missionary -of the Methodists, in Western Shensi. You were with him, there, -until you were four years of age. I understand that he mastered the -dialect of the border, thoroughly, and you also picked it up, as a -child. This is correct?" - -"Yes." - -"And your father, before he died in this country, persisted in -refreshing, from time to time, your knowledge of the dialect." - -"Yes." - -Van Schaick laid down the paper. - -"In short, Captain Gray," he concluded, "you have a record at -Washington of always getting what you go after, whether it is -information or men. That can be said about many explorers, perhaps; -but in your case the results are on paper. You have never failed. -That is why we want you. Because, if you don't find the Wusun, we -will then know they are not to be found." - -"I don't think they can be found." - -The scientist peered at his visitor curiously. - -"Wait until you have heard our information about the white race in -the heart of China, before you make up your mind," he said in his -cold, concise voice, gathering the papers into their leather -portmanteau. "Do you know why the Wusun have not been heard from?" - -"I might guess. They seem to be in a region where no European -explorers have gone----" - -"Have been permitted to go. Asia, Captain Gray, for all our American -investigations, is a mystery to us. We think we have removed the -veil from its history, and we have only detached a thread. The -religion of Asia is built on its past. And religion is the pulse of -Asia. The Asiatics have taught their children that, from the dawn of -history, they have been lords of the civilized world. What would be -the result if it were proved that a white race dominated Central Asia -before the Christian era? The traditions of six hundred million -people who worship their past would be shattered." - -Gray was silent while the scientist placed his finger on a wall map -of Asia. Van Schaick drew his finger inland from the coast of China, -past the rivers and cities, past the northern border of Tibet to a -blank space under the mountains of Turkestan where there was no -writing. - -"This is the blind spot of Asia," he said. "It has grown smaller, as -Europeans journeyed through its borders. Tibet, we know. The -interior of China we know, except for this blind spot. It is----" - -"In the Desert of Gobi." - -"The one place white explorers have been prevented from visiting. -And it is here we have heard the Wusun are." - -"A coincidence." - -Van Schaick glanced at his watch. - -"If you will come with me, Captain Gray, to the meeting of the -Exploration Society now in session, I will convince you it is no -coincidence. Before we go, I would like to be assured of one thing. -The expedition to the far end of the Gobi Desert will not be safe. -It may be very dangerous. Would you be willing to undertake it?" - -Gray glanced at the map and rose. - -"If you can show me, Doctor," he responded, "that there is something -to be found--I'd tackle it." - -"Come with me," nodded Van Schaick briskly. - -The halls of the museum were dark, as it was past the night hour for -visitors. A small light at the stairs showed the black bulk of -inanimate forms in glass compartments, and the looming outline of -mounted beasts, with the white bones of prehistoric mammals. - -At the entrance, Van Schaick nodded to an attendant, who summoned the -scientist's car. - -Their footsteps had ceased to echo along the tiled corridor. The -motionless beast groups stared unwinkingly at the single light from -glass eyes. Then a form moved in one of the groups. - -The figure slipped from the stuffed animals, down the hall. The -entrance light showed for a second a slender man in an overcoat who -glanced quickly from side to side at the door to see if he was -observed. Then he went out of the door, into the night. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -LEGENDS - -That evening a few men were gathered in Van Schaick's private office -at the building of the American Exploration Society. One was a -celebrated anthropologist, another a historian who had come that day -from Washington. A financier whose name figured in the newspapers -was a third. And a European orientologist. - -To these men, Van Schaick introduced Gray, explaining briefly what -had passed in their interview. - -"Captain Gray," he concluded, "wishes proof of what we know. If he -can be convinced that the Wusun are to be found in the Gobi Desert, -he is ready to undertake the trip." - -For an hour the three scientists talked. Gray listened silently. -They were followers of a calling strange to him, seekers after the -threads of knowledge gleaned from the corners of the earth, zealots, -men who would spend a year or a lifetime in running down a clew to a -new species of human beings or animals. They were men who were -gatherers of the treasures of the sciences, indifferent to the -ordinary aspects of life, unsparing in their efforts. And he saw -that they knew what they were talking about. - -In the end of the Bronze Age, at the dawn of history, they explained, -the Indo-Aryan race, their own race, swept eastward from Scandinavia -and the north of Europe, over the mountain barrier of Asia and -conquered the Central Asian peoples--the Mongolians--with their long -swords. - -This was barely known, and only guessed at by certain remnants of the -Aryan language found in Northern India, and inscriptions dug up from -the mountains of Turkestan. - -They believed, these scientists, that before the great Han dynasty of -China, an Indo-Aryan race known as the Sacæ had ruled Central Asia. -The forefathers of the Europeans had ruled the Mongolians. The -ancestors of thousands of Central Asians of to-day had been white -men--tall men, with long skulls, and yellow hair, and great fighters. - -The earliest annals of China mentioned the Huing-nu--light-eyed -devils--who came down into the desert. The manuscripts of antiquity -bore the name of the Wusun--the "Tall Ones." And the children of the -Aryan conquerors had survived, fighting against the Mongolians for -several hundred years. - -"They survive to-day," said the historian earnestly. "Marco Polo, -the first European to enter China, passed along the northern frontier -of the Wusun land. He called their king Prester John and a -Christian. You have heard of the myth of Prester John, sometimes -called the monarch of Asia. And of the fabulous wealth of his -kingdom, the massive cities. The myth states that Prester John was a -captive in his own palace." - -"You see," assented Van Schaick, "already the captivity of the Wusun -had begun. The Mongolians have never tolerated other races within -their borders. During the time of Genghis Khan and the Tartar -conquerors, the survivors of the Aryans were thinned by the sword." - -"Marco Polo," continued the historian, "came as near to the land of -the Wusun as any other European. Three centuries later a Portuguese -missionary, Benedict Goës, passed through the desert near the city of -the Wusun, and reported seeing some people who were fair of face, -tall and light-eyed." - -Van Schaick turned to his papers. - -"In the last century," he said, "a curious thing happened to an -English explorer, Ney Elias. I quote from his book. _An old man -called on me at Kwei-hwa-ching, at the eastern end of the Thian Shan -Mountains, who said he was neither Chinaman, Mongol, nor Mohammedan, -and lived on ground especially allotted by the emperor, and where -there now exist several families of the same origin. He said that he -had been a prince. At Kwei-hwa-ching I was very closely spied on and -warned against asking too many questions_." - -Van Schaick peered over his spectacles at Gray. - -"The Thian Shan Mountains are just north of this blind spot in the -Gobi Desert where we think the Wusun are." - -The historian broke in eagerly. - -"Another clew--a generation ago the Russian explorer, Colonel -Przewalski, tried to enter this blind spot from the south, and was -fought off with much bloodshed by one of the guardian tribes." - -Gray laughed frankly. - -"I admit I'm surprised, gentlemen. Until now I thought you were -playing some kind of a joke on me." - -Van Schaick's thin face flushed, but he spoke calmly. - -"It is only fair, sir, that you should have proof you are not being -sent after a will-o'-the-wisp. A few days ago I talked with a -missionary who had been invalided home from China. His name is Jacob -Brent. He has been for twenty years head of the college of Chengtu, -in Western China. He heard rumors of a captive tribe in the heart of -the Gobi. And he saw one of the Wusun." - -He paused to consult one of his papers methodically, - -"Brent was told, by some Chinese coolies, of a tall race dwelling in -a city in the Gobi, a race that was, they said, 'just like him.' And -in one of his trips near the desert edge he saw a tall figure running -toward him over the sand, staggering from weariness. Then several -Chinese riders appeared from the sand dunes and headed off the -fugitive. But not before Brent had seen that the man's face was -partially white." - -"Partially?" asked Gray quizzically. - -"I am quoting literally. Yes, that was what Brent said. He was -prevented by his native bearers from going into the Gobi to -investigate. They believed the usual superstitions about the -desert--evil spirits and so forth--and they warned Brent against a -thing they called the pale sickness." - -Gray looked up quietly. "You know what that is?" - -"We do not know, and surmises are valueless." He shrugged. "You -have an idea?" - -"Hardly, yet--you say that Brent is ill. Could he be seen?" - -"I fancy not. He is in a California sanitarium, broken down from -overwork, the doctors informed me." - -"I see." Gray scrutinized his companions. The same eagerness showed -in each face, the craving for discovery which is greater than the -lust of the gold prospector. They were hanging on his next words. -"Gentlemen, do you realize that three great difficulties are to be -met? Money--China--and a knowledge of science. By that I mean my -own qualifications. I am an explorer, not a scientist----" - -At this point Balch, the financier who had not spoken before, leaned -forward. - -"Three excellent points," he nodded. "I can answer them. We can -supply you with funds, Captain Gray," he said decisively. - -"And permission from the Chinese authorities?" - -"We have passports signed, in blank, for an American hunter and -naturalist to journey into the interior of China, to the Gobi Desert." - -"You will not go alone," explained Van Schaick. "We realize that a -scientist must accompany you." - -"We have the man," continued Balch, "an orientologist--speaks Persian -and Turki--knows Central Asia like a book. Professor Arminius -Delabar. He'll join you at Frisco." He stood up and held out his -hand. "Gray, you're the man we want! I like your talk." He laughed -boyishly, being young in heart, in spite of his years. "You're equal -to the job--and you can shoot a mountain sheep or a bandit in the -head at five hundred yards. Don't deny it--you've done it!" - -"Maps?" asked Gray dryly. - -"The best we could get. Chinese and Russian surveys of the Western -Gobi," Balch explained briskly. "We want you to start right off. We -know that our dearest foes, the British Asiatic Society, have wind of -the Wusun. They are fitting out an expedition. It will have the -edge on yours because--discounting the fact that the British know the -field better--it'll start from India, which is nearer the Gobi." - -"Then it's got to be a race?" Gray frowned. - -"A race it is," nodded Balch, "and my money backs you and Delabar. -So the sooner you can start the better. Van Schaick will go with you -to Frisco and give you details, with maps and passports on the way. -We'll pay you the salary of your rank in the army, with a fifty per -cent bonus if you get to the Wusun. Now, what's your answer--yes or -no?" He glanced at the officer sharply, realizing that if Gray -doubted, he would not be the man for the expedition. - -Gray smiled quizzically. - -"I came to you to get a job," he said, "and here it is. I need the -money. My answer is--yes. I'll do my best to deliver the goods." - -"Gentlemen," Balch turned to his associates, "I congratulate you. -Captain Gray may or may not get to the Wusun. But--unless I'm a -worse judge of character than I think--he'll get to the place where -the Wusun ought to be. He won't turn back." - -Their visitor flushed at that. He was still young, being not yet -thirty. He shook hands all around and left for his hotel, with Balch -and Van Schaick to arrange railroad schedules, and the buying of an -outfit. - -This is a brief account of how Robert Gray came to depart on his -mission to the Desert of Gobi, as reported in the files of the -American Exploration Society for the summer of 1919. - -It was not given to the press at the time, owing to the need of -secrecy. Nor did the Exploration Society obtain authority from the -United States Government for the expedition. Time was pressing, as -they learned the British expedition was getting together at Burma. -Later, Van Schaick agreed with Balch that this had been a mistake. - -But by that time Gray was far beyond reach, in the foothills of the -Celestial Mountains, in the _Liu Sha_, and had learned the meaning of -the pale sickness. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -DELABAR DISCOURSES - -Gray had meant what he said about his new job. Van Schaick pleaded -for haste, but the army officer knew from experience the danger of -omitting some important item from his outfit, and went ahead with -characteristic thoroughness. - -He assembled his personal kit in New York, with the rifles, medicines -and ammunition that he needed. Also a good pair of field glasses and -the maps that Van Schaick furnished. Balch made him a present of -twenty pounds of fine smoking tobacco which was gratefully received. - -"I'll need another man with me," Gray told Van Schaick, who was on -edge to be off. "Delabar'll be all right in his way, but we'll want -a white man who can shoot and work. I know the man for the -job--McCann, once my orderly, now in the reserve." - -"Get him, by all means," agreed the scientist. - -"He's in Texas, out of a job. A wire'll bring him to Frisco in time -to meet us. Well, I'm about ready to check out." - -They left that night on the western express. - -Gray was not sorry to leave the city. Like all voyagers, he felt the -oppression of the narrow streets, the monotony of always going home -to the same place to sleep. Wanderlust had gripped him again at -thought of the venture into another continent. - -He took his mission seriously. On the maps that Van Schaick and -Balch had given him they had pointed out a spot beyond the known -travel routes, a good deal more than a thousand miles into the -interior of China. To this spot Gray was going. He had his orders -and he would carry them out. - -Van Schaick talked much on the train. He explained how much the -mission meant to the Exploration Society. It would give them -world-wide fame. And it would add enormously to the knowledge of -humankind. Gray, he said, would travel near the path of Marco Polo; -he would tear the veil of secrecy from the hidden corner of the Gobi -Desert. It would be a victory of science over the ancient soul of -Mongolia. - -It would shake the foundation of the great jade image of Buddha, of -the many-armed Kali, of Bon the devil-god, and the ancient Vishnu. -It would strengthen the hold of the Bible on the Mongolian world. - -If only, said Van Schaick wistfully, Gray could find the Wusun ahead -of the expedition of the British Asiatic Society, the triumph would -be complete. - -Gray listened silently. It was fortunate, in the light of what -followed, that his imagination was not easily stirred. - -He looked curiously at the man who was to be his partner in the -expedition. Van Schaick introduced them at the platform of the San -Francisco terminal. - -Professor Arminius Delabar was a short, slender man, of wiry build -and a nervous manner that reminded Gray of a bird. He had -near-sighted, bloodshot eyes encased behind tinted glasses, and a -dark face with well-kept beard. He was half Syrian by birth, -American by choice, and a denizen of the academies and byways of the -world. Also, he spoke at least four languages fluently. - -The army man's respect for his future companion went up several -notches when he found that Delabar had already arranged competently -for the purchase and shipment of their stores. - -"You see," he explained in his room at the hotel to Gray, "the fewer -things we must buy in Shanghai the better. Our plan is to attract as -little attention as possible. Our passport describes us as hunter -and naturalist. Foreigners are a common sight in China as far into -the interior as Liangchowfu. Once we are past there and on the -interior plains, it will be hard to follow us--if we have attracted -no attention. Do you speak any Chinese dialects?" - -It was an abrupt question, in Delabar's high voice. The Syrian spoke -English with only the trace of an accent. - -"A little," admitted Gray. "I was born in Shensi, but I don't -remember anything except a baby white camel--a playmate. Mandarin -Chinese is Greek to me." - -Some time afterward he learned that Delabar had taken this as a -casual boast--not knowing Gray's habit of understating his -qualifications. Fortune plays queer tricks sometimes and Gray's -answer was to loom large in the coming events. - -Fortune, or as Gray put it, the luck of the road, threw two obstacles -in their way at Frisco. Van Schaick had telegraphed ahead to the -sanitarium where the missionary Brent was being treated. He hoped to -arrange an interview between Brent and Gray. - -Brent was dying. No one could visit him. Also, McCann, the soldier -who was to accompany them, did not show up at the hotel,--although he -had wired his officer at Chicago that he would be in Frisco before -the appointed time. - -Gray would have liked to wait for the man. He knew McCann would be -useful--a crack shot, a good servant, and an expert at handling -men--but Delabar had already booked their passage on the next Pacific -Mail steamer. - -"Van Schaick can wait here," Delabar assured Gray, "meet McCann, and -send him on by the boat following. He will join you at Shanghai." - -"Very well," assented Gray, who was checking up the list of stores -Delabar had bought. "That will do nicely. I see that you've thought -of all the necessary things, Professor. We can pick up a reserve -supply of canned foodstuffs at Shanghai, or Hankow." He glanced at -Van Schaick. "There's one thing more to be settled. It's important. -Who is in command of this party? The Professor or I? If he's to be -the boss, all right--I'll carry on with that understanding." - -Van Schaick hesitated. But Delabar spoke up quickly. - -"The expedition is in your hands, Captain Gray. I freely yield you -the responsibility." - -Gray was still watching Van Schaick. "Is that understood? It's a -good thing to clear up before we start." - -"Certainly," assented the scientist. "Now we'll discuss the best -route----" - -Van Schaick stood at the pier-head the next day when the steamer cast -off her moorings, and waved good-by to the two. Gray left him behind -with some regret. A good man, Van Schaick, an American from first to -last, and a slave to science. - -During the monotonous run across the Pacific when the sea and the sky -seemed unchanged from day to day, Delabar talked incessantly about -their trip. Gray, who preferred to spend the time doing and saying -nothing, listened quietly. - -The officer was well content to lie back in his deck chair, hands -clasped behind his curly head, and stare out into space. This was -his habit, when off duty. It satisfied him to the soul to do nothing -but watch the thin line where the gray-blue of the Pacific melted -into the pale blue of the sky, and feel the sun's heat on his face. -It made him appear lazy. Which he was not. - -The energetic professor fancied that Gray paid little attention to -his stream of information about the great Gobi Desert. In that, he -did the other an injustice. Gray heeded and weighed Delabar's words. -Ingrained in him from army life and a solitary existence marked by -few friendships was the need of reticence, and watchfulness. Nor was -his inclination to idle on the voyage mere habit. Unconsciously, he -was storing up vital strength in his strongly knit frame--strength -which he had called on in the past, and which he would need again. - -"You don't seem to appreciate, my young friend," remarked the -professor once, irritably, "that it is inner Asia we are invading. -Also, we are going a thousand miles beyond your American gunboats." - -"The days of the _Ih-hwo-Ch'uan_ are past." - -Delabar shrugged his shoulders, surprised at his companion's -pertinent remark. "True. China is a republic and progressive, -perhaps. But the Mongolian soul does not change overnight. -Moreover, there are the priests--Buddhists and Taoists. Fear and -superstition rule the mass of the Dragon Kingdom, my friend, and it -is these priests who will be our enemies." - -Gray had spoken truly when he said he remembered nothing of China, -except a white camel, but, subconsciously, many things were familiar -to the soldier. - -"At the border of the Gobi Desert, where we believe the Wusun to be," -continued the scientist warmly, as Gray was silent, "a center of -Buddhism existed in the Middle Ages. The three sects of Buddhist -priests--Black, Yellow and Red--are united in the effort to preserve -their power. They preach the advent of the Gautama in the next few -years. Also, that the ancient Gautama ruled the spiritual world -before the coming of Christianity. - -"So you can see," he pointed out, "that the discovery of a white -race--a race that did not acknowledge Buddha--in the heart of China -would be a blow to their doctrine. It would contradict their book of -prophecy." - -Gray nodded, puffing at his pipe. Presently, he stirred himself to -speak. - -"Rather suspect you're right, Professor. You know the religious -dope. And the religions of Asia are not good things to monkey with. -But, look here." He drew a map from his pocket and spread it out on -his knee. "Here's the spot where Van Schaick located the Wusun--our -long-lost but not forgotten cousins. Well and good. Only that spot, -which you and your friends call the 'blind spot' of Asia, happens to -be in the middle of the far Gobi Desert. How do you figure people -existed there for several centuries?" - -Delabar hesitated, glancing up at the moving tracery of smoke that -rose from the funnel, against the clouds. They were on the boat deck. - -"The Ming annals mention a city in that place, some two thousand -years ago. A thousand years later we know there were many palaces at -this end of the Thian Shan--the Celestial Mountains. Remember that -the caravan routes from China to Samarcand, India and Persia are very -old, and that they--or one of the most important of them--ran past -this blind spot." - -"Marco Polo trailed along there, didn't he?" - -"Yes. We know the great city of the Gobi was called Sungan. The -Ming annals describe it as having 'massive gates, walls and bastions, -besides underground passages, vaulted and arched.'" - -"European travelers don't report this city." - -"Because they never saw it, my friend. Brent, who was at the edge of -the Gobi near there, states that he saw towers in the sand. And the -Mohammedan annals of Central Asia have a curious tale." - -"Let's have it," said Gray, settling himself comfortably in his chair. - -"It was in the sixteenth century," explained Delabar, who seemed to -have the myths of Asia at his tongue's end. "A religious legend. A -certain holy man, follower of the prophet, was robbed and beaten in a -city near where we believe Sungan to be. After his injury by the -people of the city--he was a mullah--he climbed into a minaret to -call the hour of evening prayer." - -Delabar's voice softened as he spoke, sliding into more musical -articulation. - -"As he cried the hour, this holy man felt something falling like snow -on his face. Only it was not snow. The sky and the city darkened. -He could not see the roofs of the buildings. He went down and tried -the door. It was blocked. Then this man saw that it was sand -falling over the city. The sand covered the whole town, leaving only -the minaret, which was high. The people who had done him the injury -were buried--became white bones under the sand." - -"That story figures in the Bible," assented Gray, "only not the same. -You don't consider the myth important, do you?" - -"The priests of Asia do," said the professor seriously. "And I have -seen the memoirs of Central Asian kingdoms which mention that -treasure was dug for and found in ruins in the sands." He glanced at -his companion curiously. "You do not seem to be worried, Captain -Gray, at entering the forbidden shrine of the Mongols." - -Having been born thereabouts, the idea amused Gray. - -"Are you?" Gray laughed. "The Yellow Peril is dead." - -"So is Dr. Brent." - -"You don't connect the two?" - -"I don't attempt to analyze the connection, Captain Gray. Remember -in China we are dealing with men who think backward, around-about, -and every way except our own. Then there are the priests. All I -know is that Dr. Brent entered on forbidden ground, fell sick, and -had to leave China. Do you know what he died of?" - -"Do you?" - -Delabar was silent a moment; then he smiled. "I have -imagination--too much, perhaps. But then I have lived behind the -threshold of Asia for half my life." - -"I suspect it's a good thing for me you have," Gray admitted frankly. - -Before they left their chairs that afternoon a steward brought the -officer a message from the wireless cabin. - -Van Schaick had sent it, before the steamer passed the radio limit. -Gray read it, frowned, and turned to Delabar. - -"This is rather bad luck, Professor," he said. "McCann, the fellow I -counted on, is not coming. He was taken sick with grippe in Los -Angeles on his way to Frisco. It looks as if you and I would have to -go it alone." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -WARNING - -The news of McCann's loss, so important to the officer, Delabar -passed over with a shrug. Gray wondered briefly why a man obviously -inclined to nervousness should ignore the fact that they were without -the services of a trustworthy attendant. Later, he came to realize -that the scientist considered that McCann's presence would have been -no aid to him, that rifles and men who knew how to use them would -play no part in meeting the hostile forces surrounding the territory -of the Wusun. - -From that moment he began to watch Delabar. It was clear to him that -the professor was uneasy, decidedly so. And that the man was in the -grip of a rising excitement. - -It manifested itself when the steamer stopped at a Japanese port. -Gray would have liked to visit Kyoto, to see again the little brown -people of the island kingdom, to get a glimpse of the gray castle of -Oksaka, and perhaps of peerless, snow-crowned Fujiyama. - -But Delabar insisted on remaining aboard the steamer until they left -for China. The nearing gateway of Asia had a powerful effect on him. -Gray noticed--as it was unusual in a man of mildly studious -habits--that the scientist smoked quantities of strong Russian -cigarettes. Indeed, the air of their cabin was heavy with the fumes. - -"We must not make ourselves conspicuous," Delabar urged repeatedly. - -At Shanghai they passed quickly through the hands of the customs -officials. Their preparations progressed smoothly; the baggage was -put on board a waiting Hankow steamer, and Delabar added to their -stores a sufficient quantity of provisions to round out their outfit. -In spite of this, Delabar fidgeted until they were safely in their -stateroom on the river steamer, and passing up the broad, brown -current of the Yang-tze-kiang--which, by the way, is not called the -Yang-tze-kiang by the Chinese. - -Gray made no comment on his companion's misgivings. He saw no cause -for alarm. There were a dozen other travelers on the river boat, -sales agents of three nations, a railroad engineer or two, a family -of missionaries, several tourists who stared blandly at the great -tidal stretch of the river, and commented loudly on the comforts of -the palatial vessel. Evidently they had expected to go up to Hankow -in a junk. They pointed out the chocolate colored sails of the -passing junks with their half-naked coolies and dirty decks. - -For days the single screw of the Hankow boat churned the muddy waste, -and the smoke spread, fanwise, over its wake. - -The Yang-tze was not new to Gray. He was glad he was going into the -interior. The fecund cities of the coast, with their monotonous, -crowded streets, narrow and overhung with painted signs held no -attraction for him. The panorama of Mongolian faces, pallid and -seamed, furtive and merry was not what he had come to China to see. -In the interior, beyond the forest crowned mountains, and the vast -plains, was the expanse of the desert. Until they reached this, the -trip was no more than a necessary evil. - -Not so--as Gray noted--did it affect Delabar. The first meeting with -the blue-clad throngs in Shanghai, the first glimpse of the -pagoda-temples with their shaven priests had both exhilarated and -depressed the scientist. - -"Each stage of the journey," he confided to Gray, "drops us back a -century in civilization." - -"No harm done," grunted the officer, who had determined to put a -check on Delabar's active imagination. "As long as we get ahead. -That's the deuce of this country. We have to go zig-zag. There's no -such thing as a straight line being the shortest distance between two -points in the land of the Dragon." - -Delabar frowned, surprised by these unexpected displays of latent -knowledge. Then smiled, waving a thin hand at the yellow current of -the river. - -"There is a reason for that--as always, in China. Evil spirits, they -believe, can not move out of a straight line. So we find screens put -just inside the gates of temples--to ward off the evil influences." - -"Look at that." Gray touched the other's arm. A steward stood near -them at the stern. No one else was in that part of the deck, and -after glancing around cautiously the man dropped over the side some -white objects--what they were, Gray could not see. "I heard that -some fishermen had been drowned near here a few days ago. That -Chink--for all his European dress--is dropping overside portions of -bread as food and peace offering to the spirits of the drowned." - -"Yes," nodded Delabar, "the lower orders of Chinamen believe the -drowned have power to pull the living after them to death. Centuries -of missionary endeavor have not altered their superstitions. And, -look--that does not prevent those starved beggars in the junk there -from retrieving the bread in the water. Ugh!" - -He thrust his hands into his pockets and tramped off up the deck, -while Gray gazed after him curiously, and then turned to watch the -junk. The coolies were waving at the steward who was watching them -impassively. Seeing Gray, the man hurried about his duties. For a -moment the officer hesitated, seeing that the junkmen were staring, -not at the bread in their hands, but at the ship. Then he smiled and -walked on. - -In spite of Delabar's misgivings, the journey went smoothly. The -banks of the river closed in on them, scattered mud villages appeared -in the shore rushes. Half naked boys waved at the "fire junk" from -the backs of water buffaloes, and the smoke of Hankow loomed on the -horizon. From Hankow, the Peking-Hankow railway took them -comfortably to Honanfu, after a two-day stage by cart. - -Here they waited for their luggage to catch up with them, in a fairly -clean and modern hotel. They avoided the other Europeans in the -city. Gray knew that they were beyond the usual circuit of American -tourists, and wished to travel as quietly as possible. - -"We're in luck," he observed to Delabar, who had just come in. "In a -month, if all goes well, well be in Liangchowfu, the 'Western Gate' -to the steppe country. What's the matter?" - -Delabar held out a long sheet of rice paper with a curious expression. - -"An invitation to dine with one of the officials of Honan, Captain -Gray--with the vice-governor. He asks us to bring our passports." - -"Hm," the officer replaced the maps he had been overhauling in their -case, and thrust the missive on top of them. He tossed the case into -an open valise. "A sort of polite invitation to show our cards--to -explain who we are, eh? Well, let's accept with pleasure. We've got -to play the game according to the rules. Nothing queer about this -invite. Chinese officials are hospitable enough. All they want is a -present or two." - -He produced from the valise a clock with chimes and a silver-plated -pocket flashlight and scrutinized them mildly. - -"This ought to do the trick. We'll put on our best clothes. And -remember, I'm a big-game enthusiast." - -Delabar was moody that afternoon, and watched Gray's cheerful -preparations for the dinner without interest. The army man stowed -away their more valuable possessions, carefully hanging the rifle -which he had been carrying in its case over his shoulder under the -frame of the bed. - -"A trick I learned in Mindanao," he explained. "These towns are -chuck full of thieves, and this rifle is valuable to me. The -oriental second-story man has yet to discover that American army men -hang their rifles under the frame of their cots. Now for the -vice-governor, what's his name? Wu Fang Chien?" - -Wu Fang Chien was most affable. He sent two sedan chairs for the -Americans and received them at his door with marked politeness, -shaking his hands in his wide sleeves agreeably when Delabar -introduced Gray. He spoke English better than the professor spoke -Chinese, and inquired solicitously after their health and their -purpose in visiting his country. - -He was a tall mandarin, wearing the usual iron rimmed spectacles, and -dressed in his robe of ceremony. - -During the long dinner of the usual thirty courses, Delabar talked -with the mandarin, while Gray contented himself with a few customary -compliments. But Wu Fang Chien watched Gray steadily, from bland, -faded eyes. - -"I have not known an American hunter to come so far into China," he -observed to the officer. "My humble and insufficient home is honored -by the presence of an enthusiast. What game you expect to find?" - -"Stags, antelope, and some of the splendid mountain sheep of Shensi," -replied Gray calmly. Wu Fang Chien's fan paused, at the precision of -the answer. - -"Then you are going far. Do your passports permit?" - -"They give us a free hand. We will follow the game trails." - -"As far as Liangchowfu?" - -"Perhaps." - -"Beyond that is another province." The mandarin tapped his well-kept -fingers thoughtfully on the table. "I would not advise you, Captain -Gray, to go beyond Liangchowfu. As you know, my unhappy country has -transpired a double change of government and the outlaw tribes of the -interior have become unruly during the last rebellion." He fumbled -only slightly for words. - -Gray nodded. - -"We are prepared to take some risks." - -Wu Fang Chien bowed politely. - -"It might be dangerous--to go beyond Liangchowfu. Your country and -mine are most friendly, Captain Gray. I esteem your welfare as my -own. My sorrow would greaten if injury happen to you." - -"Your kindness does honor to your heart." - -"I suggest," Wu Fang Chien looked mildly at the uneasy Delabar, "that -you have me _visé_ your passports so that you may travel safely this -side of Liangchowfu. Then I will give you a military escort who will -be protection against any outlaws you meet on the road. In this way -I will feel that I am doing my full duty to my honored guests." - -"The offer is worthy," said Gray, who realized that the sense of duty -of a town official was a serious thing, but did not wish an escort, -"of one whose hospitality is a pleasure to his guests." - -Wu Fang Chien shook hands with himself. "But we have little money to -pay an escort----" - -"I will attend to that." - -"Unfortunately, an escort of soldiers would spoil my chances at big -game. We shall pick up some native hunters." - -Wu Fang Chien bowed, with a faint flicker of green eyes. - -"It shall be as you wish, Captain Gray. But I am distressed at the -thought you may suffer harm. The last American who went beyond the -Western Gate, died." - -Gray frowned. He had not known that one of his countrymen had -penetrated so far into the interior. - -"Without doubt," pursued the mandarin, stroking his fan gently across -his face, "you have a good supply of rifles. I have heard much of -these excellent weapons of your country. Would you oblige me showing -them to me before you leave Honan?" - -"I should be glad to do so," said Gray, "if they were not packed in -our luggage which will not be here before we set out. But I have two -small presents----" - -The gift of the clock and electric light turned the thread of -conversation and seemed to satisfy Wu Fang Chien, who bowed them out -with the utmost courtesy to the waiting sedan chairs. Then, as the -bearers picked up the poles, he drew a small and exquisite vase from -under his robe and pressed it upon Gray as a token, he said, to keep -fresh the memory of their visit. - -At their room in the hotel Gray showed the vase to Delabar. It was a -valuable object, of enamel wrought on gold leaves, and inscribed with -some Chinese characters. - -"What do you make of our worthy Wu Fang--hullo!" he broke off. -Delabar had seized the vase and taken off the top. - -"It is what the Chinese call a message jar," explained the scientist, -feeling within the vase. He removed a slim roll of silk, wound about -an ebony stick. On the silk four Chinese characters were delicately -painted. - -[Illustration: four Chinese symbols] - -"What do they mean?" asked Gray, looking over his shoulder. - -The Syrian glanced at him appraisingly, under knitted brows. His -companion's face was expressionless, save for a slight tinge of -curiosity. Delabar judged that the soldier knew nothing of written -Chinese, which was the truth. - -"Anything or nothing, my friend. It reads like a proverb. The -oriental soul takes pleasure in maxims. Yet everything they do or -say has a meaning--very often a double meaning." - -"Such as Wu Fang's table talk," smiled Gray. "Granted. Is this any -particular dialect?" - -"Written Chinese is much the same everywhere. Just as the Arabic -numerals throughout Europe." He scanned the silk attentively, and -his lips parted. "The first ideograph combines the attribute or -adjective 'clever' or 'shrewd' with the indicator 'man.' A shrewd -man--_hua jen_." - -"Perhaps Wu Fang: perhaps you. Go on." - -"The second character is very ancient, almost a picture-drawing of -warning streamers. It is an emphatic 'do not!'" - -"Then it's you--and me." - -"The third character is prefixed by _mu_, a tree, and signifies a -wooden board, or a wall. The fourth means 'the West.'" - -"A riddle, but not so hard to guess," grinned Gray, taking up his -maps from the table and filling his pipe preparatory to work. "_A -wise guy doesn't climb the western wall_." - -"You forget," pointed out Delabar sharply, "the negative. It is the -strongest kind of a warning. _Do not, if you are wise, approach the -western wall_. My friend, this is a plain warning--even a threat. -To-day Wu Fang Chien hinted we should not go to Liangchowfu. Now he -threatens----" - -"I gathered as much." Gray took the slip of fine silk and scanned it -quizzically. "Delabar, do you know the ideograph for 'to make' or -'build?'" - -The scientist nodded. - -"Then write it, where it seems to fit in here." - -Delabar did so, with a glance at his companion. Whereupon the -soldier folded the missive and replaced it in the jar. He clapped -his hands loudly. Almost at once a boy appeared in the door. - -To him Gray handed the vase with instructions to carry it to His -Excellency, the official Wu Fang Chien. He reënforced his order with -a piece of silver cash. To the curious scientist he explained -briefly. - -"Wu Fang is a scholar. He will read our reply as: _A wise man will -not build a wall in the west_. It will give him food for thought, -and it may keep His Excellency's men from overhauling our belongings -a second time during our absence." - -Delabar started. "May?" - -"Yes. Remember I left that message of Wu's on top of these maps. I -find it underneath them. The maps are all here. We locked our door, -carefully. Some one has evidently given our papers the once over and -forgotten to replace them in the order he found them. I say it _may_ -have been at Wu's orders. I think it probably was." - -"Why?" Delabar licked his thin lips nervously. - -"Because nothing has been taken. A Chinese official has the right to -be curious about strangers in his district. Likewise, his men -wouldn't have much trouble in entering the room--with the landlord's -assistance. The ordinary run of thieves would have taken something -valuable--my field glasses, for instance." - -Delabar strode nervously the length of the room and peered from the -shutters. - -"Captain Gray!" he swung around, "do you know there are maps of the -Gobi, of Sungan, in your case. The person who broke into our room -must have seen them." - -"I reckon so." - -"Then Wu Fang Chien may know we are going to the Gobi! I have not -forgotten what he said about the last American hunter. What hunter -has been as far as the Gobi? None. So----" - -"You think he meant----" - -"Dr. Brent." - -Gray shook his head slowly. "Far fetched, Delabar," he meditated. -"You're putting two and two together to make ten. All we know is -that Wu has sent us a polite motto. No use in worrying ourselves." - -But it was clear to him that Delabar was worried, and more. Gray had -been observing his companion closely. Now for the first time he read -covert fear in the professor's thin face. - -Fear, Gray reflected to himself, was hard to deal with, in a man of -weak vitality and high-strung nerves. He felt that Delabar was -alarmed needlessly; that he dreaded what lay before them. - -For that reason he regretted the event of that night which gave shape -to Delabar's apprehensions. - -At the scientist's urging, they did not leave the room before turning -in. Gray adjusted Delabar's walking stick against the door, placing -a string of Chinese money on the head of the stick, and balancing the -combination so a movement of the door would send the coins crashing -to the floor. - -"Just in case our second-story men pay us another visit," he -explained. "Now that we know they can open the door, we'll act -accordingly." - - - - -CHAPTER V - -INTRUDERS - -It was a hot night. - -Gray, naked except for shirt and socks, lay under the mosquito -netting and wished that he had brought double the amount of insect -powder he had. Across the room Delabar had subsided into fitful -snores. The night was not quiet. - -In the courtyard of the hotel some Chinese servants were at their -perpetual gambling, their shrill voices coming up through the -shutters. On the further side of the street a guitar twanged -monotonously. Somewhere, a dog yelped. - -The warm odors of the place assaulted Gray's nostrils unpleasantly. -They were strange, potent odors, a mingling of dirt, refuse, horses, -the remnants of cooking. Gray sighed, longing for the clean air of -the plains toward which they were headed. - -They were still far from the Gobi's edge. The distance seemed to -stretch out interminably. It is not easy to cross the broad bosom of -China. - -He wondered what success they would have. What was the city of -Sungan? How had it escaped observation? How did a city happen to be -in the desert, anyway? - -What was the pale sickness Brent had spoken of? Brent had died. -From natural causes, of course. Gray gave little heed to Delabar's -wild surmises. But the conduct of Wu Fang Chien afforded him food -for thought. - -Had the vice-governor actually known of their mission? His words -might have had a double meaning. And they might not. The silk -scroll meant little. Delabar had read warning into it; but was not -that a result of his imagination? - -Gray turned uncomfortably on his bed and considered the matter. How -could Wu Fang Chien have known they were bound for Sungan? Their -mission had been carefully kept from publicity. Only Van Schaick and -his three associates knew of it. Men like Van Schaick and Balch -could keep their mouths shut. And Delabar was certainly cautious -enough. - -Gray cursed the heat under his breath, with added measure for the dog -which seemed bound to make a night of it. The chatter at the hotel -door had subsided with midnight. But the guitar still struck its -melancholy note, accompanied by the intermittent wail of the -sorrowing dog. - -No, Gray thought sleepily, Wu Fang Chien could not have known of -their mission. He had let Delabar's nerves prey on his own--that was -all. Delabar was full of this Asia stuff, especially concerning the -priests---- - -Gray's mind drifted away into vague visions of ancient and forgotten -temples. The guitar note became the strum of temple drums, echoing -over the waste of the desert. The dog's plaint took form in the -wailing of shrouded forms that moved about gigantic ruins, ruins that -gave forth throngs of spirits. And the spirits took up the wail, -approaching him. - -A green light flamed from the temple gate. The gongs sounded a final -crash--and Gray awoke at the noise of the stick and coins falling to -the floor. - -He became fully conscious instantly--from habit. And was aware of -two things. He had been asleep for some time. Also, the door had -been thrown open and dark forms were running into the room. - -Gray caught at his automatic which he always hung at his pillow. He -missed it in the dark. One of the figures stumbled against the bed. -He felt a hand brush across his face. - -Drawing up his legs swiftly he kicked out at the man who was fumbling -for him. The fellow subsided backward with a grunt, and the officer -gained his feet. His sight was not yet cleared, but he perceived the -blur of figures in the light from the open door. - -He wasted no time in outcry. Experience had taught him that the best -way to deal with native assailants was with his fists. He bent -forward from the hips, balanced himself and jabbed at the first man -who ran up to him. - -His fist landed in the intruder's face. Gray weighed over a hundred -and seventy pounds, and he had the knack which comparatively few men -possess of putting his weight behind his fists. Moreover, he was not -easily flurried, and this coolness gave his blows added sting. - -At least four men had broken into the room. The other two hesitated -when they saw their companions knocked down. But Gray did not. -There was a brief rustle of feet over the floor, the sound of a heavy -fist striking against flesh, and the invaders stumbled or crawled -from the room. - -Gray was surprised they did not use their knives. Once they -perceived that he was fully awake they seemed to lose heart. The -fight had taken only a minute, and Gray was master of the field. - -He had counted four men as they ran out. But he waited alertly by -the door while Delabar, who had remained on his bed, got up and lit -the lamp. Gray's first glance told him that no Chinamen were to be -seen. - -He was breathing heavily, but quite unhurt. Having the advantage of -both weight and hitting power over his light adversaries, he took no -pride in his prompt clearing of the room. Delabar, however, was -plainly shaky. - -"What did they want?" the professor muttered, eyeing the door. -"How----" - -"Look out!" warned Gray crisply. - -From the foot of his bed a head appeared. Two slant eyes fixed on -him angrily. A Chinaman in the rough clothes of a coolie crawled out -and stood erect. - -In one hand he held Gray's rifle, removed from the case. With the -other he was fumbling at the safety catch with which he seemed -unfamiliar. - -Gray acted swiftly. Realizing that the gun was loaded and that it -would go off if the coolie thought of pulling the trigger, inasmuch -as the safety catch was not set, he stepped to one side, to the head -of the bed. - -Here he fell to his knees. The man with the rifle, if he had fired, -would probably have shot over the American, who was feeling under the -pillow. - -As it happened the coolie did not pull the trigger of the gun. A -dart of flame, a _crack_ which echoed loudly in the narrow room--and -Gray, over the sights of the automatic which he had recovered and -fired in one motion, saw the man stagger. - -Through the swirling smoke he saw the coolie drop the gun and run to -the window. - -Gray covered the man again, but refrained from pressing the trigger. -There was no need of killing the coolie. The next instant the man -had flung open the shutters and dived from the window. - -Looking out, Gray saw the form of his adversary vaguely as the coolie -picked himself up and vanished in the darkness. - -The street was silent. The guitar was no longer to be heard. - -Gray crossed the room and flung open the door. The hall was empty. -He closed the door, readjusted the stick and string of coins and -grinned at Delabar who was watching nervously. - -"That was one on me, Professor," he admitted cheerfully. "The coolie -who bobbed up under the bed must have been the one I kicked there. -Fancy knocking a man to where he can grab your own gun." - -Delabar, however, saw no humor in the situation. - -"They were coolies," he said. "What do you suppose they came after?" - -"Money. I don't know." Gray replaced the shutters and blew out the -light. "We'll complain to our landlord in the morning. But I don't -guess we'll have much satisfaction out of him. The fact that my shot -didn't bring the household running here shows pretty well that it was -a put-up job." - -His prophecy proved true. The proprietor of the hotel protested that -he had known nothing of the matter. Asked why he had not -investigated the shot, he declared that he was afraid. Gray gave up -his questioning and set about preparing to leave Honanfu. - -"The sooner we're away from Wu Fang's jurisdiction the better," he -observed to Delabar. "No use in making an investigation. It would -only delay us. Our baggage came this morning, and you've engaged the -muleteers. We'll shake Honanfu." - -Delabar seemed as anxious as Gray to leave the town. Crowds of -Chinese, attracted perhaps by rumor of what had happened in the -night, followed them about the streets as Gray energetically -assembled his two wagons with the stores, and the men to drive the -mules. - -He made one discovery. In checking up the list of baggage they found -that one box was missing. - -"It's the one that had the rifles and spare ammunition," grunted -Gray. "Damn!" - -He had put the rifle that had been intended for McCann with his own -extra piece and ammunition in a separate box. In spite of persistent -questioning, the drivers who had brought the wagons to Honanfu denied -that they had seen the box. - -A telegram was sent to the railway terminal. The answer was delayed -until late afternoon. No news of the box was forthcoming. - -"It's no use," declared Delabar moodily. "Remember, you told Wu Fang -Chien that our rifles were with the luggage. Probably he has taken -the box." - -"Looks that way," admitted Gray, who was angered at the loss. "Well, -there's no help for it. We'll hike, before Wu Fang thinks up -something else to do." - -He gave the word to the muleteers, the wagons creaked forward. He -jumped on the tail of the last one, beside Delabar, and Honanfu with -its watching crowds faded into the dust, after a turn in the road. - -From that time forth, Gray kept his rifle in his hand, or slung at -his shoulder. - -While they sat huddled uncomfortably on some stores against the side -of the jogging cart--nothing is quite so responsive to the law of -gravity as a springless Chinese cart, or so uncomfortable, unless it -be the rutted surface of a Chinese imperial highway--both were -thinking. - -Delabar, to himself: "Why is it that an imperial road in China is not -one kept in order--in the past--for the emperor, but one that can be -put in order, if the emperor announced his intention of passing over -it? My associate, the American, who thinks only along straight -lines, will never understand the round-about working of the oriental -mind. And that will work him evil." - -Gray, aloud: "Look here, Delabar! We can safely guess now that Wu -Fang would like to hinder our journey." - -"I have already assumed that." - -"Hm. Think it's because the Wusun actually exist, and he wants to -keep us from the Gobi?" - -Delabar was aroused from his muse. - -"A Chinese official seldom acts on his own initiative," he responded. -"Wu Fang Chien has received instructions. Yes, I think he intends to -bar our passage beyond Liangchowfu. By advancing as we are from -Honanfu, we are running blindly into danger." - -Gray squinted back at the dusty road, nursing his rifle across his -knees. His brown face was impassive, the skin about the eyes deeply -wrinkled from exposure. The eyes themselves were narrow and hard. -Delabar found it increasingly difficult to guess what went on in the -mind of the taciturn American. - -"I've been wondering," said Gray slowly, "wondering for a long time -about a certain question. Admitting that the Wusun are there, in the -Gobi, why are they kept prisoners--carefully guarded like this? It -doesn't seem logical!" - -The Syrian smiled blandly, twisting his beard with a thin hand. - -"Logic!" he cried. "Oh, the mind of the inner Asiatic is logical; -but the reasons governing it, and the grounds for its deductions are -quite different from the motives of European psychology." - -"Well, I fail to see the reason why the Wusun people should be -guarded for a good many hundred years." - -"Simply this. Buddhism is the crux of the oriental soul. Confucius -and Taoism are secondary to the advent of the Gautama--to the great -Nirvana. Buddhism rules inner China, Tibet, part of Turkestan, some -of India, and--under guise of _Shamanism_, Southeastern Siberia." - -Gray made no response. He was studying the face of Delabar--that -intellectual, nervous, unstable face. - -"Buddhism has ruled Central Asia since the time of Sakuntala--the -great Sakuntala," went on the scientist. "And the laws of Buddha are -ancient and very binding. The Wusun are enemies of Buddhism. They -are greater enemies than the Manchus, of Northern and Eastern China. -That is because the Wusun hold in reverence a symbol that is hateful -to the priests of the temples." - -"What is that?" - -Delabar hesitated. - -"The symbol is some barbarian sign. The Wusun cherish it, perhaps -because cut off from the world, they have no other faith than the -faith of their forefathers." The scientist's high voice rang with -strong conviction. "In the annals of the Han dynasty, before the -birth of Christ, it is related that an army under the General Ho -K'u-p'ing was sent on plea of the Buddhists to destroy the -Huing-nu--, the 'green-eyed devils' and the Wusun--the Tall Ones,' of -the west. The military expedition failed. But since then the -Buddhists have been embittered against the Wusun--have guarded them -as prisoners." - -"Then religious fanaticism is the answer?" - -"A religious feud." - -"Because the Wusun will not adopt Buddhism?" - -"Because they cling to the absurd sign of their faith!" - -Gray passed a gnarled hand across his chin and frowned at his rifle. - -"Sounds queer. I'd like to see that sign." - -Delabar settled himself uneasily against the jarring of the cart. - -"It is not likely, Captain Gray," he said, "that either of us will -see it." - -Whereupon they fell silent, each busied with his thoughts, in this -manner. - -Delabar, to himself: My companion is a physical brute; how can he -understand the high mysteries of Asian thought? - -Gray: Either this Syrian has a grand imagination, or he knows more -than he has been telling me--the odds being the latter is correct. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -MIRAI KHAN - -Near Kia-yu-kwan, the western gate of the Great Wall, the twin -pagodas of Liangchowfu rise from the plain. - -In former centuries Liangchowfu was the border town, a citadel of -defense against the outer barbarians of the northern steppe and -Central Asia. It is a walled city, standing squarely athwart the -highway from China proper to the interior. Beyond Liangchowfu are -the highlands of Central Asia. - -In exactly a month after leaving Honanfu, as Gray had promised, the -wagons bearing the two Americans passed through the town gate. - -Gray, dusty and travel-stained to his waist, but alert and erect of -carriage, walked before the two carts. He showed no ill effects from -the hard stage of the journey they had just completed. - -Delabar lay behind the leather curtain of one of the wagons. His -spirits had suffered from the past month. The monotonous road, with -its ceaseless mud villages had depressed him. The groups of natives -squatting in the sun before their huts, in the never-ending search -for vermin, and the throngs of staring children that sought for horse -dung in the roads to use for fuel, had wrought on his sensitive -nerves. - -They had not seen a white man during the journey. Gray had written -to Van Schaick before they left Honanfu, but they expected no mail -until they should return to Shanghai. - -"If we reach the coast again," Delabar had said moodily. - -The better air of the hill country through which they passed had not -improved his spirits, as it had Gray's. The sight of the forest clad -peaks, with their hidden pagodas, from the eaves of which the wind -bells sent their tinkle down the breeze, held no interest for the -scientist. - -Glimpses of brown, spectacled workmen who peered at them from the -rice fields, or the vision of a tattered junk sail, passing down an -estuary in the purple quiet of evening, when the dull yellow of the -fields and the green of the hills were blended in a soft haze did not -cause Delabar to lift his eyes. - -China, vast and changeless, had taken the two Americans to itself. -And Gray knew that Delabar was afraid. He had suspected as much in -Honanfu. Now he was certain. Delabar had taken to smoking -incessantly, and made no attempt to exercise as Gray did. He brooded -in the wagon. - -The calm of the army officer seemed to anger Delabar. Often when two -men are alone for a long stretch of time they get on each other's -nerves. But Delabar's trouble went deeper than this. His fears had -preyed on him during the month. He had taken to watching the dusty -highway behind them. He slept badly. - -Yet they had not been molested. They were not watched, as far as -Gray could observe. They had heard no more from Wu Fang Chien. - -The streets of Liangchowfu were crowded. It was some kind of a feast -day. Gray noted that there were numbers of priests who stared at -them impassively as he led the mule teams to an inn on the further -side of the town, near the western wall, and persuaded the proprietor -to clear the pigs and children from one of the guest chambers. - -"We were fools to come this far," muttered Delabar, throwing himself -down on a bamboo bench. "Did you notice the crowds in the streets we -passed?" - -"It's a feast, or bazaar day, I expect," observed Gray quietly, -removing his mud caked shoes and stretching his big frame on the clay -bench that did duty as a bed. - -"No." Delabar shook his head. "Gray, I tell you, we are fools. The -Chinese of Liangchowfu knew we were coming. Those priests were -Buddhist followers. They are here for a purpose." - -"They seem harmless enough." - -Delabar laughed. - -"Did you ever know a Mongol to warn you, before he struck? No, my -friend. We are in a nice trap here, within the walls. We are the -only Europeans in the place. Every move we make will be watched. Do -you think we can get through the walls without the Chinese knowing -it?" - -"No," admitted Gray. "But we had to come here for food and a new -relay of mules." - -"We will never leave Liangchowfu--to the west. But we can still go -back." - -"We can, but we won't." - -Gray turned on the bed where he sat and tentatively scratched a clear -space on the glazed paper which formed the one--closed--window of the -room. Ventilation is unknown in China. - -He found that he could look out in the street. The inn was built -around three sides of a courtyard, and their room was at the end of -one wing. He saw a steady throng of passersby--pockmarked beggars, -flaccid faced coolies trundling women along in wheelbarrows, an -astrologer who had taken up his stand in the middle of the street -with the two tame sparrows which formed his stock-in-trade, and a few -swaggering, sheepskin clad Kirghiz from the steppe. - -As each individual passed the inn, Gray noticed that he shot a quick -glance at it from slant eyes. An impressive palanquin came down the -street. A fat porter in a silk tunic with a staff walked before the -bearers. Coming abreast the astrologer, the man with the staff -struck him contemptuously aside. - -As this happened, Gray saw the curtain of the palanquin lifted, and -the outline of a face peering at the inn. - -"We seem to be the sight of the city," he told Delabar, drawing on -his shoes. "The rubberneck bus has just passed. Look here, -Professor! No good in moping around here. You go out and rustle the -food we need. I'll inspect our baggage in the stable." - -When Delabar had departed on his mission, Gray left the inn -leisurely. He wandered after the scientist, glancing curiously at a -crowd which had gathered in what was evidently the center square of -the town, being surrounded by an array of booths. - -The crowd was too great for him to see what the attraction was, but -he elbowed his way through without ceremony. Sure that something -unusual must be in progress, he was surprised to see only a -nondescript Chinese soldier in a jacket that had once been blue with -a rusty sword belted to him. Beside the soldier was an old man with -a wrinkled, brown face from which glinted a pair of keen eyes. - -By his sheepskin coat, bandaged legs and soiled yak-skin boots Gray -identified the elder of the two as a Kirghiz mountaineer. Both men -were squatting on their haunches, the Kirghiz smoking a pipe. - -"What is happening?" Gray asked a bystander, pointing to the two in -the cleared space. - -Readily, the accents of the border dialect came to his tongue. The -other understood. - -"It will happen soon," he explained. "That is Mirai Khan, the -hunter, who is smoking the pipe. When he is finished the Manchu -soldier will cut off his head." - -Gray whistled softly. The crowd was staring at him now, intent on a -new sight. Even Mirai Khan was watching him idly, apparently -unconcerned about his coming demise. - -"Why is he smoking the pipe?" Gray asked. - -"Because he wants to. The soldier is letting him do it because Mirai -Khan has promised to tell him where his long musket is, before he -dies." - -"Why must he die?" - -The man beside him coughed and spat apathetically. "I do not know. -It was ordered. Perhaps he stole the value of ten _taels_." - -Gray knew enough of the peculiar law of China to understand that a -theft of something valued at more than a certain sum was punishable -by death. The sight of the tranquil Kirghiz stirred his interest. - -"Ask the soldier what is the offense," he persisted, exhibiting a -coin at which the Chinaman stared eagerly. - -Mirai Khan, Gray was informed, had been convicted of stealing a horse -worth thirteen _taels_. The Kirghiz had claimed that the horse was -his own, taken from him by the Liangchowfu officials who happened to -be in need of beasts of burden. The case had been referred to the -authorities at Honanfu, and no less a personage than Wu Fang Chien -had ruled that since the hunter had denied the charge he had given -the lie to the court. Wherefore, he must certainly be beheaded. - -Gray sympathized with Mirai Khan. He had seen enough of Wu Fang -Chien to guess that the Kirghiz' case had not received much -consideration. Something in the mountaineer's shrewd face attracted -Gray. He pushed into the cleared space. - -"Tell the Manchu," he said sharply to the Chinaman whom he had drawn -with him, "that I know Wu Fang Chien. Tell him that I will pay the -amount of the theft, if he will release the prisoner." - -"It may not be," objected the other indifferently. - -"Do as I say," commanded Gray sharply. - -The soldier, apparently tired of waiting, had risen and drawn his -weapon. He bent over the Kirghiz who remained kneeling. The sight -quickened Gray's pulse--in spite of the danger he knew he ran from -interfering with the Chinese authorities. - -"Quick," he added. His companion whispered to the soldier who -glanced at the American in surprise and hesitated. - -Gray counted out thirteen _taels_--about ten dollars--and added five -more. "I have talked with Wu Fang Chien," he explained, "and I will -buy this man's life. If the value of the horse is paid, the crime -will be no more." - -The blue-coated Manchu said something, evidently an objection. - -"He says," interpreted the Chinaman, who was eyeing the money -greedily, "that thirteen _taels_ will not wipe out the insult to the -judge." - -"Five more will," Gray responded. "He can keep them if he likes. -And here's a _tael_ for you." - -The volunteer interpreter clasped the coin in a claw-like hand. Gray -thrust the rest of the money upon the hesitating executioner, and -seized Mirai Khan by the arm. - -Nodding to the Kirghiz, he led him through the crowd, which was -muttering uneasily. He turned down an alley. - -"Can you get out of Liangchowfu without being seen?" the American -asked his new purchase. He was more confident now of the tribal -speech. - -Mirai Khan understood. Later, Gray came to know that the man was -very keen witted. Also, he had a polyglot tongue. - -"Aye, Excellency." Mirai Khan fell on his knees and pressed his -forehead to his rescuer's shoes. "There is a hole in the western -wall behind the temple where the caravan men water their oxen and -camels." - -"Go, then, and quickly." - -"I will get me a horse," promised Mirai Khan, "and the Chinese pigs -will not see me go." - -Gray thought to himself that Mirai Khan might be more of a horse -thief than he professed to be. - -"The Excellency saved my life," muttered the Kirghiz, glancing around -craftily. "It was written that I should die this day, and he kept me -from the sight of the angel of death. But thirteen _taels_ is a -great deal of wealth. It would be well if I found my gun, and slew -the soldier. Then the Excellency would have his thirteen _taels_ -again. Where is he to be found?" - -"At the inn by the western wall. But never mind the Manchu. Save -your own skin." - -Gray strode off down the alley, for men were coming after them. In -the rear of an unsavory hut, the Kirghiz plucked his sleeve. - -"Aye, it shall so be, Excellency," he whispered. "Has the honorable -master any tobacco?" - -Impatiently Gray sifted some tobacco from his pouch into the hunter's -scarred hand. Mirai Khan then asked for matches. - -"I will not forget," he said importantly. "You will see Mirai Khan -again. I swear it. And I will tell you something. Wu Fang Chien is -in Liangchowfu." - -With that the man shambled off down an alley, looking for all the -world like a shaggy dog with unusually long legs. Gray stared after -him with a smile. Then he turned back toward the inn. - -That night there was a feast in Liangchowfu. The sound of the temple -drums reached to the inn. Lanterns appeared on the house fronts -across the street. Throngs of priests passed by in ceremonial -procession, bearing lights. In the inn courtyard a group of -musicians took their stand, producing a hideous mockery of a tune on -cymbals and one-stringed fiddles. But the main room of the inn, -where the eating tables were set with bowls and chop-sticks, was -deserted except for a wandering rooster. - -"I'm going out to see the show," asserted Gray, who was weary of -inaction. - -"What!" The Syrian stared at him, fingering his beard restlessly. -"With Wu Fang Chien in the town!" - -"Certainly. There's nothing to be done here. I may be able to pick -up information which will be useful--if we are in danger." - -Delabar tossed his cigarette away and shrugged his shoulders. - -"We are marked men, my young friend. I saw this afternoon that a -guard has been posted at the town gates. Those musicians yonder are -spies. The master of the inn is in the stable, with our men." - -"Then we'll shake our escort for a while." Gray's smile faded. "Look -here, Professor. I'm alive to the pickle we're in. We've got to get -out of this place. And I want to have a look at that hole in the -wall Mirai Khan told me about. For one thing--to see if horses can -get through it." - -Delabar accompanied him out of the courtyard, into the street. Gray -noted grimly that the musicians ceased playing with their departure. -He beckoned Delabar to follow and turned down the alley he had -visited that afternoon. Looking over his shoulder he saw a dark form -slip into the entrance of the alley. - -"Double time, Professor," whispered Gray. Grasping the other by the -arm he trotted through the piles of refuse that littered the rear of -the houses, turning sharply several times until he was satisfied they -were no longer followed. As a landmark, he had the dark bulk of the -pagoda which formed the roof of the temple. - -Toward this he made his way, dodging back into the shadows when he -sighted a group of Chinese. He was now following the course of the -wall, which took him into a garden, evidently a part of the temple -grounds. - -He saw nothing of the opening Mirai Khan had mentioned. But a murmur -of voices from the shuttered windows of the edifice stirred his -interest. - -"It is a meeting of the Buddhists," whispered Delabar. "I heard the -temple messengers crying the summons in the street this afternoon." - -Gray made his way close to the building. It was a lofty structure of -carved wood. The windows were small and high overhead. Gray scanned -them speculatively. - -"We weren't invited to the reunion, Professor," he meditated, "but -I'd give something for a look inside. Judging by what you've told -me, these Buddhist fellows are our particular enemies. And it's -rather a coincidence they held a lodge meeting to-night." - -He felt along the wall for a space. They were sheltered from view -from the street by the garden trees. - -"Hullo," he whispered, "here's luck. A door. Looks like a stage -entrance, with some kind of carving over it." - -Delabar pushed forward and peered at the inscription. The reflected -light of the illumination in the street enabled him to see fairly -well. - -"This is the gate of ceremony of the temple," he observed. "It is -one of the doors built for a special occasion--only to be used by a -scholar of the town who has won the highest honors of the Hanlin -academy, or by the emperor himself--when there was one." - -Gray pushed at the door. It was not fastened, but being in disuse, -gave in slowly, with a creak of iron hinges. Delabar checked him. - -"You know nothing of Chinese customs," he hissed warningly. "It is -forbidden for any one to enter. The penalty----" - -"Beheading, I suppose," broke in Gray impatiently. "Come along, -Delabar. This is a special occasion, and, by Jove--you're a -distinguished scholar." - -He drew the other inside with him. They stood in a black passage -filled with an odor of combined must and incense. Gray took his -pocket flashlight from his coat and flickered its beam in front of -them. He could feel Delabar shivering. Wondering at the state of -the scientist's nerves, he made out an opening before them in which -steps appeared. - -They seemed to be in a deserted part of the temple. Gray wanted very -much to see what was going on--and what was at the head of the -stairs. He ascended as quietly as possible, followed by the Syrian -who was muttering to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE DOOR IS GUARDED - -A subdued glow appeared above Gray's head, as the narrow stairs -twisted. The glow grew stronger, and he caught the buzz of voices. -Cautiously he climbed to the head of the steps and peered into the -chamber from which came the light. - -He saw a peculiar room. It was empty of all furniture except a -teakwood chair. The light came through a large aperture in the -floor. An ebony railing, gilded and inlaid, ran around this square -of light. The voices grew louder. - -It was clear to Gray that they were in some kind of gallery above the -room where the assembly was--for the voices seemed to be rising -through the floor. - -He walked to the chair--and stopped abruptly. - -The opening in the floor was directly above the temple proper. Gray -and Delabar could see the shrine, with the usual bronze figure of the -almond-eyed god, the burning tapers and the incense bowls. - -On the floor by the shrine the gathering of priests squatted. They -were facing, not the image of Buddha, but a chair which stood on a -daïs at one side. On this chair an imposing mandarin was seated with -the red button and silk robe of officialdom. - -"Wu Fang Chien!" whispered Delabar. - -Gray nodded. It was their friend of Honanfu, with his thin beard, -placid face and spectacles. - -"What are they doing?" asked Gray softly. - -The murmur of voices persisted. For some time Delabar listened. -Then he pointed out a man in beggar's dress kneeling beside the -mandarin's chair. - -"It is some kind of trial," he said doubtfully. "The priest by Wu -Fang Chien is an ascetic--what they call a _fakir_ in India. But he -is not the criminal." - -They moved nearer the opening, being secure from observation from -below. Gray wrinkled his nose at the mingled scent of incense and -Mongolian sweat that floated up through the opening. - -"Wu Fang Chien is saying that he has come to Liangchowfu to sit in -judgment on the evildoers who are enemies of the god," interpreted -Delabar. "He has called the priests to witness the proceedings." - -Gray looked at Delabar curiously. He had caught a word or two of the -talk. - -"Does he name the offenders?" he asked. - -"No. He says the priesthood has been informed that two men plan to -desecrate a holy place. He has come to catch them red-handed." - -Wu Fang Chien, Gray reflected, could not know they were in the -gallery of the temple, by the seat reserved for a distinguished -student, or the emperor. The mandarin must have discovered their -mission, as Delabar feared. He peered over the rail. - -Directly underneath three priests were stripped to the waist. They -held a bronze bowl of considerable size. - -As Gray watched, a silence fell on the room below. - -"They are going to try divination," whispered Delabar, and Gray saw -that his face was strained. "The divination of the ivory sticks and -the bowl. That is a custom of the sorcerers of the interior. The -priests believe in it implicitly. I have seen some wonderful -things----" - -He broke off as the ascetic prostrated himself before Wu Fang Chien, -holding out a sandalwood box. Gray saw the mandarin lean forward and -draw what looked like a short white stick from the box. - -"That is to determine the distance the criminals are from the -temple," explained Delabar. "It is a very short stick--representing -perhaps a _li_ or one-third of a mile." - -"That would include the inn," was Gray's comment. "Hello, the bowl -boys are coming into action." - -The three priests were turning slowly on their feet, supporting the -bronze bowl above their heads. They moved in a kind of dance, and as -they revolved, came nearer to the shrine--then retreated. Delabar -watched intently. - -"They will keep up the dance for twenty-four hours," he said, -"without stopping. Meanwhile the other priests will watch, without -taking food or drink. It induces a kind of hypnotism. They believe -that at the end of the twenty-four hours, the god will enter the -bowl." - -Gray nodded. Wu Fang Chien had sat back and was eyeing the dance -complacently. - -"When this happens," Delabar went on, "the priests will leave the -temple, holding the bowl in front of them. They will be followed by -the townspeople who do not doubt that the god will conduct them to -the criminals." - -"I guess we're nominated for the guilty parties." - -Gray surveyed the scene curiously, the revolving trio of brown -bodies, the silent mandarin and the watching priests. He followed -idly the smoke fumes that eddied up from the shrine of the bronze -god. Wu Fang Chien, he mused, had decided that it was time to -strike. And the mandarin was going about it with the patience of the -Mongol, sure of his victim, and his own power. - -Wu Fang Chien had warned them. They had not heeded the warning. The -attack in Honanfu had been a prelude--possibly to get Gray's weapons -away from him. It had failed, but Wu Fang Chien had formed another -plan. Why else had he come to Liangchowfu? - -Watching the whirling priests, Gray guessed at the plan. In -twenty-four hours the sorcery of the bowl would come to a head. The -three priests would bear it to the inn--in a state of semi-hypnotism -themselves, and followed by a fanatical crowd. They would confront -Gray and Delabar. They would search the belongings of the white men, -and find the maps of Sungan--the maps that had been seen by the -intruder at the Honanfu inn. After that---- - -Delabar gripped his companion's arm. "Some one is coming," he -whispered. - -Gray listened, and heard a faint sound of footsteps. It came from -the stairs--the soft pad-fad of slippered feet ascending the steps. -Gray shot a quick glance into the temple below. The scene had not -changed, except that the priest in the tattered robe was no longer at -Wu Fang Chien's side. - -"We are caught," muttered the scientist. "There is no other door." - -Gray was aware of this. The only openings in the chamber where they -stood were the door and the aperture in the floor. The _pad-pad_ -came nearer, but more slowly. He was reasonably sure that they had -not been seen. It was abominably bad luck that some one should visit -the gallery just then. - -"We left the temple door open," Delabar whispered, staring at the -dark stairs behind them. "One of the priests observed it and -came----" - -"Steady," Gray cautioned him. He drew the trembling Syrian back into -the shadows at one side of the door. Here they were in -semi-obscurity. Stepping quietly to arm's reach of the head of the -stairs, Gray waited. - -He heard the steps approach, then become silent as if the intruder -was looking into the room. - -A moment passed while Gray silently cursed the heavy breathing of -Delabar who seemed possessed by uncontrollable excitement. Then a -shaven head appeared in the doorway, followed by a naked shoulder. A -pair of slant, evil eyes flickered around the gallery, failing to -notice the two white men in the shadow. - -Gray's hand went out and closed on the throat of the priest. His -grip tightened, choking off a smothered gasp. The man fell heavily -to his knees. - -The floor echoed dully at the impact. Gray realized that it must -have been heard by those in the temple below. Snatching up the frail -priest by throat and leg, he lifted him easily and started down the -stairs headlong. - -"This way, Professor," he called. "Better hurry." - -Concealment being useless now, they plunged down the steps. By the -time the lower floor was reached, Gray's grip had stilled the -struggles of the man--whom he recognized as the ascetic. - -The sound of running feet came to him as he waited for Delabar to -come up. The professor shot through the temple door like a -frightened rabbit. - -Gray tossed the unconscious priest on the doorsill, and pushed the -heavy portal nearly shut, wedging the man's body in the opening. -Then he trotted after Delabar through the garden. - -"Let's hope you're right about the penalty for opening the door -there," he laughed. "That priest will have his hands full explaining -how he happens to be lying on the emperor's threshold--when he comes -to. Probably he'll say that devils picked him up." - -Looking back at the edge of the temple garden, Gray saw a crowd with -lanterns standing inside the door, over the form of the priest. They -were some distance away by now. Following the circuit of the city -wall, Gray succeeded in gaining the alleys back of the inn without -being observed. - -Once safely in their room, Delabar threw himself on the bed, panting. -Gray took up his rifle and laid it across his knees, placing his -chair so that he could command both door and window. - -He did not want to sleep. And he feared to trust Delabar to watch. -Throughout the remaining hours until daylight whitened the paper of -the window, he sat in his chair. But nothing further happened. The -festivities in the streets had ended and the inn itself was quiet, -unusually so. - - -Daylight showed Delabar lying on the bed, smoking innumerable -cigarettes. The scientist had maintained a moody silence since their -arrival at the inn. The sound of excited voices floated in from the -courtyard. Vehicles could be heard passing along the street. But -the ordinary pandemonium of a Chinese hostelry at breakfast time was -subdued. - -Gray tossed his rifle on the bed, yawned and stretched his powerful -frame. He was hungry, and said so. He brushed the dirt from his -shoes, changed to a clean shirt, looked in the pail for water. -Finding none, he picked up the pail, strode to the door and flung it -open. - -On the threshold, his back against the doorpost, was sitting a -Buddhist priest. It was an aged man, his face wrinkled and eyes -inflamed. His right shoulder and his breast were bared. In one hand -he clasped a long knife. His eyes peered up at the white man -vindictively. - -Gray recognized the ascetic of the temple. He could see the dark -marks where his hands had squeezed the scrawny throat. - -He reached for his automatic with his free hand. The priest did not -stir. The man was squatting on his heels, fairly over the threshold; -the knife rested on one knee. How long he had been there, Gray did -not know. - -Priest and white man stared at each other intently. Gray frowned. -Plainly the man at the door did not mean well; but why did the fellow -remain seated, holding the knife passively? He noted fleetingly that -the main room of the inn was vacant. - -"Don't move!" Delabar's voice came to him, shrill with anxiety. -"Don't take a step. Shut the door and come back here." - -"Why?" Gray asked curiously. "I want to go out for water, and I'm -blessed if this chap is going to keep me in----" - -"It's death to move!" - -"For me?" - -"No, the priest will die." Delabar clutched his companion's arm. -"You don't understand. The priest is here on a mission. If you step -through the door, he will stab himself with the knife. And if he -commits suicide at our door, we'll have the whole of Liangchowfu down -on us." - -Gray pocketed the automatic with a laugh. "I don't see why we are to -blame if this yellow monkey sticks himself with his own knife." - -Delabar crossed to the door and closed it on the watching Buddhist. - -"You know very little of China, my friend," he said gloomily. "One -of the favorite methods of revenge is to hire a priest to sit at a -man's door, like this. Then, if any one leaves the house, the priest -commits suicide. That fixes--or the Chinese believe it fixes--a -crime on the man in the house. It's a habit of the Chinese to kill -themselves in order to obtain vengeance on an enemy." - -Gray whistled. "I've heard something of the kind. But, look here, I -could grab that fellow before he can hurt himself." - -"It would be useless. As soon as he was free, he'd commit suicide, -and the blame would fall on us. By now, all the Chinese in the town -know that this priest is here. If he should die, it would be a -signal for a general attack on us." - -Meditatively, Gray seated himself on the bucket and considered the -situation. - -"You know the working of the yellow mind, Professor," he observed. -"Do you suppose this fellow has marked us out as the guilty parties -who manhandled him in the temple and left him in the sacred door?" - -"It's more likely that Wu Fang Chien guessed we were the intruders. -We were probably watched more closely than you knew. Then, according -to the temple law, this priest is guilty of sacrilege in crossing the -emperor's door. So Wu Fang Chien has ordered him to guard our door, -to wipe out his own sin, and incriminate us at the same time." - -Gray grinned cheerfully. - -"The working of the Mongol mind is a revelation, Delabar. I guess -you're right. This is Wu Fang Chien's way of keeping us quiet in -here while the boys with the bowl get their magic primed. Also, it -will help to make the townspeople hostile to us." - -Slowly, Wu Fang Chien's plan was maturing. Gray saw the snare of the -Mongol mandarin closing around them. It was a queer, fantastic -snare. In the United States the situation would have been laughable. -Here, it was deadly. - -Wu Fang Chien had made his preparations carefully. The temple -festival had stirred up the Buddhists; the arrival of the bronze -bowl, borne by the priests, would implicate the two white men; the -discovery of the maps of the forbidden district of the Gobi would do -the rest. - -Gray could destroy the maps. But then he would have no guide to the -course to be followed, if they should escape from Liangchowfu. He -was not yet willing to destroy all prospect of success. - -He sought out the maps, in one of their packs, and pocketed them. - -"Does this hocus-pocus of the bowl in the temple always take -twenty-four hours?" he asked Delabar. - -"Always." - -"Well, Wu Fang won't want to break the rules of the game--not when he -has the cards so well in hand. Professor, we have fourteen hours to -think up a line of action. We have food enough here to make a square -meal or two. Also wine--as a present to the city mandarins--that -will keep us from becoming too thirsty." - -Delabar shrugged his bent shoulders. He looked ill. His hand was -trembling, and it was clear to Gray that the man was on the verge of -a breakdown. - -"What can we do?" the Syrian asked plaintively. "Except to destroy -the maps, which would incriminate us." - -"We won't do that." - -There comes a time when fatigue undermines weak vitality. Delabar -complained, begged, cursed. But Gray refused to burn the papers -which meant the success or failure of their expedition. - -"You're sick, Delabar," he said firmly. "You seem to forget we're -here on a mission. Now, pay attention a minute. I've been getting -ready, after a fashion, for a move on Wu Fang's part. I've paid our -coolies four times what was owing them, and promised 'em double that -if they stick by us. I think they may do it. If so, we stand a good -chance of getting clear with our necessary stores--emergency rations, -medicines, a few cooking utensils and blankets. But we can't start -anything until it's dark. Sleep if you can. If you can't--don't -worry." - -He cast a curious glance at the scientist--a glance of mixed -good-natured contempt and anxiety. - -"This guardian of the gate trick works both ways," he concluded. "If -we can't get out, no one will want to get in." - -He took a few, sparing swallows of the strong wine, a mouthful of -bread and rice and tilted his chair back against the wall. The room -was hot and close, and he soon dropped off into a nap. Delabar did -not sleep. - -Gray, from habit, dozed lightly. He was conscious of the sounds that -went on in the street. Several times he wakened, only to drop off -again, seeing that all was as it should be. Once or twice he heard -Delabar go to the door and peer out to see if the priest was still at -his post. Evidently he was, for the Syrian maintained his brooding -quiet. - -As time wore on, Gray thought he heard Delabar laughing. He assured -himself that he must have been mistaken. Yet the echo of the laugh -persisted, harsh, and bitter. Delabar must have been laughing. - -The officer wondered drowsily what had been the cause of the other's -mirth--and sat up with a jerk. He caught at the hand that was -stealing under his coat, and found himself looking into Delabar's -flushed face, not a foot from his own. The scientist drew back, with -a chuckle. There was no mistaking the chuckle this time. - -Gray felt at his coat pocket and assured himself the maps were still -there. - -"So you lost your nerve, eh, Professor?" he said, not unkindly--and -broke off with a stare. "What the devil----?" - -Delabar staggered away from him, and fell on the bed, rocking with -mirth. He caught his head in his hands and burst into the laugh that -Gray had heard before. Then he lay back full length, waving his -hands idiotically. - -Gray swore softly. He noticed the wine bottles on the table, and -caught them up. He assured himself grimly that one was empty and -another nearly so. He himself had taken only a swallow of the liquor. - -Delabar had drunk up approximately two quarts of strong wine. And -Gray knew that the man was not accustomed to it. - -The scientist was drunk, blindly, hopelessly drunk. - -The room was dark. A candle, probably lighted by Delabar on some -whim, guttered on the floor. Outside the room, the inn was very -still. - -Gray regretted that his sleep had enabled Delabar to drink up the -liquor. But the harm was done. His companion was helpless as a -child. He looked at his watch. It was after eight. As nearly as he -could remember, the proceedings at the temple had started about ten -o'clock. Not quite two hours of quiet remained to them. - -Delabar sat up and regarded him with owl-like wisdom. - -"Drink, my friend," he mumbled, "you are a strong man, and it will be -hard for you to die if you are not drunk. You were a fool to come -here. You are a child before the ancient wisdom of China. The -secrets of the Mongols have been before your God had eyes to see the -earth. Why did you pry into them?" - -A laugh followed this, and Delabar made a futile grab at one of the -bottles. - -"You think I am afraid of Wu Fang Chien?" the mumble went on. "No, I -am not afraid of him. He is only a servant of the slave of Buddha, -who is Fate. We can not go where Fate forbids--forbids us." - -Gray surveyed him, frowning. - -"Look outside the door," chuckled Delabar. "Look--I stepped outside -the door, my friend. And I saw----" - -Waiting for no more, Gray crossed to the door and opened it. At his -feet lay the priest. The slant eyes stared up at him. The knife was -fixed in the man's throat, and a dark circle had gathered on the -floor behind his head. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -DELABAR LEAVES - -Gray stooped and felt the dead man's face. It was still quite warm. -The priest could not have killed himself more than a few minutes ago. -Probably Delabar, in his drunken wandering, had put his foot across -the threshold. - -With a tightening of the lips, Gray straightened and surveyed the -inn. It was empty and dark except for a lantern with a crimson shade -that hung over the door. Either the people of the place had seen the -dead Buddhist and fled to spread the news, or they had given the room -a wide berth since that afternoon. - -He could not know which was actually the case. Gray, however, could -afford to waste no time in speculation. He went back into their -chamber, fastened his rifle over his shoulder by its sling, and -jerked Delabar to his feet. - -"It's time we got out of here, Professor," he said, "if you haven't -settled our hash for good." - -The man was muttering and stumbling--hardly able to keep his feet. -He could give no assistance to Gray. - -They crossed the main room of the inn without hindrance, and left the -building by the rear. The stable yard was dark, and apparently -empty. Gray's flashlight disclosed only a mild-looking donkey, -nibbling at the leaves of a plane tree. - -"Guess the place isn't exactly popular just now," thought Gray. - -Beside the stable, concealed by the manure piles, he found his wagons -and mules, hitched up as he had ordered. A glance and a flicker of -his light showed him that the surplus supplies were loaded. He -pushed Delabar into the stable and whistled softly. - -A coolie crept from a pile of dirty straw under the wall against -which several mules were standing patiently. - -"Where are the others?" demanded Gray sharply. - -The other men, said the coolie, had gone. - -"Why are not the fresh mules loaded, as I commanded?" - -The man kow-towed. "I was afraid. This is an evil place. The -priests are saying that the black mark of ill-omen has descended from -Heaven----" - -"Five _taels_," broke in the white man crisply, "if you help me to -load the mules. The priests will kill you if they find you here. If -you come with me you will live. Choose." - -From some quarter of the city came the dull thrum of temple gongs. -The coolie whined in fear, and hastened to the mules. - -It is no easy task to strap the packs on four mules in the dark. -Gray let Delabar, who had subsided into slumber at contact with the -cool outer air, slump on the dirt floor of the stable. He adjusted -his flashlight in the straw so its beam would help them to see what -they were about. - -He found as he expected that the other coolies had made away with -many of the stores. They had taken, however, the things most -valuable to them, which were least necessary to Gray--such as -clothing, cooking utensils, and the heavy boxes of Chinese money. - -These last were a grave loss, but Gray had a good deal of gold in his -money belt, and he knew that Delabar had the same amount. - -The two men loaded the remaining boxes on the animals--the provisions -that Delabar had purchased in San Francisco, with medicines and -several blankets that had been overlooked by the thieves. - -This done, Gray left the stable for a survey of the field. The inn -yard was still quiet. Even the street on the further side was -tranquil. Turning back, he helped the coolie place Delabar astride a -mule, and tied the scientist's feet firmly together under the -animal's belly. Throwing a blanket over him, Gray gave the word to -start. - -The Chinaman went ahead by the first animal, for Gray did not want to -trust him out of sight. He followed beside the mule that carried -Delabar, giving directions as to their course. - -"The loaded wagon at the inn will be a fair puzzle to the searching -party from the temple," he thought. "We could never get free of -Liangchowfu with the carts. Here's hoping my friend Mirai Khan was -right when he said there was a hole in the city wall behind the -temple." - -It was a slender chance--to work their way through the alleys in the -darkness. But, as Gray reasoned, it was the only thing to do. And -two things were in their favor. The inn was undoubtedly watched, -front and back. The priests' spies would see the mules leaving, and -probably decide the coolies were making off with them--especially as -the wagons were still in the stable yard. - -Also, the attention of the Liangchowfu population--or the most -dangerous part of it--would be centered on the temple and the -divination in progress there. - -Gray had reasoned correctly. By following the odorous and muddy -by-ways that he and Delabar had investigated previously, he was able -to gain the wall without attracting attention. - -Here the lights were fewer, and the trees sheltered them. The -coolie, who was badly frightened, could give Gray no information as -to the location of the break in the city wall. It was useless, of -course, to try a dash for the city gates which would be guarded. - -Gray pushed ahead steadily at a slow trot, scanning the bulk of the -wall for signs of an aperture. They were well behind the temple by -now, at the further side of the garden they had entered the night -before. So far they had been very lucky, but Gray's heart sank as he -sighted buildings ahead--a huddle of thatched huts, evidently in the -poorer section of the town. Still no break in the stone barrier was -visible. - -"Keep on," he whispered to the coolie, "and don't forget if we are -discovered you'll be caught in the act of aiding me to escape." - -The man broke into a faster trot, with a scared glance over his -shoulder. The sound of the temple gongs was louder, swelling angrily -in the wind. Voices came from the huts ahead, and Gray fancied that -he heard shouts in the street they had left. - -He swore softly. If only they could find the exit he was seeking! -Once out on the plain beyond Liangchowfu, their chances of escape -would be good. If only Delabar had kept sober---- - -He swung around alertly at the sound of horses' hoofs. In the faint -light a mounted man appeared beside him. - -"That was very well done, Excellency," a voice whispered in hoarse -Chinese. "I know, for I watched from the dung heaps by the inn -stable. One of the men who fled I caught and took the money he -carried." - -"Mirai Khan," whispered Gray. - -"Aye," admitted the Kirghiz complacently. "I swore that you would -see me again, and it has come to pass. I have heard talk in the -town. I knew that the priests--may they swallow their own fire--seek -you. So I waited for I had the thought you would not easily be -snared. Lo, it has happened so. Verily my thought was a true -thought. Follow where I lead." - -He urged his pony ahead of the mules, motioning Gray to the side of -the small caravan away from the huts. Dim faces peered from window -openings at them. But the white man was in the shadow of the wall, -and Mirai Khan appeared too familiar a figure in this quarter of -Liangchowfu to excite comment. Probably the mules bore out the -character of the horse-thief, retiring to the plain with a load of -ill-gotten spoil. - -They passed through the huts in silence, the coolie too frightened to -speak. Delabar was muttering to himself under the blanket, but the -swaggering figure of the Kirghiz, with his rifle over his arm, seemed -to insure them against investigation. Still, Gray breathed a -thankful oath as they dipped into a gully through which flowed a -brook. - -Mirai Khan rode forward, apparently into the very wall. But here the -crumbling stone divided--an opening wide enough to permit of the -passage of a pack animal with its burden, walking in the bed of the -stream. - -Once clear of the wall, the sound of the temple gong dwindled and -ceased entirely. They pressed ahead at a quick trot, until, glancing -behind, Gray saw that the lights of Liangchowfu had disappeared. As -nearly as he could tell by the stars he guessed that Mirai Khan was -leading them north-west. - -When the sky paled behind them and the dawn wind struck their faces, -Gray made out that they were in a nest of hillocks. No house was -visible. It was waste land, with only an occasional stunted cedar -clinging to the side of a clay bank. They had put more than a dozen -miles between them and Liangchowfu. - -It was now light enough to discern his companions' faces, and Gray -halted the cavalcade. - -"We will let the mules breathe a bit," he informed the Kirghiz who -glanced at him inquiringly. "I will speak with my friend." - -He led the animal the scientist was riding a few paces to one side, -and tossed off the blanket that enveloped Delabar. The man had -awakened, half blue with cold and with retarded circulation due to -his cramped position and the effect of the liquor. He peered at Gray -from bleared eyes, sobered by the exposure of the past night. - -The officer undid the rope that confined Delabar's legs, then seated -himself on a stone and lit his pipe. - -"Professor," he said meditatively, "you don't know it, but I've been -thinking over things in the last few hours. And I've come to a -decision. I'll tell you what I've been thinking, because I want you -to understand just why I'm doing this." - -Delabar was silent, peering at him inquisitively. - -"Back on the steamer," resumed Gray, "you showed me that you had -nerves--quite a few. Well, lots of men have 'em. Under the -circumstances, I can't say I blame you. But at Honanfu your nerves -had a severe jolt. Back there"--he jerked his head at -Liangchowfu--"you had a bad case of fright. You're all in now." - -"I am hungry," complained the scientist. "Why did you tie me to the -mule?" - -"That skirmish with Wu Fang Chien," continued the officer, ignoring -the question, "wasn't more than a good sample of what we may have to -face in the Gobi Desert. It showed me you aren't able to go ahead -with the trip. You'd be as sick in body as you are now in mind." - -"I am not a horse," snapped Delabar. "The Buddhist priests----" - -"Precisely, the Buddhist priests. They've got you scared. Badly. -Let me tell you some more I've been thinking. Intentionally or not, -you have done all you could at Liangchowfu to hinder me. Only luck -and Mirai Khan got us out of the place with a whole skin. In the -army where I served for a while they shot men who became drunk when -on duty." - -"This is China, another world," retorted the man moodily. - -"China or not, it's my duty to go to the Gobi Desert and find the -Wusun if I can. I promised Van Schaick that, and drew up a contract -which I signed. I'm going ahead. You, Professor, are going back to -the coast and to the States. You can report our progress to Van -Schaick." - -Mingled relief and alarm showed in the Syrian's keen face. - -"You can complain that I sent you back, if you want to. I'll answer -to Van Schaick for this." Gray held up his hand as the other tried -to speak. "You'll be all right. I've been quizzing Mirai Khan. The -coolie can guide you back, to the north of Liangchowfu, where you'll -meet some missionaries. Wu Fang Chien will be looking for us to the -west, not in the east. You'll take the money you have on you, and -two mules with half the supplies. Promise the coolie enough gold, -and he'll stick by you--as he'll be safer going back than forward. -Any questions?" - -It was a long speech for Gray to make. Delabar studied him and -shivered in the cold breeze that swept the plain. Hardship brings -out the strength and weakness of men. In his case it was weakness. -Yet he seemed curiously alarmed at leaving Gray. Twelve hours ago he -had implored his companion to give up the venture into the Gobi. - -"Why are you doing this?" he asked. - -"For two reasons. I don't want a sick man on my hands. And--you -tried to destroy the maps. There's another reason----" Gray -hesitated, and broke off. "I don't claim to be your judge. Every -man follows his own course in life. But yours and mine don't fit any -longer. It's good-by, Professor." - -He rose, knocking the ashes from his pipe. Delabar gave an -exclamation of alarm. - -"Suppose the men of Wu Fang Chien find me?" - -"You'll be safer than here with me." - -Delabar stared into the steady eyes of his companion, and his gaze -shifted. "I can't go back. I must go with you." - -"I've said good-by. Your coolie knows what he's to do. Choose your -two mules." - -"No. I'll be better now----" - -Gray smiled slightly. - -"I doubt it. I've been watching you. Closer than you thought. -Which mules do you want?" - -Delabar flushed, and turned his animal back to the waiting group. He -was muttering to himself uncertainly. Gray walked beside him. Once -he spoke. "Buddhism, Professor, is a bad thing to think about. As -Wu Fang Chien said, it is bad to enter forbidden ground. Well, good -luck, Delabar. It's better to part now--than later----" - -But Delabar passed out of hearing. He did not look again at Gray, -who remained talking to the Kirghiz. Later, Gray regretted that he -had not watched Delabar. - -The Syrian wasted no time in selecting two animals, and turned back -at once. Mirai Khan followed the cavalcade with puckered brows as -they passed out of sight among the hillocks. Gray waved his hand -once when he thought Delabar looked back. But the man did not turn, -humping himself forward over his beast, his head between his -shoulders. - -"It is a pity," said Mirai Khan, stroking his gray beard -reflectively, "to lose the two mules, and so much money. However, -what will be, will be. Come, I know a davan nearby where we can rest -until we are ready to go forward, at night." - -He conducted Gray along a sheep track for some miles to a ravine well -into the hillocks. Here there was a grove of cedars, and a small -spring. While Gray built a fire, Mirai Khan, acting on the white -man's instructions, unburdened the two remaining mules. - -"We have little food, Excellency," he observed suggestively. - -"Open one of the boxes," said Gray. - -Presently Mirai Khan appeared beside the fire, carrying a heavy -object. - -"What manner of food is this?" he asked contemptuously. "I have -tasted and the flavor is a mingling of salt and sour wine." - -Gray stared at the object in surprise. It was one of the boxes, with -the cover removed. It was filled with an array of long bottles. One -of these had the cork removed, and effused an acrid odor. Gray -picked it up. - -It was a bottle of a very good kind of vinegar. - -Hastily Gray went to the other boxes and opened them, after noting -that the fastenings and the seal were intact. They were all filled -with vinegar. - -Gray gave a soft whistle of bewilderment. These were the boxes that -were supposed to contain their emergency rations, that Delabar had -purchased in San Francisco. The Syrian's name was written on them. - -He wondered fleetingly if Wu Fang Chien had been tampering with their -baggage. But the boxes had clearly not been opened since they were -packed. Also, the vinegar was of American make, and bore the name of -a San Francisco firm. - -Had there been a mistake in shipping the order? It might be. Yet -Delabar should have checked up the shipment. No, the Syrian must -have known what was in the boxes. He had chosen the other two -mules--knowing these few boxes were worthless. - -"I should have looked at 'em before I let Delabar go," thought Gray. -"He is too far away now to follow. Now why----" - -That was the question--why? Delabar, from the first, had placed -every obstacle in the way of the expedition. Even to buying bogus -supplies. - -Delabar had not wanted Gray to succeed. He had used every means to -keep the American from the Gobi Desert. He had tried to instill into -Gray the poison of his own fear. He had attempted to seize the maps, -showing the location of Sungan, which were of vital importance. - -Delabar had been Gray's enemy. Why? - -Gray had guessed much of this, when he ordered the other back to the -coast. But he did not know the answer to this "why?" He puzzled -over it much in the following days, and gleaned some light from his -reasoning. - -It was long before he knew the answer to the "why?" It did not come -until he had gained the desert, and seen the _liu sha_. Not until he -had met with Mary Hastings and seen the guards of Sungan. Not until -he had learned the explanation of much that he as yet dimly imagined. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE _LIU SHA_ - -Mirai Khan agreed with Gray that it would be useless to stay where -they were until dark. They had no food. In spite of the risk of -discovery, they must go forward. - -"If we sleep," the hunter agreed, "we will waken with empty bellies -and our strength will be less than now. The time will come when we -shall need meat; and there is none here. To the west, we may see a -village or shoot a gazelle." - -Without further delay they unhitched the mules, packing the small -remainder of Gray's outfit--a tent, and his personal kit--on one -animal. The American mounted the other, not without protest from the -beast, who scented water and forage. - -With Mirai Khan leading on his shaggy pony they made their way -westward out of the hillocks to the plain. They were now on the -Mongolian plain--a barren tableland of brown hills and stony valleys. -No huts were to be seen. - -They had left teeming China behind, and were entering the outskirts -of Central Asia and the Gobi Desert. A steady wind blew at their -backs. The blue sky overhead was cloudless. - -Gray had left the useless boxes of vinegar behind. And as he went he -puzzled over the riddle of Arminius Delabar. It was a riddle. Van -Schaick and Balch had said little about the man, for they had been in -a hurry to get Gray started on his voyage. He remembered they said -Delabar was a Syrian or Persian by birth, an inveterate traveler who -had been in most of the corners of the earth, and--the only man in -America who could speak Chinese, Turki, Persian and Russian, the four -languages a knowledge of which might be necessary on their -expedition, and who thoroughly understood anthropology, with the -history of Central Asia. - -This being the case, Gray had taken a good deal on himself when he -sent Delabar back. But he had done right. The vinegar boxes proved -it. - -Gray had a steady, logical mind which arrived at decisions slowly, -but usually accurately. He now reasoned out several things. - -Delabar, he guessed, had not come willingly on the expedition. Even -on the steamer he had shown fear of the Gobi. Why? He must have -known something about the desert that he did not tell Gray. What was -that? Gray did not know. - -This led to another question. Why, if the man was afraid, had he -come at all? He might have refused to start. Instead he had bought, -purposely, a shipment of worthless stores; he had worked on Gray's -mind to the best of his ability. - -Gray suspected that Delabar had come because he wanted to prevent -him--Gray--from reaching the Gobi. But Delabar might have stated his -objections before they left San Francisco. Why had he not done so? - -Possibly because, so reasoned Gray, Delabar had thought if he -prevented Gray from starting on the mission, Van Schaick and Balch -would engage another man. - -Gray checked up the extent of his reasoning so far. He had decided -that Delabar had been bent on preventing not him but any American -from undertaking the trip to the Gobi. And to do that the Syrian had -come along himself, although he was afraid. - -Yes, Delabar had certainly been afraid. Of what? Of Wu Fang Chien -for one thing; also the Buddhists. He had been on the verge of a -breakdown at the inn at Liangchowfu after their experience in the -temple. - -Gray recalled a number of things he had passed over at the time: -Delabar's pretext of purchasing supplies at Shanghai. The scientist -had been absent from him for many hours, but had bought nothing. -Then the incident of the Chinese steward on the river steamer of the -Yang-tze. Something had been thrown overboard which a passing junk -had picked up. Had this something been information about Gray's -route? It was more than possible. - -And the attack at Honanfu. How had the Chinese known that Gray kept -a rifle under his bed--unless Delabar had so informed them? Delabar -had been frightened at the attack. Perhaps, because it failed. - -Lastly, at Liangchowfu Delabar had tried to steal the all-important -maps. Failing that, the man had, literally, collapsed. And--Gray -whistled softly--it might have been Delabar who gave the information -that led to the delayal of McCann, whom Gray needed, at Los Angeles. -No one else, except Van Schaick and Balch, had known that Gray had -sent for McCann. - -It was reasonably clear that Delabar had sought to turn back Gray. -When the American had ordered him back, instead, the man had -protested. Obviously, he dreaded this. Yet he was safer than here -with Gray. Delabar had said, in an unguarded moment, that he feared -to be caught by Wu Fang Chien. Why? - -What was Delabar's relation to Wu Fang Chien? When drunk, he had -said that the mandarin was only a slave of an unknown master. Who -was the master? Obviously a man possessing great power in Central -Asia--if a man at all. - -This was what Delabar had feared, the master of Wu Fang Chien. Was -Delabar also a slave? Gray laughed. His reasoning was going beyond -the borders of logic. But he was convinced that his late companion -had been serving not Van Schaick but another; that he feared this -other; and that his fear had increased instead of diminished when -Gray ordered him back. - -Gray looked up as Mirai Khan turned, with a warning hiss. The -Kirghiz had reined in his mount and Gray did likewise. - -A short rise was in front of them. Over this the hunter had -evidently seen something that aroused him. - -"Look!" he growled. "Take the windows of long sight and look." - -It took a moment's puzzling before the American realized that his -companion referred to the field glasses slung over his shoulder. He -dismounted and crept with Mirai Khan to the top of the rise. Through -the glasses he made out, at the hunter's directions, a pair of -gazelles moving slowly across the plain some distance away. - -Immediately Mirai Khan became a marvel of activity. He tethered the -beasts to a stunted tamarisk, loaded his long musket, cut himself a -stick in the form of a crotch, and struck out to one side of the -trail, beckoning the American to follow. - -The gazelles had been feeding across the trail, and Mirai Khan -trotted steadily to the leeward of them, keeping behind sheltering -hummocks. It was a long run. - -From time to time Mirai Khan halted and peered at the animals. Then -he pressed forward. Gray was not easily tired; but he had been long -without food and he stumbled as he ran after the hardy Kirghiz who -was afire with the spirit of the chase. - -"Allah has given us meat for our pot this night," he whispered to -Gray, "if we are clever and the animals do not get wind of us." - -Gray understood how important their quest was. Their shadows were -lengthening swiftly on the sand, and the sun, like a red brazier, was -settling over the horizon in front of them. If they did not bag a -gazelle, they would have no food that night, and--both men were -weakened by hunger. - -Mirai Khan stalked his prey with the skill of long experience, -pushing ahead patiently until the wind blew from the gazelles to -them. But darkness falls fast at the edge of the Gobi. The sky had -changed from blue to purple when Mirai Khan threw himself in the sand -and began to crawl to the summit of a rise, pushing his crotched -stick in front of him. - -Following, Gray made out the gazelles feeding some hundred and fifty -yards in front of them. The light brown and white bodies were barely -discernible against the brown plain, but Mirai Khan arranged his -stick, and laid the musket on it carefully. - -Gray, stretched out beside him, hazarded a guess as to the distance. -The hunter touched him warningly. - -"Let me have the shot, Excellency," he whispered. "If I cannot -slay--even at this distance--no other man can." - -He said a brief prayer and sighted, gripping his long weapon in a -steady hand. He had removed his sheepskin cap and his white hair and -bushy eyebrows gave him the appearance of a keen-eyed bird of prey. - -Gray waited, watching the gazelles. As Mirai Khan had claimed the -first shot, Gray humored him, but at the same time threw a cartridge -into the chamber of his own weapon. - -The gazelles had sighted or smelled something alarming, for they -quickened their pace away from the hunters. Mirai Khan fired, and -swore darkly. Both animals were unhurt, and they had broken into a -swift run, gliding away into the twilight. - -Gray had laid his own sights on the game, and when the Kirghiz missed -the difficult shot, the American pressed the trigger. - -A spurt of dust this side of the fleeing animals told him his -elevation was wrong. Calmly, he raised his rear sight and fired -again, as the gazelles appeared in the eye of the sun on a hillock. - -The animal at which he had aimed stumbled and sank to earth. It had -been a difficult shot at three hundred yards in a bad light, but Gray -was an expert marksman and knew his weapon. - -A wild yell broke from Mirai Khan. He flung himself at Gray's feet -and kissed his shoes. - -"A miracle, Excellency!" he chattered joyously. "That was a shot -among a thousand. Aye, I shall tell the hunters of the desert of it, -but they will not believe. Truly, I have not seen the like. By the -beards of my fathers, I swear it! I did well when I followed you -from Liangchowfu----" - -Still babbling his exultation, he hurried to the slain animal and -whipped out his knife. - -By nightfall, the two had made camp in a gully near the tethered -animals. Mirai Khan had dug a well, knowing that water was to be -found in this manner, and, over a brisk fire of tamarisk roots, was -cooking a gazelle steak. - -Gray stretched a blanket on the sand near the fire, watching the -flicker of the flames. The gully concealed them from observation. -He was reasonably sure by now that they had escaped any pursuing -party Wu Fang Chien had sent from Liangchowfu--if one had been sent. - -Mirai Khan ate enormously of the steak. When the hunger of the two -was satisfied and the white man's pipe was alight, he turned to the -Kirghiz thoughtfully. - -"Have you ever heard," he asked, "of the city of Sungan?" - - -Mirai Khan, Gray gathered, was a Mohammedan, a fatalist, a skilled -horse-thief, and a dweller at the edge of the Gobi, where life was -gleaned from hardship. He was a man of the _yurts_, or tents, a -nomad who ranged from the mosques of Bokhara to the outskirts of -China. Somewhere, perhaps, Mirai Khan had an _aul_, with a flock of -sheep, a dog, and even a wife and children. - -The Kirghiz glanced at him keenly and shook his head. - -"I have heard the name," he responded. "It was spoken by my father. -But Sungan I have never seen." - -"It is a city a week's ride beyond Ansichow," persisted Gray, "in the -Desert of Gobi." - -"That is in the sands," Mirai Khan reflected. "No game is found -there, Excellency. Why should a man go to such a place?" - -"Have you been there?" - -"Does a horse go into a quicksand?" - -"Have you known others who went there?" - -"Aye, it may be." - -"What had they to say of the desert?" - -"It is an evil place." - -The Kirghiz nodded sleepily. Having eaten heavily, he was ready for -his blanket. - -"Why did they call it an evil place?" - -"How should I know--who have not been there?" Mirai Khan yawned and -stretched his stocky arms and legs, as a dog stretches. "It is -because of the pale sickness, they say." - -Gray looked up quickly from his inspection of the fire. He had heard -that phrase before. Delabar had used it. - -"What is the pale sickness?" he asked patiently. Mirai Khan ceased -yawning. - -"Out in the sands, in the _liu sha_, hangs the pale sickness. It is -in the air. It is an evil sickness. It leaves its mark on those who -go too near. I have heard of men who went too far into the _liu sha_ -and did not return." - -"Why?" - -"It is forbidden." - -"By the priests of the prophet?" - -"Not so. Why should they deal with an evil thing? Is it not the law -of the Koran that a man may not touch what is unclean? The rat -priests of China, who worship the bronze god, have warned us from the -region. I have heard the caravan merchants say that men are brought -from China and placed out in the sands, the _liu sha_." - -Gray frowned. Mirai Khan spoke frankly, and without intent to -deceive him. But he spoke in the manner of his kind--in parables. - -"Three times, Mirai Khan," he said, "you have said _liu sha_. What -does that mean?" - -The Kirghiz lifted some sand in his scarred hand, sifting it through -his fingers to the ground. - -"This is it," he explained. "We call it in my tongue the _kara -kum_--dark sands. Yet the _liu sha_ are not the sand you find -elsewhere. They are the marching sands." - -Gray smiled. He was progressing, in his search for information, from -one riddle to another. - -"You mean the dust that moves with the wind," he hazarded. - -Mirai Khan made a decisive, guttural denial. "Not so. It is the -will of Allah that moves the sands. Once there was a city that -sinned----" - -"And a holy mullah." Gray recalled the legend Delabar had related on -the steamer. "He alone escaped the dust that fell from the sky. It -was long ago. So that is your _liu sha_!" - -The hunter's slant eyes widened in astonishment. "By the beard of my -father! Are you a reader of the Koran, to know such things as this? -Aye, it is so. The _liu sha_ came because of a sin, and without -doubt that is why the place is still inhabited of a plague. The -Chinese priests bring men there--men who are already in the shadow of -death." - -"Then, Mirai Khan, there must be a city or an encampment, if many men -live there." - -"I have not seen it. Nor have those who talked to me." - -"But you have not been there?" - -"How should I--seeing that the place is inhabited of a sin? No -Mohammedan will go there." - -"What manner of sickness is this--the pale plague?" - -"I know not. But for many miles, aye, the space of a week's ride, no -men will bring their _yurts_ for fear of it." - -Gray gave it up with a shrug. The Kirghiz was speaking riddles, -twisted recollections of legends, and tales doubtless exaggerated. -While Mirai Khan snored away comfortably, the American went over what -he had said in his mind. - -The night had grown cold, and he threw the last of the wood on the -fire, tucking his blanket about his feet. Their camp was utterly -silent, except for the occasional splutter of the flames. - -Mirai Khan had said positively that he had seen no city in the Gobi -where Gray was bound, nor heard of one. The American knew that if -buildings existed on the immense plain of the Gobi they would be -visible for miles around. Even if the comrades of Mirai Khan had -kept away from the place which they considered unhealthy, they would -have sighted the buildings, at one time or another. - -Yet Brent had declared that he saw the summits of towers. -Imagination, perhaps. Although missionaries were not as a rule -inclined to fancies. - -Here was one contradiction. Then there were the _liu sha_. Mere -legend, doubtless. Central Asia was rife with tales of former -greatness. - -But one thing was clear. The Chinese priests came to this spot in -the desert. And the legend of the plague might be framed to keep the -Mohammedans away from the place. Since the late rebellion Mohammedan -and Chinese had frequently taken up arms against each other--they had -never been on friendly terms. Evidently the Buddhists, for some -reason, took pains to keep this part of the desert to themselves. - -They even guarded it against intrusion--as Brent had discovered. - -And Brent had died of sickness. What was the pale sickness? Were -men inflicted with it brought to the Gobi--the dreariest stretch of -land on the surface of the earth? - -Gray nodded sleepily. The riddles presented no answer. He -determined that he would learn the truth for himself. Wearied with -his exertions, he was soon asleep. Silence held the camp, the -brooding silence of great spaces, the threshold of infinity which -opens before the wanderer in the Gobi. The wind stirred the sand -into tiny spirals that leaped and danced, like dust wraiths across -the gully, powdering the blankets of the sleeping men and the rough -coats of the mules. - -Along the summit of the ridge a shadow passed across the stars. It -hesitated to leeward of the embers of the fire, and the jackal crept -on. The crescent moon moved slowly overhead, throwing a hazy -half-light on the surface of the sand, and picking out the bleached -bones of an antelope. - -Night had claimed the Mongolian steppe. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE MEM-SAHIB SPEAKS - -It was nearly a week later, on the border of the Gobi, that Gray and -Mirai Khan sighted the caravan. The day was rainy. During a space -when the rain thinned, the Kirghiz pointed out a group of _yurts_ -surrounded by camels and ponies a mile away. - -Gray scanned the encampment through his glasses, and made out that -the caravan numbered a good many men, and that the _yurts_ were being -put up for the night. The rain began again, and cut off his view. - -It was then late afternoon. Both men were tired. They had pushed -ahead steadily from Liangchowfu, killing what they needed in the way -of game, and occasionally buying goat's milk or dried fruit from a -wayside shepherd. The few villages they met they avoided. Gray had -not forgotten Wu Fang Chien, or the fears of Delabar. - -"They are Kirghiz _yurts_," said Mirai Khan when the American -described what he had seen. "And it is a caravan on the march, or we -would have seen sheep. Many tribes use our _yurts_. They are taken -down and put up in the time it takes a man to smoke a pipe. But -these people are not Kirghiz. My kinsmen have not wealth to own so -many camels." - -"What do you think they are?" - -"Chinese merchants, Excellency, or perhaps Turkestan traders from -Kashgar." - -Mirai Khan's respect for his companion had increased with the last -few days. Gray's accurate shooting inspired his admiration, and the -fortitude of the man surprised him. - -On his part, Gray trusted the Kirghiz. If Mirai Khan had meant to -rob him, he had enjoyed plenty of chances to do so. But the -Kirghiz's code would not permit him to steal from one who was sharing -his bread and salt. - -"If they are Chinese," meditated the American, "it will not be wise -to ride up to their camp. What say you, Mirai Khan?" - -The Kirghiz puffed tranquilly at his noisome pipe. - -"This. It is the hour of sunset prayer. When that is ended you and -I will dismount, Excellency, and stalk the encampment. By the favor -of God we will then learn if these people are Chinese or Turkomans. -If the last, we shall sleep in a dry _aul_, which is well, for my -bones like not the damp." - -Whereupon Mirai Khan removed his pipe and kneeled in the sand, facing -toward the west, where was the holy city of his faith. So -poverty-stricken was he that he did not even own a prayer carpet. -Gray watched, after tethering the three animals. - -"Remember," he said sternly when Mirai Khan had finished the prayer, -"there must be no stealing of beasts from the camp, whatever it may -be." - -The Kirghiz's weakness for horseflesh was well known to him. The -hunter agreed readily and they set out under cover of the rain. By -the time they were half way to the caravan the sudden twilight of the -Gobi concealed them. - -Guided by the occasional whinny of a horse, or the harsh bawl of a -camel, Mirai Khan crept forward, sniffing the air like a dog. -Several lights appeared out of the mist, and Gray took the lead. - -He could make out figures that passed through the lighted entrances -of the dome-shaped felt shelters. Drawing to one side he gained the -camels which rested in a circle, apparently without a watcher. - -Mirai Khan had been lost to view in the gloom and Gray walked slowly -forward among the camels, trying to gain a clear glimpse of the men -of the caravan. The few that he saw were undoubtedly servants, but -their dress was unfamiliar. - -Gray could almost make out the interior of one of the _yurts_, -lighted by candles, with silk hangings and an array of cushions on -the floor. He rose to his full height, to obtain a better view, and -paused as he saw one of the figures look toward him. - -The camels were moving uneasily. Gray could have sworn he heard a -muffled exclamation near him. He turned his head, and a form uprose -from the ground and gripped him. - -Gray wrenched himself free from the man and struck out. The newcomer -slipped under his arm and caught him about the knees. Other forms -sprang from among the camels and lean arms twined around the American. - -"Look out, Mirai Khan!" he cried in Chinese. "These are enemies." - -A powerful white man who can handle his fists is a match for a round -half dozen Mongolians, unarmed--if he has a clear footing and can see -where to hit. Gray was held by at least four men; his rifle slung to -one shoulder by a sling hampered him. He was cast to earth at once. - -His face was ground into the sand, and his arms drawn behind his -back. He heard his adversaries chattering in a strange tongue. Cold -metal touched his wrists. He felt the click of a metal catch and -realized that handcuffs had been snapped on him. - -He wondered vaguely how handcuffs came to be in a Central Asian -caravan, as he was pulled roughly to his feet. In the dark he could -not make out the men who held him. But they advanced toward one of -the tents--the same he had been trying to see into. - -Gray, perforce, made no further resistance. He was fully occupied in -spitting sand from his mouth and trying to shake it from his eyes. - -So it happened that when he stood in the lighted _yurt_, he was -nearly blind with the dust and the sudden glare. He heard excited -native gutturals, and then---- - -"Why, it's a white man." - -It was a woman's voice, and it spoke English. Moreover the voice was -clear, even musical. It reflected genuine surprise, a tinge of -pity--inspired perhaps by his damaged appearance--and no little -bewilderment. - -"Yes, _chota missy_," echoed a man near him, "but this, in the dark, -we knew it not. And he cried out in another tongue." - -Gray reflected that his warning to Mirai Khan had been ill-timed. -His eyes still smarted with the sand. It was not possible for him to -use his hands to clear them, because of the handcuffs which bound his -wrists behind his back. Not for the world would Gray have asked for -assistance in his plight. - -He winked rapidly, and presently was able to see the others in the -tent clearly. The men who had brought him hither he made out to be -slender, dark skinned fellows. By their clean dress, and small, -ornamented turbans draped over the right shoulder he guessed them to -be Indian natives--most probably Sikhs. This surprised him, for he -had been prepared to face Dungans or Turkomans. - -A portable stove gave out a comfortable warmth, beside a take-down -table. The rough felt covering of the _yurt_ was concealed behind -hangings of striped silk. Gray stared; he little expected to find -such an interior in the nomad shelter. - -The table was covered with a clean cloth. Behind it hung a canvas -curtain, evidently meant to divide one corner from the rest of the -tent, perhaps for sleeping purposes. In front of the partition, -behind the table, was a comfortable steamer chair. And in the chair, -watching him from wide, gray eyes was a young woman. - -He had not seen a white woman for months. But his first glance told -him that the girl in the chair was more than ordinarily pretty--that -she would be considered so even in Washington or Paris. She was -neatly dressed in light tan walking skirt and white waist, a shawl -over her slender shoulders. - -She was considering him silently, chin on hand, a slight frown -wrinkling her smooth brow. The bronze hair was dressed low against -the neck in a manner that Gray liked to see--at a distance, for he -was shy in the presence of women. - -The eyes that looked into his were clear, and seemed inclined to be -friendly. Just now, they were dubious. The small nose tilted up -from a mouth parted over even teeth. She was deeply sunburned, even -to throat and arms. Ordinarily, women take great pains to protect -their skin from exposure to the sun. - -There was the stamp of pride in the brown face, and the head poised -erect on strong young shoulders. Gray knew horses. And this woman -reminded him of a thoroughbred. Later, he was to find that his -estimate of her pride was accurate; for the present, he was hardly in -the mood to make other and stronger deductions concerning the girl. - -He flushed, hoping that it did not show under the sand. - -"Right," he admitted with a rueful smile. "Beneath the mud and dirt, -I happen to be an Aryan." - -"An Englishman?" she asked quickly, almost skeptically, "Or American?" - -"American," he admitted. "My name is Robert Gray." - -Her glance flickered curiously at this. He was not too miserable to -wonder who she was. What was a white woman doing in this stretch of -the Gobi? A white woman who was master, or rather mistress of a -large caravan, and seemed quite at home in her surroundings? - -He wondered why he had flushed. And why he felt so uncomfortable -under her quiet gaze. To his utter surprise the frown cleared from -her brow, and her lips parted in a quick smile which crept into her -eyes. Then she was serious again. But he found that his pulses were -throbbing in wrist and throat. - -"Where did you find this _feringhi_, Ram Singh?" she asked curiously. - -"Among the camels, _mem-sahib_," promptly answered the man who had -spoken before. "His servant was making off the while with our -horses." - -Gray looked around. At the rear of the group, arms pinioned to his -sides and his bearded face bearing marks of a struggle, was Mirai -Khan. The Kirghiz wore a sheepish expression and avoided his eye. - -"The servant," explained Ram Singh in stern disapproval, "had -untethered two of the ponies. One he had mounted when we seized him. -Said I not the plain was rife with horse thieves?" - -Gray glared at Mirai Khan. - -"Did I not warn you," he asked angrily, "that there was to be no -stealing of animals?" - -The Kirghiz twisted uneasily in his bonds. - -"Aye, Excellency. But the ponies seemed unguarded and you had need -of one to ride. If these accursed Sikhs had not been watching for -horse lifters we would have gone free." - -The officer swore under his breath, beginning to realize what an -unenviable position Mirai Khan had placed him in. Robbing a caravan -was no light offense in this country. And the horses had belonged to -the woman! - -Gray silently thrust his manacled hands further out of sight, wishing -himself anywhere but here. Covered with the grime of a week's hike -across the plain, with a stubby beard on his chin, eyes bleared with -sand, and his hat lost, he must look the part of a horse lifter--and -Mirai Khan's appearance did not conduce to confidence. - -"Is this true?" the girl asked. Again the elfin spirit of amusement -seemed to dance in the gray eyes. - -"Every word of it," he said frankly. Searching for words to explain, -his shyness gripped him. "That is, Mirai Khan was undoubtedly taking -your ponies, but I didn't know what he was up to----" - -He broke off, mentally cursing his awkwardness. It is not easy to -converse equably with a self-possessed young lady, owner of a -damaging pair of cool, gray eyes. Especially when one is battered -and bound by suspicious and efficient servants. - -"Why didn't you come direct to the _yurt_?" she observed tentatively. - -"Because I thought you might be--a Chinaman." - -"A Chinaman!" The small head perched inquisitively aslant. "But I'm -not, Captain Gray. Why should I be? Why should you dislike the -Chinese?" - -Two things in her speech interested Gray. She seemed to be an -Englishwoman. And she had given him his army rank, although he -himself had not mentioned it. Most certainly there could be nothing -in his appearance to suggest the service. - -"I have reason to dislike one Chinaman," returned Gray. "So I was -obliged to take precautions," he blundered, and then strove to remedy -his mistake. "If I had known you were the owner of the _yurt_, I -would have come straight here." - -Too late, he realized that he had made his blunder worse. The girl's -brows went up, also her nose--just a trifle. - -"Why should you be so cautious, Mr. Gray?" - -The civilian title was accented firmly. Yet a minute ago she had -addressed him as "captain." "Surely"--this was plainly ironical--"the -Chinese are harmless?" - -Gray thought grimly of Liangchowfu. - -"Sometimes," he said, "they are--inquisitive." The girl glanced at -him. Surely she did not take this as a personal dig? Gray did not -understand women. "Miss"--he hesitated--"_Memsahib_"--she -stared--"you see, I've gone beyond the limits mentioned in my -passport." He was unwilling, placed in such circumstances, to tell -the whole truth of his mission and rank. So he compromised. Which -proved to be a mistake. "And the governor fellow of Liangchowfu is -anxious to head me off." - -"Really? Perhaps the official," and she glanced fleetingly at Mirai -Khan, "thinks you do not keep good company. Will you show me your -passport? You don't have to, you know." - -No, he did not have to. But in his present plight he felt that a -refusal would be a mistake. He moved to reach the papers in his -breast pocket, and was checked by the handcuffs. He glanced at Ram -Singh angrily. The native looked at him complacently. It was an -awkward moment. - -"Ram Singh!" The girl spoke sharply. "Have you bound the white -man's hands?" - -The Sikh grunted non-committally. She pointed at Gray. - -"Undo his hands. Is a white man to be tied like a horse-stealing -Kirghiz?" - -Reluctantly, Ram Singh obeyed, and stood near vigilantly. Gray felt -in his pocket with stiffened fingers and produced his passport. This -the girl scanned curiously. - -"I want to apologize," ventured Gray, "for Mirai Khan's attempt on -your horses. He was acting contrary to orders. But I take the blame -for what he did." - -He spoke formally, even stiffly. The woman in the chair glanced at -him swiftly, studying him from under level brows. He felt a great -wish that he should be absolved from the stigma of guilt before her. -And, man-like, he pinned his trust in formal explanation. - -She seemed not to heed his words. She returned his papers, biting -her lip thoughtfully. He would have given much to know what she was -thinking about, but the girl's bright face was unreadable. - -"Ram Singh," she ordered absently, "the _Sahib's_ rifle must be -filled with sand. See that it is cleaned. Take him to the store -tent where he can wash the sand from his eyes. Will you come back -here, Captain Gray? I would like ever so much to talk to you." - -While Gray washed gratefully, and while the natives brushed his coat -and shoes, his mind was on the girl of the _yurt_. He told himself -savagely that he did not desire to be sympathized with. Like a -woman, he thought, she had taken pity on his discomfort. Of course, -she had to treat him decently, before the natives. - -In this, he was more right than wrong. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -SIR LIONEL - -When Gray returned to the _yurt_, he found the table set with silver -and china containing a substantial amount of curried rice, mutton and -tea. This reminded him that he was ravenous, since he had not eaten -for twenty-four hours. He did not notice that the girl's hair -appeared adjusted more to a nicety, or that she had exchanged the -shawl for the jacket of her dress. - -"You like your tea strong?" she asked politely. - -In spite of his hunger, Gray felt awkward as he ate sparingly of the -food under her cool gaze. She was non-committally attentive to his -wants. He wished that she would say something more or that Ram Singh -would cease glaring at the back of his neck like a hawk ready to -pounce on its prey. - -The food, however, refreshed him. His curiosity concerning his -hostess grew. He had seen no other white man in the camp. It was -hardly possible that the Englishwoman had come alone to the Gobi. -Whither was she bound? And why did she reside in a Kirghiz _yurt_ -when the caravan was outfitted with European luxuries? - -When the natives had removed the plates, he took out his pipe from -force of habit, and felt for matches. Then he reflected that he -should not smoke in the woman's tent. - -He would have liked to thank her for her hospitality, to assure her -of his regret for the tactics of Mirai Khan, to ask her some of the -questions that were in his mind. Especially, if she were really -alone in the desert. But while he fumbled for words, she spoke -quickly. - -"I've never taken a prisoner before, Captain Gray. A white man, that -is. I believe the correct thing to do is to question you. That fits -in most nicely, because I am unusually curious by nature." - -He had pulled out a match which he struck absently, then extinguished -it. She noted the action silently. - -"You are an army officer?" - -"In the reserve. Acting independently, now, of course." - -"Acting?" She smiled lightly and held out something to him. "So you -are a big game hunter? I did not know this was good country for that -sort of thing." - -"It isn't," he acknowledged bluntly. "That is--not in the ordinary -sense. But I have already some trophies bagged. Mirai Khan is my -guide----" - -"Please do smoke," she said, and he saw that what she offered him was -a box of matches. One of the servants struck a light. - -"I am quite used to it. My uncle, Sir Lionel, smokes much worse -tobacco than yours." - -Gray considered her over his pipe. - -"Would you mind telling me," he asked gravely, "Miss Niece of Sir -Lionel, what you are going to do with me? I'm fairly your prisoner. -Your patrol under Ram Singh captured me within your lines." - -The girl nodded thoughtfully. Gray wondered if he had caught a glint -of laughter in the demure eyes. He decided he was mistaken. - -"You are an officer, Captain Gray. You know all prisoners are -questioned closely. I still have two more questions, before I decide -your case. Are you really alone? And where are you bound?" - -"I am," stated Gray methodically. "Ansichow." - -"Really? I am going there. I should introduce you, as my prisoner, -to Sir Lionel, but he is tired out and asleep, leaving me with Ram -Singh." - -"Who is an excellent guardian, Miss Niece----" - -"Mary Hastings," said the girl quickly. "I have no reason to conceal -my name." Gray thought she emphasized the _I_. "My uncle, Sir -Lionel Hastings, is head of the British Asiatic Society in India. He -is bound for the Gobi." - -Gray stared at her. The British Asiatic Society! Then this must be -the expedition in search of the Wusun. Van Schaick had said that it -was starting from India. - -"I begged Sir Lionel to take me," continued Mary Hastings calmly, -"and he finds me very useful. I record his observations, you know, -keep the journal of the expedition, and draw the maps. That gives -him time for more important work." - -"But the desert----" Gray broke off. - -"The desert is no place for a woman. I suppose that is what you -meant. But I am not an ordinary woman, I warn you, Captain Gray. -Sir Lionel is my only relative, and we have traveled together for -years. He did say that he anticipated some opposition from the -Chinese authorities. But I refused to be left behind." The rounded -chin lifted stubbornly. "This is the most important work my uncle -has undertaken, and he is always visited with fever about this time -of year." - -Gray was secretly envious of Sir Lionel. What an ally this girl -would make! Yet, in their present positions, she was apt to be his -most ardent foe. He glanced up, measuring her, and met her look. -For a long moment the slate-green eyes of the man searched hers. -They reminded him of the surface of water, sometimes quiet to an -infinite depth and then tumultuous. - -For a discerning man, Gray was at a sad loss to fathom Mary Hastings. - -"To avoid attention from the Chinese," she continued, looking down, -"we came up from Burma, along the Tibetan border. Rather a boring -trip. But by going around the main towns at the Yang-tze headwaters, -and by using these serviceable native huts--which can be taken down -and put up quickly--we escape questioning." - -So that was the explanation of the clumsy _yurts_. - -"You were not quite so fortunate, Captain Gray? Curious, that, isn't -it--when you are only a big game hunter?" - -It was on the tip of his tongue to make a clean breast of it, and say -that he, also, was seeking Sungan. But it seemed absurd to confess -to her that the sole member of the American expedition had been found -among the camels of the Hastings caravan. Perhaps he was -unconsciously influenced by his desire to be on friendly terms--even -such as at present with Mary Hastings. - -Every moment of their talk was a keen pleasure to him--more so than -he was aware. He reflected how lucky it was that he had run into the -other expedition. It was not altogether strange, since they had both -started at the same time, and Ansichow was the mutual hopping-off -place into the Gobi. - -"Will you tell me," he evaded, "how you came to call me Captain Gray -before you saw my papers?" - -Mary Hastings smiled pleasantly. - -"It was an excellent guess, wasn't it? But now I'm quite through my -questions." She paused, her brow wrinkled in portentous thought. "I -think I shall not burden myself with a prisoner. You are quite free, -Captain Gray. You and Mirai Khan. Doubtless you wish to return to -your caravan." - -Gray thought of the two waiting mules and the rain-soaked blanket -that constituted his outfit, and laughingly mentioned it to her. - -"You are very kind," he said, rising. - -"Captain Gray," she said impulsively, "it's raining again. If you -would care to spend the night with us, I am sure Ram Singh can spare -you a cot and blanket. Mirai Khan can fetch your outfit in the -morning, and you can go on with us to Ansichow. It's only a day's -trek." - -Gray hesitated, then accepted her offer thankfully. - -"You will find your rifle on your cot. Ram Singh cleaned it himself. -It needed it. He said it was a 30-30 model, but then you are -probably using it for big game because you are accustomed to it." -She held out her hand with a quizzical smile. Gray took it in his -firm clasp, awkwardly, and released her fingers quickly, lest he -should hold them too long. She nodded. - -"Good night, Captain Gray." - -Not until he was without the tent did he reflect that he had admitted -that he was bound for Ansichow. And Ansichow meant the Gobi. - -For a space after his departure Mary Hastings remained in her tent. -She had dismissed the native servant. She was thinking, and it -seemed to please her. But thought, with the girl, required -companionship and conversation. - -Abruptly she left her chair and stepped through the door of the tent. -It was still drizzling without; still, there was a break in the heavy -clouds to the west. Mary noted this, and skipped to the entrance of -the _yurt_ nearest her. - -"It's me, Uncle Singh," she called, not quite grammatically. "Can I -come in?" - -"Of course," a kindly voice answered at once. "Anything wrong?" - -A man sat up on the cot, snapping on an electric torch by the head of -the bed and glancing at a small clock. He was a tall, spare -individual, with the frame of an athlete, polo shoulders, and the -high brow of a scholar. - -He was well past middle age, yellow-brown as to face, deep hollows -under the cheek bones, his scanty hair matching his face, except -where it was streaked with white. - -The girl installed herself snugly on the foot of the bed, sitting -cross-legged. - -"You've been sleeping heavily, _Sher Singh_," she observed -reproachfully, giving the man his native surname, "and that means you -aren't well. I have news." She paused triumphantly, then bubbled -spontaneously into speech. - -"Such news. _Aie_. Captain Robert Gray is here, in Ram Singh's -tent. He is alone, with a servant. He is a big man, not -ill-looking, but awkward--very. He stands so much on his dignity. -Really, it was quite ridiculous"--she laughed agreeably--"and I was -very nicely entertained. He was brought in by the Sikhs, after -trying to steal our ponies----" - -"Lifting our horses!" Sir Lionel sat bolt upright and flushed. -"Why, the scoundrel----" - -"I mean his servant was. Captain Gray was innocent, but I was not -inclined to let him off easily----" - -Mary's conception of important news did not satisfy the explorer's -desire for facts. A peculiarly jealous expression crept into the -man's open face. - -"Has he a well-equipped caravan?" - -"Two mules, a gun and a blanket." - -"How extraordinary!" Sir Lionel stared at his niece. "No camels?" - -"Not one." Mary yawned, and, with a glance at the clock, began to -unbind her heavy hair. It was very late. Her fingers worked -dexterously, while Sir Lionel weighed her words. Unlike his niece, -he was an individual of slow mental process, perhaps too much -schooled by routine. - -"Mary! How did you--ah--behave to Captain Gray?" - -"I took him prisoner." The girl smiled mischievously. "He was so -humiliated, Uncle Singh." - -"I hope," observed Sir Lionel severely, "you warned him of our -identity." - -"Rather. But he implied he was after big game." - -Sir Lionel reached to the light stand and secured a cigarette, which -he lit. His eyes hardened purposefully. - -"I'll _trek_ for Ansichow, at once. I must buy up all the available -camels. If you will retire to your tent, and send my _syce_----" - -"Indeed, no." She frowned worriedly. "You haven't had your sleep -yet." - -Sir Lionel caught her hand in his. - -"No, Mary. You must be aware what this expedition means to me. I -must be first in Ansichow, and into the Gobi. Failure is not to be -thought of. Dear girl, I have thrown my reputation into the dice -bowl----" - -"I know." She patted his hand lightly, and her eyes were serious. -"Only I wish you would let me help a little more." She shook free -the coils of her bronze hair and placed a small hand firmly over his -lips. "I know what you want to say--that you are being ever so kind -and indulging to let me come at all. As if I could be left at Simla -when you went on your biggest hunt, Uncle Singh. Well," she sighed, -"if you must go buy camels, you will. But"--she brightened--"please -leave the wandering American to me. I saw him first." - -Sir Lionel removed the hand that restricted his speech, and frowned -portentously. Mary beamed, twining her hair into twin plaits. - -"Mary!" he said gravely, "please do not annoy Captain--ah--Gray. We -must be perfectly fair with him, you know." - -"Of course," she assured him virtuously. "Haven't I been? He may -not think so when he learns how you've gone camel buying when I -offered him sleeping quarters. He'll forever fear the Greeks bearing -gifts----" - -"_Oolu ka butcha!_" (Child of an owl!) - -"But he shouldn't try to deceive me, should he, Uncle? I fancy he'll -have a rather wretched time of it. He seems somewhat out of his -environment here." - -She nodded decisively. - -"It's his own fault altogether for coming where he has no business to -be and wanting to deprive my _Sher Singh_ of what you worked a -lifetime for." - -"Merely his duty, Mary." - -"But he shall not hinder you in yours." - -She fell silent, no longer smiling. There was a great tenderness in -the glance she cast at the gaunt Englishman. Sir Lionel was her -hero, and, lacking father and mother, all the warmth of the girl's -affection had been bestowed on the explorer. - -She said good-night softly and slipped from the tent. That night she -slept lightly, and was afoot with the first streak of crimson in the -east. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -A MESSAGE FROM THE CENTURIES - -In his snug quarters Gray slept well for the first time in many -nights, feeling the reaction from the constant watchfulness he and -Mirai Khan had been forced to exercise. When he turned out in the -morning the sun was well up, and the men were breaking camp under the -direction of Ram Singh who greeted him coldly. - -When he inquired for Miss Hastings he found that she had gone on to -join her uncle, on a camel with a single attendant. He was forced to -ride with the caravan, after sending Mirai Khan back for the animals. -Ram Singh proved an uncommunicative companion and Gray was glad when -the flat roofs of the town showed over the sand ridges in the late -afternoon. - -The caravan halted at the edge of the town, where the Englishman had -prepared his encampment. The place was a lonely settlement, -populated by stolid Dungans and a few Chinese who ministered to the -wants of merchants passing from Liangchowfu to Kashgar and the cities -of Turkestan. Gray failed to see either the girl or her uncle and -learned that they had gone to pay a visit of ceremony to the -_amban_--the governor--of Ansichow. - -He went to seek out Mirai Khan. The meeting with the Hastings had -put him in a delicate situation. In spite of his own plight, he -determined to confess his mission to the Englishman, having decided -that was the only fair thing to do. He could not accept aid from the -people who were bound to be his rivals in the quest for the Wusun. - -He reflected ruefully that Van Schaick had urged him to reach the -spot in the Gobi before the expedition from India. Van Schaick and -Balch were counting on him to do that--not knowing that Delabar had -been working against him. - -As it stood, both parties had gained the town on the Gobi edge at the -same time. But the Hastings possessed an ample outfit, well chosen -for the purpose and ready to go ahead on the instant. Gray had only -Mirai Khan and two mules. He would need to hire camels, and bearers, -to stock up with what provisions were available, and to obtain a -guide. - -This would take time, and much of his small store of money. -Moreover, if he made clear his purpose to Sir Lionel, it was probable -the Englishman would start at once, thus gaining four or five days on -him. Gray knew by experience the uselessness of trying to hurry -Chinese through a transaction. And he was not sure if Mirai Khan -would go into the desert. - -The Kirghiz had served him faithfully, to the best of his ability so -far. But Mirai Khan had said that the tribesmen shunned this part of -the desert. Then there was the _amban_. It was more than possible -that Wu Fang Chien had sent word to Ansichow to head off Gray. - -It was a difficult situation, and Gray was pondering it moodily when -he came upon Mirai Khan in the bazaar street of the town. The -Kirghiz, who seemed to be excited over something, beckoned him into -one of the stalls, after glancing up and down the street cautiously. - -"Hearken, Excellency," he whispered. "Here I have found a man who -knows what will interest you. He has been much into the desert and -has dug up writings and valuable things which he will sell--at a good -price. His name is Muhammed Bai." - -Gray glanced into the stall, and saw a bent figure kneeling on the -rugs. It was an old Turkoman, wearing spectacles and a stained -turban. Muhammed Bai salaamed and motioned his visitor to be seated. -Gray scanned him with some interest. It was quite possible the man -had some valuable information. Mirai Khan had a way of finding out -things readily. - -"Will the Excellency rest at ease," chattered the Turkoman, peering -at him benevolently, "while his servant shows him certain priceless -treasures which he has dug from the sand among the ruins. Mirai Khan -has said the Excellency seeks the ruins." - -"You have been there?" Gray asked cautiously. He knew the penchant -of the Central Asian for exaggeration. - -"Without doubt. Far, far to the west I have been. To the ruins in -the sand. Other Excellencies have asked concerning them from time to -time but none have been there except myself, Muhammed Bai." - -"What are the ruins like?" - -The merchant waved a thin hand eloquently. "Towers of stone, great -and high, standing forth like guide posts. My father knew of them. -One of the sultans of his tribe dug for treasure there. He found -gold. Aye, he told me the place. I, also, went and dug. Look----" - -With the gesture of a _connoisseur_ displaying a masterpiece, the -Turkoman drew some objects from under a silk rug. Gray stared at -them. They were odd bits of wrought silver and enamel ware, stained -with age. These Muhammed Bai spread before him. - -"They came from the ruins. The Excellency is undoubtedly a man of -wisdom. I need not tell him how old these things are. There is no -telling their value. But I will sell the lot for a very few -_taels_--a ten _taels_." - -The American fingered the fragments curiously. They meant nothing to -him. They might be the relics of an ancient civilization. Muhammed -Bai watched him keenly, and pushed a piece of parchment under his -eyes. - -"Here is a greater treasure. The Excellency will see the worth of -this at a glance. Other foreign merchants have asked to buy this. -But I told them that a high price must be paid. Who would sell a -sacred object to a dog? See, the strange writing----" - -Gray held up the parchment to the light. It was a small sheet, much -soiled. It was covered with a fine writing in characters unknown to -him. He wished that Delabar might be here to tell him its meaning. -If it had come from that section of the Gobi, it was possible that it -shed some light on the Wusun. - -"Mirai Khan, who is my friend, said that the Excellency sought -tidings of the ancient people. Here is such a scroll as may not be -found elsewhere. Perhaps it is priceless. I know not." - -"Can you read it?" - -"Can a servant such as I read ancient wisdom?" Muhammed Bai elevated -his hands eloquently. "But I will sell----" - -He looked up as a shadow fell across the stall. Gray saw that Mary -Hastings was standing in the entrance. Beside her was a tall man, -well dressed. He rose. - -"This is my uncle, Major Hastings, Captain Gray," she smiled. "We -heard that you were in the bazaar. Are you buying curios to take -back with your trophies?" - -Sir Lionel returned the American's bow politely, glancing from -Muhammed Bai to him curiously. Then his eye fell on the parchment. -He leaned forward and uttered a sharp exclamation of interest. - -"Whence came this?" he asked Muhammed Bai, in the dialect of Western -Shensi. - -The Turkoman peered up at him from tufted brows, looking like an -aged, gray hen guarding one of its brood. "From the desert yonder. -I, Muhammed Bai----" - -"What language is the writing?" - -"How should I know, Excellency?" - -"It would be hard to tell." Sir Lionel frowned thoughtfully. "The -characters on the parchment are certainly not the cuneiform of -Behistun; equally, they are no dialect of the older Kashgaria, or -Chinese. These two languages are the only ones we would expect to -find here, except possibly----" - -He broke off, glancing curiously at Gray. - -"Have you a claim to this manuscript, sir? Are you planning to -purchase it?" - -Gray hesitated, feeling the cool gaze of the girl on him. Should he -buy the parchment it would be useless to him, as he could not -interpret the writing. On the other hand, if he let Sir Lionel have -it, the parchment might prove an aid to the English expedition. -This, naturally, he was bound to prevent. - -"I will buy it," he concluded, and added quickly, "as a curio." - -"To add to your big game trophies?" asked Mary Hastings calmly. - -While he tried to think of an answer, Sir Lionel handed him the -parchment. - -"It might serve as a curio, Captain Gray. But, in all fairness, I -must warn you. The writing is a counterfeit, cleverly done. You -see, it is my life's business to know the ancient languages of -Central Asia. This is adapted from some inscription which Muhammed -Bai has doubtless seen. The parchment is skillfully colored to -appear aged. But the black ink is freshly laid on." - -Gray smiled grimly, while the Turkoman stared at the white men, -endeavoring to guess what they were saying. - -"And these bits of silver?" The American motioned to the relics that -lay on the rug. - -"Are worthless, except--as curios. Being a hunter, Captain Gray, I -presume the authenticity of the objects will not affect your desire -to purchase them." - -Sir Lionel spoke dryly, and the girl scrutinized him with frank -amusement. - -"My uncle has heard of Muhammed Bai," she volunteered. "He is an old -impostor who makes a living selling false manuscripts to travelers in -Khotan and Kashgar. Perhaps he had heard we were coming to Ansichow. -I rather think your precious Kirghiz is in league with Muhammed Bai." - -Mirai Khan caught the drift of what she said--having a slight -knowledge of English, and retired discreetly to the bazaar alley. -Gray reflected on the curious ethics of Central Asia which permitted -a servant to take money from his master by trickery, while he still -served him faithfully. It was one of the riddles of Asian -ethics--which he had encountered before. He knew that the girl was -probably right. - -He tossed down the money for the parchment and pocketed it, as he had -said that he would buy it. Sir Lionel checked him, as he rose. - -"That manuscript is--interesting," he observed thoughtfully. -"Because Muhammed Bai must have had a model to copy this writing -from. The characters resemble Sanscrit slightly, but they suggest -Tokharian, with which this man can not be acquainted." He turned on -the blinking merchant sharply. "Tell me, writer of false missives," -he said in Turki, "from what did you copy these letters?" - -There was something eager and threatening in the face of the tall -Englishman that choked off Muhammed Bai's denial. - -"It is as I said, Excellency. The writings were found in the desert." - -"Where?" - -"A week's ride from here, to the west." - -"Near Sungan--eh? How did you find them?" - -The Turkoman was sullenly silent. Sir Lionel dropped a coin on the -rug. It was gold. - -"Ah, the Excellency is generous as a prince of the royal household!" -cried Muhammed Bai. "It was on a stone--a boundary stone at the -place I said--that I found the writings. See, here is the stone." - -He scrambled to his feet, bowing, and hastened to the rear of the -stall. He cast off some rugs from the top of a pile, disclosing a -piece of brown sandstone some three feet high and a foot in -thickness. On the surface of the stone Gray saw characters engraved, -characters that were strange to him. - -But not to Sir Lionel. The Englishman dropped to his knees with an -exclamation, whipping out his eyeglasses. He ran his finger over the -writing on the sandstone. - -"A form of Sanscrit!" he cried. "By Jove--three centuries old, at -least. Four, I should judge. And here is the character -corresponding to the Chinese word Wusun, the Tall Ones.' Remarkable! -This evidently was one of the boundary marks of the Wusun land." - -He peered at the inscription intently, forgetting the American in his -enthusiasm. - -"Hm--it was erected by one of the khans of the Tall People. _By a -slave of the Chinese Emperor_. It speaks of the captive race of the -Wusun. Plainly they were even then under the _kang_ of the Chinese -priests. 'In the city of Sungan are the captive people ... greatly -fallen since the age when they were conquerors ... they cling to -their hearths and towers ... in the sand. There they will always -be----'" - -He broke off his reading and glanced up at Gray. "Splendid! I must -take a rubbing of this." - -He ordered Muhammed Bai to bring charcoal and a clean sheet of paper. -The charcoal he rubbed over the stone. Then he pressed the paper -firmly against it, beating the sheet with his fists until the outline -of the inscription was imprinted on the paper. This he surveyed -triumphantly. - -"Excellent! Captain Gray, I am indebted for your"--he -smiled--"involuntary assistance. Will you dine with us? Mary will -be glad of company, I am sure. I must place this where it will be -safe." - -He hurried off, followed by the girl and Gray. Neither spoke during -the walk to the outskirts of Ansichow. The American was regretting -the bad fortune that had concealed the truth of his mission from the -Hastings. He was in the position of a culprit obtaining valuable -information from his rivals, without intending to do so. This -information he was in duty bound to use to his own advantage. - -He had determined to set matters right by revealing to his host his -purpose in seeking the Gobi. And the dinner would afford him an -opportunity to do so. - - -The camp of the Hastings was located in a garden which surrounded a -spring near the caravanserai of Ansichow. Sir Lionel, disliking the -filth of the caravanserai which bore evidence of much use by not -over-fastidious Chinese travelers, had pitched his tents in the -garden, making his own _dak_ bungalow, as he called it. - -It was late evening, and the table had been set under the fly of the -main tent, used by the girl. It was the quiet hour of evening -prayer. Sheep boys were driving their flocks homeward for the night -along the road a short distance away. There was a slight -breeze--enough to clear the air of the ever-present dust--which -barely shook the sides of the tent. Two Indian servants laid an -appetizing meal before their masters. - -Sir Lionel, elated by his discovery, talked of the city of Sungan. -Once or twice he checked himself, as if he feared he was saying too -much. But his eagerness was not to be restrained. - -"The stone proves the existence of Sungan, and gives us a rough idea -of its location. Judging from the inscription, the Wusun have clung -to their heritage. I think we shall find some survivors in Sungan." - -"I thought you said the inscription was a form of Sanscrit," objected -Gray. "And the Wusun are Chinese----" - -"Ah, that is just the point." Sir Lionel reared his blond head, like -a setter at scent of game. "Sanscrit is an Aryan language. The -white race buried here in the Gobi called themselves the Tall People. -Wusun is the Chinese translation of that term. Their own written -tongue is probably the dialect we saw on the boundary stone, which is -Aryan. A clear chain of proof, Captain Gray." - -"But," the American objected honestly, "my follower, Mirai Khan, has -hunted the borderland of the Gobi and he says positively no city is -to be seen. The stone is four centuries or more old----" - -"Mirai Khan," said the girl quickly, "can not see under the sand, can -he? He seems to be bent chiefly on stealing horses." - -Sir Lionel, however, was not to be turned from the discussion which -filled his mind. "You forget the sand that Mary mentions, Captain -Gray," he retorted warmly. "This is, literally, a sea of sand. And -the waves are rising. We are sure that certain towns in the -foothills of the Thian Shan have been buried by these waves. You -see, the prevailing winds here are from the east. They drive the -sand dunes before them. I have noted that the dunes march -westward----" - -"Before you go on, Sir Lionel----" protested the American, -remembering his intention to make a clean breast of things. - -"Not a word, sir. Not another word. Be quiet, Mary"--as the girl -started to speak--"I will not be contradicted. It is a scientific -fact that the sands march. During the _kara burans_ or black -wind-storms they will progress many feet a day. Sungan was built on -the great caravan route from China to Samarcand and Persia, many -centuries ago. Marco Polo followed this route when he visited the -court of Kubla Khan." - -"But," Gray broke in, "I want----" - -"I say, it is a fact, sir. Prove the contrary. You can't!" Sir -Lionel glared at him hostilely. "I am right. Without doubt, I am -correct. Sungan has been buried by the marching sands. Only the -towers remain." - -Gray thought of the tale Delabar had mentioned--of the sand that came -down on the city of the Gobi, as retribution for some sin against the -religions of Asia. Also, Mirai Khan had said no city was to be seen. -And Brent had claimed to see some isolated towers. - -"These towers," he started to explain what was in his mind. - -"Are the summits of the palaces of Sungan, sir. In them I shall find -the white race of Asia, the captive people of the Wusun." - -"But, Uncle," protested the girl, "the stone was erected four hundred -years ago. If the Chinese had wanted to, they might have killed off -the remaining Wusun since that time." - -"The ancient Chinese annals," observed Sir Lionel tolerantly, "state -that the Wusun, the 'Tall Ones,' were formidable fighters. The Sacae -or Scythians from whom they are descended were one of the conquering -races of the world. It is this heritage of strength which has -preserved the remnant of the Wusun--for us to find." - -Gray faced the Englishman across the table. Sir Lionel had changed -to a neat suit of clean duck for the meal. Mary was fastidiously -dressed in white, a light shawl over her slender shoulders. He felt -keenly his own untidy attire. Moreover, the girl seemed bent on -making fun of him. - -"Captain Gray is a hunter, you know, Uncle," she remarked, glancing -coolly at the uncomfortable American. "Really, your talk about the -Wusun must bore him. He has come to shoot antelope. Or is it wild -camels, Captain Gray?" - -Gray met her glance steadily. He saw that she was heart and soul -with Sir Lionel in the latter's quest, and guessed that his own -confession must terminate any possibility of friendship between them. - -"Neither," he said gravely. "I have meant to tell you before this. -But at first I was so surprised at finding----" - -"That we guarded our ponies, Captain Gray?" The girl's eyes twinkled -and she bit her lip. - -"A white woman instead of a Chinaman--I didn't confess, as I should -have done." - -"But Mirai Khan confessed." - -Gray flushed. "I was sent to the desert, Sir Lionel, to find the -Wusun. I am employed by the American Exploration Society. And I am -going to do my best to get to Sungan--ahead of you, if possible." - -The effect of his words was curious. The girl studied him silently. -Sir Lionel stroked his blond mustache, plainly ill at ease. Neither -seemed surprised. - -"So you see," Gray made the statement as blunt as possible, "I am -your rival. I meant to tell you before. Naturally, it is my duty to -use the information you have given me. But I want to make my -position clear before we go any further." - -Sir Lionel's first words were not what Gray expected. - -"You are not a scientist, sir?" - -"I am not. Professor Delabar, who was to have come with me, was -forced to turn back at Liangchowfu." - -"Then you are alone? Without a caravan?" - -"For the present. I'm going to do my best to outfit at Ansichow and -get ahead of you, Sir Lionel." Gray rose. "I suppose I'm not -exactly welcome here, after what I've told you----" - -The Englishman waved his brown hand tolerantly. - -"I like your frankness, Captain Gray. Pray be seated. We are -rivals, not enemies, you know. But"--the zeal of the enthusiast -shone from his mild eyes--"I shall never permit you to reach Sungan -ahead of me. I have studied the Wusun for years. I persuaded the -British Asiatic Society to send me here. It is the crowning venture -of my life, sir." - -The girl looked up proudly. - -"Indeed, that is true, Captain Gray. My uncle has spent our money on -the trip. His reputation is at stake. Because few of the directors -of the Asiatic Society believe the Wusun are to be found----" - -"They are mistaken, Mary," Sir Lionel assured her. "I know that I am -right. The fact that Captain Gray was sent here is proof of it. I -shall reach Sungan--the first white man to penetrate the forbidden -region of the Gobi. The boundary stone has indicated our course, and -I will not yield the right of way to Captain Gray, or any one. Any -one, I repeat, sir!" - -He struck the table forcibly and rose, mastering his emotion in a -moment. - -"I pray, sir," he said with the fine courtesy of the English -gentleman, "if we are to be rivals, you will not deny us the pleasure -of your company while we are at Ansichow. After that, you know, it -is each man for himself. Now, I will go to read over my rubbing----" - -He bowed stiffly and walked into the adjoining tent. Gray found that -the girl was watching him curiously. - -"So Delabar went back," she said musingly. "I wondered why he was -not with you when you came to my _yurt_ after Ram Singh----" - -She colored slightly. Gray noticed how the fading sunlight glinted -on her copper hair, and set off the fine lines of her slender figure. -A thoroughbred, he thought--like her uncle. - -"Ram Singh did exactly right," he admitted. "But how----" - -"Did I expect Delabar?" She hesitated. "Well, I have a confession, -too, Captain Gray. I knew all along--or rather suspected--what you -were. At Calcutta Sir Lionel received this letter." - -She felt in her belt and drew out a square of folded paper. This she -handed silently to Gray. - - -Captain Gray, an American army officer, and Professor Delabar are on -their way to the Gobi. It will be useless for you to attempt the -expedition, as they will be there before you. Do not waste your time -by going into China. - - -This was the letter. It was written in a neat hand and unsigned. - -"Did the envelope have a postmark?" he asked. - -"Yes, San Francisco." - -He handed it back to her. The writing he recognized as Delabar's. -The Syrian, then, had tried to prevent the Hastings from setting out. -As he had done his best to keep Gray from reaching the Gobi. Why? - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE DESERT - -The next day Gray dispatched Mirai Khan to the _amban's_ yamen to try -to hire the necessary camels. He thought it better not to go -himself. Without the consent of the Chinese official nothing could -be done, as the _amban_ would expect a liberal commission on every -transaction in Ansichow. Also the official had a dozen ill-armed and -ill-minded soldiery in the town barracks--enough to enforce his -authority on Gray, although the Hastings' party was numerous enough -to be independent of the Chinese. - -Gray himself wandered moodily through the few streets of the village. -Since the conversation of the evening before he had been restless. -He had slept badly. Although he would not admit it to himself, the -thought of Mary Hastings had preyed on him. - -So it happened that his wandering took him to the camp of the -Hastings. - -He found Mary seated under the fly of the stores tent, inspecting and -tallying a stock of provisions that Ram Singh had purchased. She -looked up and nodded coolly at his approach. - -"You are busy, Miss Hastings," he observed. "But I want to ask a -favor. A half hour of your time." - -The girl poised a pencil over her accounts doubtfully. Ram Singh -scowled. - -"We can talk here, Captain Gray," she compromised, "while I work. -Sir Lionel wants these stores----" - -"We can't talk here very well," objected Gray. "What I have to say -is important. Last night your uncle gave me some valuable -information. I want to give you return value for it." - -"Where?" - -Mary Hastings had the brisk manner of one accustomed to transacting -business. Gray learned later--after the disaster that came upon them -in the Gobi--that she handled the routine work of her uncle's -expeditions, and very capably, too. - -"Outside here, in the garden," he suggested. She hesitated; then -rose, reaching for her sun helmet. A dilapidated wall encircled the -camp, and a few aloes struggled for existence by the tumble-down -stones. - -Mary climbed the stones, refusing assistance from the American, until -she perched on the summit of the garden wall. Here she could -overlook the activity in the camp as she listened. - -A haze hung in the air--born of the incessant flurries of fine sand -that burden the atmosphere in the Gobi. But from their small -elevation, beyond the low buildings of Ansichow, Gray could see the -plain of dunes that marked the desert. A dull brown they were, -stretching to the long line of the horizon in the west. - -Gray was silent, admiring the girl's profile. There was something -slender and boyish about her. Her dress was plain, and excessively -neat. Under the crown of her helmet a few strands of copper hair -curled against her tanned cheek. - -Mary glanced at the watch on her wrist significantly. - -"I'm afraid you are very lazy, Captain Gray," she said frankly. "I -warn you that we are going to lose no time in starting from Ansichow." - -"I am lazy," he agreed. "But I don't want you to start at all." - -She looked at him calmly. "Why?" - -"That's what I wanted to tell your uncle. I'm going to be as frank -with you as I intended to be with Sir Lionel. Miss Hastings, the -Gobi Desert--" - -"Is not safe for a woman, I presume?" - -"Exactly. If Sir Lionel knew all that I do, he would not want you to -go with him. He'll have to go, of course. So will I. But you can -stay here with Ram Singh until we get back. The Sikh is a good -watchman. Sir Lionel can join you when he returns." - -Mary rested her chin on her hands and scrutinized the aloes with -friendly interest. "Why do you think it is dangerous for me to go -to--Sungan?" - -"I have a good reason for my warning, Miss Hastings. Two reasons. -One--Sungan seems to be guarded by the Chinese priests. You have -avoided them by coming up through Burma into Mongolia. I've had a -taste of their kindly disposition." - -He told her briefly of the opposition of Wu Fang Chien, the episode -of the inn at Liangchowfu, and the fears of Delabar. - -"So your companion turned back because he was afraid?" She smiled -curiously. "What is your other reason, Captain Gray?" - -"Sickness. That was what Delabar chiefly dreaded, I think. Brent, a -missionary, went past the Gobi border here--and died of sickness. I -don't say he was killed. He died." - -"We are equipped to deal with that. I have means to purify the water -we may have to use in the oases." - -"It's not a question of water, in this case. Brent had his own. You -may think I'm running to fancy a bit, Miss Hastings. But there's -Mirai Khan. I've sounded him thoroughly. He is clearly afraid of -the Sungan region, and of the pale sickness. I don't know what it -is--don't even know that it exists. Still, the fact remains that -Mirai Khan, who is a fearless sort of rascal, says his countrymen -avoided this part of the Gobi on account of the plague--whatever it -may be." - -"All Kirghiz are liars by birth and environment. Really, you know, -Captain Gray, the Buddhist priests invent such stories to keep -visitors from their shrines. The coming of foreigners weakens their -power." - -"That may be true." Gray felt he was stating his case badly. "But -you haven't established contact yet with the amiable Wu Fang Chien. -Having a woman along would handicap Sir Lionel." - -Her brows arched quizzically. - -"Really? The _amban_ of Ansichow and his men do not seem to be -trying to prevent us from going ahead." - -"Because they couldn't very well if they wanted to. But, did it -strike you that you have already come so far that the Chinese are not -worrying about you? That, if you go into the Gobi, they will count -you lost. I've gathered as much, and Mirai Khan has listened in the -bazaars. Won't you stay at Ansichow, Miss Hastings?" - -His blunt appeal had a note of wistfulness in it. The possible -danger to the girl had haunted him all that day. It would be useless -he felt, to appeal to Sir Lionel. Mary Hastings was not in the habit -of obeying her uncle's commands in matters affecting her own comfort -or safety. - -"And leave Sir Lionel to go alone into the Gobi?" - -"Yes. He's bound to take the risk. You are not. I'm afraid your -uncle is too wrapped up in his researches to pay much heed to -possible danger. I don't think a white woman should take the risk." - -Mary Hastings smiled slowly. She had a way of looking directly at a -man--unlike most women--that disturbed Gray. He felt that he was -blundering. - -"Sir Lionel," she replied, "has set his heart on being the first -white man in Sungan. He has staked his reputation as a scientist on -this expedition. You do not know how much it means to him. If he -finds the Sungan ruins and the descendants of the Wusun, he will have -vindicated his judgment. If he fails it will be his last expedition. -It is hard for a man of his age to fail. He has many rivals, at home -and--in America." - -"But you----" - -"Sir Lionel needs me. I attend to the management of the caravan. -And he can not spare Ram Singh." - -She tossed her small head. - -"Don't you think, Captain Gray, you've tried enough to spoil our -chances of success? Isn't it rather mean of you to try to frighten -me into leaving _Sher Singh_?" Mary Hastings was suddenly growing -angry. Gray was committing the unpardonable sin of endeavoring--so -she assured herself--to separate uncle and niece. - -She wanted to be angrier than she was. But the wall perch was a bad -strategic position for a display of temper, which she considered he -had earned. - -"You know that it would weaken our chances of success to divide our -caravan!" she accused, feeling for foothold on the stones beneath. - -Gray was unable to account for the swift change in mood. What had he -said to offend her? He had meant it only for her good. - -"No, Miss Hastings," he flushed. "I simply wanted to warn you of -real danger." - -The girl slid down the rocks to the earth. She stamped a neatly shod -foot disdainfully. Gray was oblivious of the fact that the maneuver -had been planned for this purpose. She was plainly very angry. He -wondered why, miserably. - -"I thought you were a sportsman, Captain Gray--even if you were not a -big game hunter as you pretended. I find I am mistaken. Good -afternoon." - -"Good Lord!" Gray watched her slight figure return to the tent and -set his teeth. "Good Lord!" He smiled ruefully. "Horse -thief--schemer--I wonder if there's anything else that she thinks I -am. Guess there's nothing else bad enough." - -He climbed down from his rocks and left the encampment, avoiding Ram -Singh who was ushering in a line of coolies as he did so. The Sikh -strode by with a scowl. - -So easily are quarrels made. And a woman, so fate has ordained, has -the first voice in their making. But it is doubtful if Mary Hastings -herself could have explained why she treated Gray as she did. -Divinely is it decreed that a woman may not be asked to explain to a -man. - -Gray hesitated, half minded to seek out Sir Lionel and ask that the -girl be kept in Ansichow. Realizing that this would be useless, he -returned to his tent on the further side of the town. Mirai Khan was -not there. - -It was a good three hours before the Kirghiz appeared. Three hours -in which Gray smoked moodily. Mirai Khan had news. - -"Come, Excellency," he observed importantly. "Yonder is a sight you -should see. Verily, it is a fine sight." - -Gray took his hat and followed his companion to a knoll, where the -Kirghiz pointed out to the plain. - -Half a mile away a caravan of a dozen camels in single file was -making its way into the sand dunes, leaving a dense haze of dust in -its wake. He could see through his glasses Sir Lionel and Ram Singh -on the leading beasts. - -Near the end of the caravan he saw Mary Hastings. He thought that -she turned and looked back at him. He could not be sure. He watched -the slight figure with its veil about the sun helmet pass from view -in the dust. - -Then he walked back silently to the tent, beckoning Mirai Khan to -follow. - -"Have you the camels?" he asked when they were seated on the tattered -rug that formed the tent floor. - -"No, Excellency. The camels may not be hired." - -"Then buy them." - -Mirai Khan yawned and regarded his master with the benevolent -scrutiny of the fatalist. - -"It may not be. There were but eight two-hump camels in Ansichow, -and these the Englishman bartered when he first came, in exchange for -his tired beasts. He paid well." - -"Well, buy the camels he left." - -"That would be folly. A week must pass before these eight can bear -burdens. They are nearly dead with hard use. The Englishman did not -spare them." - -Gray frowned meditatively. He must have beasts of burden, to carry -at least ten days' stock of water, with necessary food. The Gobi was -a barren land. - -"Do you think a trader's caravan may visit Ansichow, Mirai Khan?" - -"Perhaps. In another moon, or possibly three or four. Why should -they come to this dung-heap in the sand?" - -"Coolies might carry our supplies--if we paid them enough." Gray -knew that this would be risky; but he was not in a position to -choose. Time was pressing. Mirai Khan smiled, showing yellow, -serried teeth. - -"No, Excellency. An ounce of gold apiece will not bribe these -Chinese to come into the Gobi." - -"The Kirghiz?" - -Mirai Khan squinted thoughtfully at the glare of sunlight without the -tent. "Is the Excellency determined to go into the Gobi?" - -"Yes." - -"What God wills, will come to pass. I, Mirai Khan, have helped you -to safety. For the space of ten days I have eaten the food you have -killed. Because of this, I shall go a part of the way into the Gobi. -Also, a tribe of Kirghiz should be here within four days, from the -northern steppe. It may so happen that some of these will come with -us. I know not." - -"Four days!" Gray groaned. - -"Likewise, the men of this tribe will not be carriers of burdens. It -is not their custom." - -"Mirai Khan: why is it that you fear the city of Sungan? I thought -you were a brave man." - -Gray's purposeful taunt failed of its effect. Mirai Khan stared at -him and spat out into the sand. - -"The region of Sungan is unclean. It is the law of the Prophet that -no one shall touch what is unclean." - -"But you do not know that," cried the exasperated white man. "You -are running from a shadow." - -"A shadow may betoken evil. My father said it, and it is so." - -Gray sighed. "Then buy a half dozen mules. They can carry our -stores. Watch for the coming of the tribe you spoke of. When they -are here let me know. Meanwhile, purchase water jars, flour, rice -and tea sufficient for six men for three weeks." - -The Kirghiz blinked understandingly. - -"It is written that a white man shall go into the desert from here," -he assented. "What is written will come to pass. It is also said by -our priests that a white man's grave is waiting in the Gobi. If this -thing also comes to pass, I and my comrades will bury you, so the -kites will not make a meal of your eyes--for once you saved my life." - -Whereupon the hunter turned over on his side and went to sleep, -leaving Gray to his own thoughts. They were not cheerful. - -The Hastings had left for Sungan. They had camels and would make -good time. With luck, if they escaped the black sand-storms, they -should be at their destination in seven or eight days. No wonder, he -thought, Sir Lionel had spoken frankly to him about the inscription, -when he had all the camels bought. - -Camels could move faster than mules, over the bad footing. Gray -would make his start four days--three if the Kirghiz arrived -promptly--later than Sir Lionel. And he would fall behind steadily. - -If it had been possible, he would have gone alone. But he could not -carry the necessary food and water for ten days. For a moment he -pondered the advisability of pushing on alone as soon as the mules -could be bought. - -This plan he dismissed as useless. Mirai Khan had assured him that -it would take at least two days to get the animals and the needed -supplies. Also, he would be without a guide--for Mirai Khan would -not start until the tribesmen arrived. - -It would be tempting providence for one man to venture with a string -of mules into the Gobi. Even so, Gray might have attempted it if he -had a guide. - -There was nothing for it but to wait. And Gray passed the time as -best he could, overhauling his rifle and small stock of ammunition, -and packing with the help of Mirai Khan the food the latter bought -for him. - -Fate moves in strange ways. If Gray had started before the four days -were up, the events that took place in the Gobi would have shaped -themselves differently. For one thing, he would not have seen the -tracks of the wild camel in the sand. - -Nor would he have heard the story of the pale sickness. - -As Mirai Khan had assured him, the Kirghiz tribe appeared at Ansichow -the evening of the third day. The hunter took Gray to their _aul_ -near where Sir Lionel's encampment had been. - -Acting as interpreter, he harangued the newcomers. Moreover, as he -informed the American later, he did not translate what Gray said -literally. If he had done so, he asserted, they would not have gone -into the Gobi. - -The reason that Mirai Khan set forth seemed sufficient, for after -long debate, the elder of the tribe and two evil looking hunters -consented to accompany Gray. They agreed to go on foot. Somewhat to -the American's surprise nothing was said about turning back. - -He broke camp at dawn, and the cavalcade of mules passed out of -Ansichow with Mirai Khan leading. By the time the sun had broken -through the mist they were well into the sand dunes. - -There had been no wind-storm since the Hastings passed that way and -Mirai Khan was content to follow the camel tracks. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -TRACES IN THE SAND - -It was monotonous work climbing the dunes that rose to meet them out -of the ocean of sand. Added to this was the feeling of isolation, -which is never so great as in the wastes of Central Asia. There were -no birds or game to be met with. Only once did they hit on water. -This was at their third camp, and the camel tracks showed that the -Hastings had visited the oasis. - -Owing to the high altitude, the exertion affected Gray; but he made -the best of this necessary evil and pressed ahead. On the fourth day -they lost the trail of the other caravan and Gray shaped his course -by compass. He knew that Sir Lionel had planned to strike due west. - -It was that night they discovered the tracks of the wild camel. - -Gray had turned out from his blankets at sun-up and was warming his -stiff limbs over the fire the others had kindled--for the autumn -chill was making itself felt in the nights. He found Mirai Khan and -the Kirghiz excited. - -They had seen tracks about the encampment. - -The hunters showed them to Gray, who thought at first the imprints -were left by the Hastings' caravan. Mirai Khan, however, assured him -that the tracks had not been there the evening before. Also, the -hoof marks were smaller than those of the domestic camel, and not -quite as deep in the sand. - -Mirai Khan showed him where the tracks appeared, and passed around -the camp twice, then led away over the dunes. - -"It is the mark of a wild camel, Excellency," he said. "Of one that -has come to look at us." - -"And why should this not happen?" - -Mirai Khan scratched his thin beard, plainly uneasy. - -"It is a good omen," continued Gray, perceiving this. "For by this -wild camel we may have meat." - -He had heard that these animals, although rare, were sometimes seen -in the southern Gobi. Beyond wishing that this particular camel had -waited until the light was good enough for a shot, Gray thought -little of the matter. Not so the Kirghiz. The hunters conferred -earnestly with Mirai Khan and appeared reluctant to go on. - -"If you see the beast," he added, impatient at the delay, "we shall -try a stalk. We need meat." - -Mirai Khan grunted and spat stolidly. - -"Never have I shot a wild camel, Excellency. My father has said that -when we sighted the tracks of one, it is well to return quickly." - -Inwardly, Gray consigned the spirit of Mirai Khan's ancestor to -another region. Approaching the tether of the leading mule, he -motioned to the Kirghiz to set out. They obeyed reluctantly. - -"Are you men or children?" he asked. "You will have no pay until we -sight the ruins of Sungan." - -He wondered, as he trudged forward, whether this speech had been a -mistake. The Kirghiz were clearly sulky. Mirai Khan was more silent -than usual. Gray noticed that whenever they topped a rise he scanned -the plain intently. The behavior of his guides at this point -mystified him. The Kirghiz were naturally far from being cowards. -Certainly they had neither fear nor respect for the Chinese of -Ansichow. Being Mohammedans they were indifferent to the Buddhist -priests. - -Yet the glimpse of wild camel tracks had set these men--hunters by -birth--into a half panic. - -Gray gave it up. He was walking moodily by the leading mule, -pondering his failure--for he could no longer conceal from himself -the fact that he must reach Sungan a good week after the -Hastings--when he saw Mirai Khan pause on the top of a dune. The -hunter's figure stiffened alertly, like a trained dog at gaze. - -Gray scrambled up the slope to the man's side. At first he saw only -the brown waste of the dunes. Then he located what Mirai Khan had -seen. He raised and focussed his glasses. - -Some distance ahead a man was moving toward them. It was a white -man, on foot and walking very slowly. Gray recognized Sir Lionel -Hastings. - -Followed by the Kirghiz, he approached the Englishman. Sir Lionel -did not look up until they were a few paces away. Then he halted, -swaying from the weariness of one who has been walking for a long -time. - -He was without coat, rifle, or sun helmet. His lean face was lined -with fatigue. The hand that fumbled for his eyeglasses trembled. -His boots and puttees were dust stained. - -"Is that you, Captain Gray?" he asked uncertainly. - -"Yes, Sir Lionel. What's up? Where's the caravan?" Gray had been -about to ask for Mary, but checked himself. "You'll want a drink. -Here----" - -The Englishman shook his head. Gray observed that his bald forehead -was reddened with the sun; that his usually well-kept yellow hair was -turned a drab with the dust. - -"I had water, thanks. Back there, by the tamarisk tree. The caravan -camped there for the night, two--or three days ago. I don't remember -which." He wheeled slowly in his tracks. "Come." - -A moment's walk took them to the few bushes and the tamarisk. There -a well had been dug. Sir Lionel refused to mount one of the mules, -although he was plainly far gone with exhaustion. At the time Gray -was too preoccupied to notice it, but the Kirghiz--as he recalled -later--were talking together earnestly, looking frequently in their -direction. - -The Englishman moved, as he spoke, automatically. He walked by dint -of will power. When Gray, knowing the strength of the sun, placed -his own hat on the man's head Sir Lionel thanked him mechanically. - -It was this quiet of the man that disturbed Gray profoundly. There -was something aimless and despairing in his dull movements. Gray, -seeing how ill he was, refrained from asking further questions until -they were seated in the small patch of shadow. The Kirghiz retired -to a neighboring knoll with their rifles. - -"It was near here we discovered camel tracks--wild camel tracks." - -The words startled Gray, coming on top of the dispute with Mirai Khan -that morning. - -"Did you lose the caravan?" he exclaimed. "Good Lord, man! Where is -Mary?" - -"I've lost the caravan," said Sir Lionel. "And Mary as well." - -Sudden dread tugged at Gray's heart. - -"At Sungan." - -Sir Lionel looked up at the American, and Gray saw the pain mirrored -in his inflamed eyes. - -"Was she with Ram Singh?" - -"Ram Singh is dead." - -"The others?" - -"Killed. I do not think that Mary was killed." - -Gray drew a deep breath and was silent. From the knoll the hunters -watched intently. - -"I will tell you what happened." Sir Lionel drew his hand across his -eyes. "The sun--I'm rather badly done up. No food for two days. -No----" as Gray started to rise. "I'm not hungry." - -He lay back on the sand with closed eyes. His face was strained with -the effort he made to speak. Yet what he said was uttered clearly, -with military brevity. - -"The night after we sighted the camel tracks we were attacked in -force. I think that was four nights ago. There was a crescent moon. -Of course I had stationed sentries. They gave the alarm. There was -a brisk action." - -"Who attacked you?" - -"Ram Singh said they might have been a party of wandering Kirghiz. -We did not see them clearly in the bad light. Peculiar thing. They -seemed to be afoot. When they beat a retreat, after exchanging -shots, we looked over the ground. No footprints. Only camel tracks. -And they carried off their wounded." - -Gray wondered briefly if Sir Lionel's mind had been affected by the -sun. But the Englishman spoke rationally. Moreover, Mirai Khan had -been alarmed when they first sighted the imprints in the earth. - -"Our guides--Dungans, you know--said attackers were guards of Sungan. -We did not see them again. Late the next afternoon a _kara buran_ -passed our way. We pitched tents when the wind became bad, inside -the circle of our beasts. When the storm cleared off, I made out -through my glasses the towers of Sungan." - -Sir Lionel looked up with a faint flash of triumph. - -"I was right. Sungan is a ruined city, buried in the sand. Only the -towers are visible from a distance. We were about a half mile from -the nearest ruins." - -He sighed, knitting his brows. He spoke calmly. Gray was familiar -with the state of exhaustion which breeds lassitude, when long -exposure to danger, or the rush of sudden events, dulls the nerves. - -"It was twilight when Mary and I started to walk to the towers, with -two servants. I was eager to set foot in the ruins. And I did -actually reach the first piles of debris. You won't forget that, -will you, old man? I was the first white man in Sungan." - -Gray nodded. He felt again the zeal that had drawn Sir Lionel -blindly to the heart of the Gobi. And had perhaps sacrificed Mary to -the pride of the scientist. But he could not accuse the wearied man -before him of a past mistake. - -"Go on," he said grimly. - -"It was late twilight. I forgot to add that our Dungans deserted -after the first skirmish. Frightened, I expect. Well, Mary and I -almost ran to the ruins. She was as happy as I at our success--what -we thought was our success. So far, we had seen no human beings in -the ruins. There were any number of tracks, however, and vegetation -that pointed to the presence of wells." - -"Then Mary and I discovered the Wusun." Sir Lionel laughed suddenly, -harshly. He gained control of himself at once. "They came--these -inhabitants of Sungan--from behind the stone heaps and out of what -seemed to be holes in the ground. As I said, it was late evening, -and I could not see their faces well. Still, I saw----" - -He checked himself, and fell silent, as if pondering. Gray guessed -that he thought better of what he was going to say. - -"They were unarmed, Captain Gray, but in considerable force. They -ran forward with a lumbering gait, like animals. They were dressed -in filthy strips of sheepskin, which gave out a foul smell. I had my -revolver. Still, I hesitated to shoot down these unarmed beggars. -They did not answer my hail which was given in Persian, then in Turki. - -"Seeing that they were plainly hostile, I began to shoot. They came -on doggedly, apparently without fear of hurt. And my two men ran. -One was a brave boy, Captain Gray--a syce who had been with me for -several years. Yet he threw away his rifle and ran. I saw two of -the men of Sungan pull him down." - -Gray shivered involuntarily, thinking of the girl that Sir Lionel had -brought to this place. - -"I do not understand why it happened," the Englishman observed -plaintively. "We had given these men no cause to attack us. I -believe they were not the same fellows who rushed us the night -before. For one thing, these had no arms. There were women among -them. They gave me the impression of dogs, hunting in a pack. They -must have been waiting for us in cover." - -"What happened to the caravan?" - -"Rushed. The Sungan people got to it before Mary and I could gain -the camp. Our boys were surprised. Only a few shots were fired. -The camels took fright and ran through the tents. I saw Ram Singh -and another try to get out to me with spare rifles. The Sikh, who -had the rank of Rifleman, shot very accurately. But the Sunganis -came between us, and I saw him go down fighting under a pack of men. -Mary and I turned aside and tried to escape into the sand dunes." - -Sir Lionel raised himself unsteadily on an elbow. - -"Do not think, Captain Gray, that I abandoned Mary of my own will. -It was dark by then. We could hear the men hunting us through the -dunes. A party of them descended on me from a slope. My revolver -was emptied by then. I knocked one or two of them down and called -out for Mary. She did not answer. They had taken her away. If they -had killed her, I would have come on her body. But she was gone." - -"Did you hear her call to you?" Gray asked from between set lips. - -"No. She is a plucky girl. In my search for her, I passed out of -sight of the men who were tracking me. I could not remain there, for -they were tracing out my footprints. They have an uncanny knack at -that, Captain Gray. As I said, they reminded me of dogs." - -He looked at his companion, despair mirrored in his tired eyes. - -"I had two alternatives after that--to stay near Sungan, unarmed, or -to return, in the hope of meeting you. I knew you would be likely to -follow our tracks as far as you could. Possibly you would sight this -brush. I made my way back here. A little while ago I sighted the -dust of your caravan." - -Gray was silent, breaking little twigs from the bush under which they -sat and throwing them from him as he thought. Sir Lionel's story was -worse than he had expected. Mary Hastings was in the Sungan ruins. -She might even now be dead. He put the thought from him by an effort -of will. - -The full force of his feeling for the girl flooded in on him. From -the night when her servants had seized him in the _aul_ she had been -in his thoughts. It was this feeling--the binding love that -sometimes falls to the lot of a man of solitary habits, whose -character does not permit him to show it--that had led him to warn -her against going into the Gobi. And it was this that had urged him -after her with all possible haste. - -Now the Hastings' caravan had been wiped out and Mary was in the -hands of the men of Sungan. - -"We'll start at once," he said quietly. "That is, if you feel up to -it." - -The Englishman roused with an effort and tried to smile. - -"I'm pretty well done up, I'm afraid, Captain Gray. But put me on a -mule, you know. I'll manage well enough." Gray knew that he was -lying, and warmed to the pluck of the man. "I must not delay you." - -"We should be at the ruins in thirty-six hours." - -"Right! Where's the mule----" he broke off as Mirai Khan appeared -beside them. - -"Excellency!" The Kirghiz's eyes were wide with excitement. "I have -seen men with rifles approaching on two sides." - -"Bring your mules into the brush, Captain Gray," said Sir Lionel -quickly. "And place your men behind the boxes of stores. You will -pardon my giving orders? These are undoubtedly the same fellows who -exchanged shots with us a little further on. If you can spare a -rifle----" - -The American handed him the piece slung to his shoulder, with the -bandolier of cartridges. The Kirghiz hunters were already leading -the mules to the brush. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A LAST CAMP - -Gray had no means of knowing who the newcomers were, but experience -had taught him the value of an armed front when dealing with an -unknown element. And Sir Lionel's story had excited his gravest -fears. - -Under the American's brisk directions the Mohammedans unloaded the -animals and tied them near the well. The stores they carried to the -outer bushes. Mirai Khan primed his breechloader resignedly. - -"Said I not the wild camel tracks were a warning?" he muttered in his -beard. "Likewise it is written that the grave of a white man shall -be dug here in the Gobi. What is written, you may not escape. You -could have turned back, but you would not." - -"Take one man," ordered Gray sharply, "and watch the eastern side of -the brush." - -"A good idea," approved the Englishman, who had persuaded one of the -hunters to place the roll of the tent in front of him. He laid the -rifle across the bundle of canvas coolly. "We must beat off these -chaps before we can go ahead." He nodded at Gray, calmly. - -Gray left one of the hunters with Sir Lionel, well knowing the value -of the presence of a white man among the Kirghiz. He himself took -the further side of the triangle to the north. The knoll was on a -ridge that ran roughly due east and west. The nearest sand ridges -were some two hundred yards away. Behind them he could see an -occasional rifle barrel or sheepskin cap. - -By this arrangement, at least three rifles could be brought to bear -in any quarter where a rush might be started; likewise, they could -watch all menaced points. But their adversaries seemed little -inclined to try tactics of that sort. They remained concealed behind -the dunes, keeping up a scattering fire badly aimed into the knot of -men in the brush. - -This did small damage. The Kirghiz, once the matter was put to an -issue, proved excellent marksmen, and gave back as good as they -received. Gray, watching from his post under a bush, fancied that -two or three of Mirai Khan's shots took effect. He himself did not -shoot. An automatic is designed for rapid fire at close range, not -for delicate sniping. - -But Sir Lionel was at home with a rifle. Glancing back under the -tamarisk Gray saw him adjust his eyeglass calmly, lay his sights on a -target, and press the trigger, then peer over his shelter to see if -his effort had been successful. The Englishman evidently had seen -action before--many times, Gray guessed, judging the man. - -"A reconnoissance in force, I should call it, old man," the -Englishman called back at him. "I think we are safe here. But the -delay is dangerous." - -He paused to try a snap shot at the dune opposite. Gray scanned the -ground in front of him, frowning. He knew that Sir Lionel was as -impatient as he to start for Sungan. There was no help for it, -unless the attacking party could be driven off. - -Gray had been pondering the matter. Their adversaries appeared to be -a small party, and they had suffered at least three or four -casualties in the first hour. Gray's force was still intact. - -As nearly as he could make out the men behind the dunes were -Chinese--border Chinese, and ill armed. Why they attacked him, he -did not know. Mirai Khan had taken it for granted. - -"Any one who enters this part of the Gobi seems to be marked for -execution," he thought grimly. "If that's the case, two can play at -it. And we've got to start before nightfall." - -Cautiously he wormed his way back into the bushes to the side held by -Mirai Khan. To this individual he confided what was in his mind. -The Kirghiz objected flatly at first. But when Gray assured him that -unless they did as he planned, night would catch them on the knoll, -and they would be unable to fight off a rush, he yielded. - -"If God wills," he muttered, "we may do it. And I do not think I -shall die here." - -Blessing the fatalism of his guide for once, Gray summoned one of the -hunters. He removed a spare clip of cartridges from his belt and -took it in his left hand. This done, he nodded to the two Kirghiz, -straightened and ran out along the ridge, on the side away from Sir -Lionel. - -The maneuver took their enemies by surprise. One or two shots were -fired at the three as they raced along the dune and gained the summit -behind which the Chinese had taken shelter. Gray saw four or five -men rise hastily and start to flee. - -He worked the trigger of his automatic four times, keeping count -carefully. Accurate shooting is more a matter of coolness than of -skill. Two of the Chinese fell to earth; another staggered and ran, -limping. The survivors picked up the two wounded and disappeared -among the dunes. - -"_Hai!_" grunted Mirai Khan in delight, "there speaks the little gun -of many tongues. Truly, never have I seen----" - -"Follow these men," commanded Gray sternly. "See that they continue -to flee." Motioning to the other Kirghiz, he trotted back across the -ridge to the further side. Here he was met with a scattering fire -which kicked up some dust, but caused no damage. - -The Chinese on this side of the white men's stronghold had learned -the fate of their fellows and did not await the coming of the "gun of -many tongues." - -Gray saw a half dozen figures melting into the dunes, and emptied the -automatic at them, firing at a venture. He thought at least one of -his shots had taken effect. Pressing forward, he and the Kirghiz ---who had gained enormous confidence from the display of the -automatic--drove their assailants for some distance. When the -Chinese had passed out of sight, Gray hurried back to the knoll. - -There he found Sir Lionel seated with his back against the roll of -canvas with the excited Kirghiz. - -"The coast seems to be clear," observed Gray. "We can set out----" - -The Englishman coughed, and tried to smile. "I stay here, I'm -afraid," he objected. "It's my rotten luck, Captain Gray. One of -the beggars potted me in that last volley. A chance shot." - -He motioned to his chest, where he had opened the shirt. The cloth -was torn by the bullet. "Touched the lung, you know"--again he -coughed, and spat blood--"badly." - -Gray made a hasty examination of the wound. It was bleeding little -outwardly; but internal bleeding had set in. - -"We'll have to get you back to Ansichow," he said with forced -cheerfulness. "A mule litter and one of the Kirghiz will do the -trick." - -"No, it won't, old man." Sir Lionel shook his head. "I'd never get -there. One day's travel would do me up. I'll stick--here." - -Mirai Khan, who had rejoined the party, drew his companions aside and -talked with them earnestly. Gray did what he could to make the -Englishman comfortable. Assisted by the hunters, who worked -reluctantly, he had the tent pitched, and laid the wounded man on a -blanket, where he was protected by the canvas from the sun. - -This done, he filled and lighted his pipe and sat beside his friend, -smoking moodily. - -"You'll find a cigarette in my shirt pocket," said Sir Lionel -quietly. "Will you light it for me? I've enough lung--to smoke, -and----" he cleared his throat with difficulty. "Thanks a lot. I've -something to say to you. Won't take--a minute. Fever's set in. -Must talk. Last message, you know." - -He smiled with strained lips. - -"Strange," he added. "Thought it only happened--in books." - -Gray watched the shadows crawling across the knoll, and frowned. Sir -Lionel, he knew, could not survive another day. With the death of -his friend, he would be alone. And he must find Mary Hastings. He -wondered what the Englishman wished to tell him. - -"You know," began the other, seizing a moment when his throat was -clear, "I said I'd seen the faces of the men of Sungan. They had -their hands on me, and I saw them close. I did not tell you at first -what I deduced from that." - -Gray nodded, thinking how the explorer had broken off in the middle -of a sentence in his story of two hours ago. - -"Don't forget, Captain Gray----" a flash of eagerness passed over the -tanned face--"I was the first in Sungan. I want the men who sent me -to know that. Well, the faces I saw were white--in spots." - -Gray whistled softly, recalling the words of Brent. The missionary -had said that the man he saw in the Gobi was partially white. Also, -Mirai Khan had said the same. - -"Those men, Captain Gray, were not white men. They were afflicted -with a disease. I've seen it too often--to be mistaken. It is -leprosy." - -Mechanically, Gray fingered his pipe. Leprosy! This sickness, he -knew, caused the flesh of the face to decay and turn white in the -process. And leprosy was common in China. - -"I've been thinking," continued the Englishman, "while I was waiting -to sight your caravan. There are lepers in the ruins of Sungan. -That may be why the spot is isolated. The Chinese have leper -colonies." - -"Yes," assented Gray. Neither man voiced the thought that was -uppermost in his mind, that Mary had been seized by these men. -"Mirai Khan told me that Sungan was an unclean place. The -Kirghiz--who are fairly free from the disease--avoid Sungan. -Delabar, my companion, feared it, I think." - -"This explains the myth of the white race in the Gobi--perhaps. And -the guards." - -"Mirai Khan said that men were brought from China, from the coast, to -the sands of Sungan," added Gray grimly. "God--why didn't they warn -us?" - -"You were warned, Captain Gray. Our caravan traveled as secretly as -possible. I--I paid no attention to what the Chinese said. They -have their secrets. I should have been more cautious. I made the -mistake of my race. Overconfidence in dealing with natives. I -wanted to be the first white man in Sungan." - -He paused, reaching for a cup of water that Gray had filled for him. -The American watched him blankly. So the talk of the pale sickness -had proved to be more than legend. And he had discovered the root of -Delabar's dread of the Gobi. Why had not the scientist said in so -many words that Sungan was a leper colony? Doubtless Delabar had -known that Gray would not turn back until he had seen the truth of -the matter for himself. - -Had Wu Fang Chien reasoned along similar lines? It was natural that -the Chinese authorities had not wanted the American to visit one of -the isolated leper colonies. Wu Fang Chien had discovered Gray's -mission. And the mandarin had been willing to kill Gray in order to -keep him from Sungan. The Asiatic had tried to keep the white man -from probing into one of the hidden, infected spots of Mongolia. Was -this the truth? Gray, heart-sick from what Hastings had told him, -believed so. Later, he came to understand more fully the motives -that had actuated Wu Fang Chien. - -"Remember," continued Sir Lionel wearily, "we learned that the Wusun -were captives. The stone itself--the boundary stone we found at -Ansichow--said as much." - -"But the stone referred to the Wusun as conquerors." - -"Some legend of a former century. Another of the riddles--of Asia. -I'm afraid, Captain Gray, we've failed in our mission. And it has -cost--much." He coughed, and raised his eyes to Gray. "We have -found the lepers of Sungan. And we have let them take Mary. I'm out -of the game, rather. And I'd prefer to die here than in a mule -litter. You've done all for me you can." - -Gray made a gesture of denial. The pluck of the Englishman, facing -inevitable death, stirred his admiration. Lack of vitality, more -than the wound, made it impossible to get Hastings out of the Gobi -alive. Knowing this, Sir Lionel treated his own situation as -indifferently as he might have disposed of a routine question of -drill. - -"I didn't tell you about the lepers at first," he continued, "because -I was afraid you might lack the nerve to go on. I wouldn't blame -you. But I've seen you under fire--and I know better." - -"I'm going after Mary," said Gray grimly. - -Sir Lionel nodded. - -"Of course. Not much of a chance; but--I'm glad." He coughed and -wiped his lips. "You were right, Captain Gray. She--she told me -what you said at Ansichow. I regret that she--offended you. I have -spoiled her, you know. A dear girl----" His cough silenced him. - -Gray sought for words, and was silent. Neither man liked to reveal -his feelings. - -"My heedlessness brought Mary to Sungan, Captain Gray. Now I'm -asking you to make good my mistake, if possible----" - -"Excellency!" The shaggy head of Mirai Khan appeared between the -tent flaps. "I must speak with you." - -Gray went outside, to find the Kirghiz scowling and ill at ease. In -their faces the sun was vanishing over the plain of the Gobi, dyeing -the bare, yellow hillocks with deep crimson. A brown lizard trailed -its body away from the two men, leaving the mark of its passage in -the sand. - -"Excellency, the hour of our parting is at hand. I go no further. -The debt I owed you for saving my life I still owe, but--you will not -turn back from Sungan. Hearken, hunter of the mighty little gun. I -and my comrades followed the tracks of our enemies. They were camel -tracks." - -"Nonsense," growled Gray. "Those were men with guns. You saw them." - -"And I saw the prints in the sands. They were not the tracks of men, -but of camels. It is an evil thing when men are like to animals. My -comrades were filled with a great fear. They have departed back to -Sungan, taking the mules, for their pay----" - -Gray glanced quickly about the encampment. It was empty, except for -the tent. - -"What is written may not be changed," uttered the Kirghiz -sententiously. "The others are gone, and I will follow. God has -forbidden that we remain in this evil spot. Because of my love for -you, I have left you the rifle, standing against the wall of the -cloth house, with its strap. If it is your will, you may shoot me -with the little gun of many tongues, because I am leaving you. But I -think you will not. I could have gone without your knowing." - -Gray surveyed the hunter moodily. Mirai Khan smiled affectionately. - -"Even if you had threatened to shoot us, Excellency, we would not -have taken another pace nearer Sungan. The spot is unclean. And why -should you shoot us--for saving our lives? My comrades said that -soon you will be dead, and would not need the mules, so they took the -animals. I do not know if you will die, or not. You have the quick -wits of a mountain sheep, and the courage of a tiger. But I fear -greatly for you. He who is inside----" - -Mirai Khan pointed to the tent. - -"He who is inside will die here. Did I not foretell a white man -would die? But you will go on, for the men of Sungan have taken the -white woman who warmed your heart. I have eyes, and I have seen your -love for the woman." - -Gray walked to the rifle and inspected it. The chamber was empty, -and the cartridges had gone from the bandolier. Sir Lionel had used -up the small supply in the belt. Gray had no reserve ammunition. Wu -Fang Chien had taken that. He handed the weapon to Mirai Khan. - -"I have no more bullets for it," he said briefly. "Take it. Also, -send word to the nearest white missionary behind Ansichow. Tell him -what has passed here, and that I set out to-night for Sungan. Ask -him to send the message back to my country, to this man." - -On a sheet of paper torn from a corner of the maps he still carried, -Gray wrote down Van Schaick's name and address. - -"It shall be done as you say," acknowledged the hunter, placing the -paper in his belt. "The gun is a fine gun. But the little one of -many tongues is better. Remember, we could have fallen upon you in -the house of cloth and taken all you had. My comrades wished to do -it, but I would not, for we have eaten salt together." - -Mirai Khan lifted his hand in farewell, caught up the precious rifle, -and hurried away, calling over his shoulder, "I must come up with the -hunters before dark, or they will take the mule that is mine and -leave me. As you have said, your message shall be sent." - -He vanished in the dunes to the east, his cloth-wrapped feet moving -soundlessly over the sand. Gray watched him go. He could not force -the Kirghiz to continue on to Sungan. Even if he tried to do so, he -had seen enough to know that from this point on Mirai Khan would be -useless to him. - -Before returning to Sir Lionel he made a circuit of the ridge and -inspected the footprints where their enemies of the afternoon had -passed. He saw a network of curious prints, marks of broad, splay -hoofs. Occasionally, there was a blood stain. - -He had been too far from the attacking party to notice their -feet--and too busy to think about any such matter. But, undeniably, -as Mirai Khan had said, here were camel tracks and nothing else. - -"The devil!" he swore. "I certainly saw those Chinese--and they were -men. Probably a trick--it certainly worked well enough to scare my -guides." - -He dismissed the matter with a shrug and made his way back to the -tent. - -"Anything gone wrong?" asked the Englishman. - -"Nothing new," Gray evaded, unwilling to distress Sir Lionel with the -truth. - -"Then you'll be setting out, I fancy." He spoke with an effort. -"I'll do nicely here--if you'll fill my water jar, and light the -candle I see beside it. Don't leave me food--can't eat, you know. -Deuced hemorrhage----" - -Gray left him coughing, and filled the jar at the well. Also his own -canteen which was slung at his belt. He lit the candle and placed it -in the sand by the Englishman. Sir Lionel counted the cigarettes -that lay beside the candle. - -"They'll last--long enough," he whispered. "Close the tent, please, -when you go out." - -As if a giant hand had blotted out the light, the tent became darker. -Sir Lionel looked up. "Sunset," he muttered, "no parade. I'll keep -to my barracks." - -Gray turned away. He could see that the man was nerving himself to -be alone, and mustering his strength for the coming ordeal. The -Englishman was utterly brave. - -The American adjusted the blankets, and placed the remaining -food--some flour cakes--in his shirt. Sir Lionel forced a smile. - -"Right!" he whispered. "Strike due west--moonlight will show you -compass bearings. Watch out for the ruins. Know you'll get Mary -out, if it can be done. Good-by and good luck!" - -"You're game!" exclaimed Gray involuntarily. "Good-by." - -The Englishman adjusted his eyeglass as they shook hands. -"Remember--due west." - -Gray glanced back as he closed the curtains of the tent and tied the -flap cords. Sir Lionel was lighting himself a cigarette at the -candle. - -That was the last he saw of Major Hastings. Sir Lionel died without -complaint, a brave man doing his duty as best he could. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -GRAY CARRIES ON - -As his friend had predicted, Gray was able to watch his compass by -moonlight, within an hour. It was a clear night. The stars were out -in force with a trace of the white wisp clouds that hang above a dry, -elevated plateau. - -Sir Lionel was out of the game, and with him the Kirghiz hunters. -Gray was alone for the first time since his visit to Van Schaick the -evening that he had contracted to find the Wusun. He smiled grimly -as he thought how matters had changed. - -Here he was at the gate of the Wusun, the captive race. But Sir -Lionel had found them hardly what Gray expected. A leper's colony is -not a pleasant thing to visit. And this one was unusually well -guarded. Behind these guards, in the ruins of Sungan, was Mary -Hastings. - -This thought had gnawed at the American's heart for the past twelve -hours. The girl he loved--he could no more conceal that fact from -himself than he could lose sight of the Gobi--was among the lepers. -Was she alive? He did not know. The guards of Sungan did not seem -overmerciful. But why should they kill her? - -No, he reasoned, she was alive. She must be alive. And she was -waiting for help to come. She might have discovered that her uncle -had escaped in the fight before the ruins. And she knew that Gray -was coming to Sungan in their tracks. - -What Gray was going to do after he found the girl, he did not know. -He had long ago discovered that a multitude of difficulties confuse -and baffle a man. He had trained himself to tackle only one thing at -a time; not only that, but to think of only one thing. If he found -Mary, there would be time to consider what would come next. - -The thought of the girl urged him on, so that it was hard to keep an -even pace. But he was aware of the uselessness of blind haste. He -struck a steady gait which he could keep up for hours, a swift walk -that left the dunes behind rapidly. - -These dunes, he noticed, were not as high as at first. The desert -was becoming more level, the soil harder. At some points the clay -surface appeared between the sand ridges. - -Gray did not try to eat. Nor did he drink, knowing the folly of that -at the beginning of a march. In time he would do both, not now. - -The man's powerful frame enabled him to keep up the pace he had set -without fatigue or loss of breath. This was the secret of Gray's -success as an explorer--his careful husbanding of his great vitality, -and his refusal to worry over problems that lay in the future. - -When the vision of Mary flashed on him as he watched the summits of -the dunes, silvered by the cold moonlight, he put it aside -resolutely. The last sight of the girl--the slender figure perched -jauntily on the camel as she rode away after their quarrel--tormented -him from time to time. In spite of himself an elfin chord of memory -visioned the friendly gray eyes, and the delicate face of Mary -Hastings. - -Gray set himself to considering his situation, realizing that he had -desperate need of all his wits if he was to face Sungan and its -people. - -First there was the puzzle of the camel tracks that had frightened -Mirai Khan. These tracks had been left by the party that had -attacked Sir Lionel and himself. They had been sighted the day -before. - -It was possible that the first prints they had seen were those of one -of their enemies, and that this man had carried the news of their -coming to his companions. It would have been easy for the men of the -camel feet--as Gray thought of them--to trail his party without being -seen among the dunes. Or else, they might have been following Sir -Lionel. - -Gray decided that this was what had happened. The men of the camel -feet had been tracking the Englishman. - -This deduction led to another. The Hastings party had been attacked. -Failing to turn them back, their assailants might have sent word of -their approach to Sungan. - -"Let's see what I know," mused Gray methodically. "Camel feet armed -with guns beaten off by Hastings' caravan--send news to Sungan. -Ambuscade prepared at Sungan ruins for Sir Lionel. He walks into it. -After attack by lepers, camel feet take up pursuit of him, tracking -him back to well, where they engage us." - -Then the camel feet constituted a kind of outer guard of Sungan. -They were poor fighters and seemed to have no heart for their work. -The men who had wiped out the caravan were another kind. Sir Lionel -had distinctly said they were not armed. They were lepers. - -There was then an outer and an inner guard of Sungan. The -outer--composed of an indifferent soldiery--had been seen by the -missionary Brent. The captive these guards had been pursuing had -undoubtedly been a leper, escaped from the colony. - -Had Brent been done to death by the Chinese who knew what he had -seen? If so, then Mary---- - -Gray groaned at the thought and the muscles of his jaw tightened. - -"I'm through the outer guards," he forced himself to reason. "But -there's one thing that calls for an answer. Why do the Chinese force -the lepers to drive off intruders? The poor devils are not good -fighters. No better than the driven dogs Sir Lionel pictured them. -They must have a hard master." - -It was possible, of course, that the Chinese priests who were masters -of Sungan had forced the lepers to attack the caravan as a last -resource, after Sir Lionel's men had driven off the outer guards. In -China human life has a low value, and that of a leper is a small -matter. Such a proceeding would be in keeping with the cruelty of -the priests--who saw their own power and the prestige of ancient -Buddha waning with the inroads of civilization. - -He was growing physically tired by now, to some extent. This growing -weariness took toll of his thoughts, and brought the image of Mary -before his memory. - -He pictured her as he had first seen her--a slender figure in the -bright tent, mistress of well-trained servants. Gray had loved her -from the first. It seemed to him it had been a long time. As nearly -as he had ever worshiped anything, he worshiped the girl. - -There had been no other women in his life. He smiled ruefully, -reflecting upon his blundering effort to help the girl. And she was -now far removed from his help. It appalled him--how little he might -be able to aid her. - -With another man, this fear might have turned into reckless haste, or -blind cursing against the fate that had befallen Mary Hastings. Gray -pressed on silently, unhurried, the flame of his love burning -fiercely. - -In this manner he would go on until he had found her, or those who -had taken her. There was no alternative. Mirai Khan would have said -that Gray was a fatalist, but Mirai Khan did not know the soul of a -white man. - -"If only I am not too late," he thought. "I must not be too late. -That could not happen." - -Gray had no words to frame a prayer. But, lacking words, he -nevertheless prayed silently as he walked. - -The stars faded. The moon had disappeared over the plain in front of -the American. The dunes turned from black to gray and to brown, as -the sunrise climbed behind him. - -Gray sat down on a hillock, and drew out his flour cakes. -These--some of them--he chewed, washing them down with water from his -canteen. - -Had Sir Lionel lived to see that day? Gray thought not. Mirai -Khan's prophecy had born fruit. - -A few feet away an animal's skull--a gazelle, by the horns--peered -from the sand. Gray watched it quietly until the sun gleamed on the -whitened bone. Then he rose, stretching his tired limbs, and pressed -on. - -Late that afternoon he sighted the towers of Sungan slightly to the -north of his course. - - -Working his way forward, Gray scanned the place through his glasses. -He was on the summit of a ridge about a half mile from the nearest -towers. The ruins lay in the center of a wide plain which seemed to -be clay rather than sand. - -At intervals over the plain sand drifts had formed. Gray wondered if -it was from behind these that the lepers had advanced on the -Hastings' caravan. In the center of the plain trees and stunted -tamarisks grew, indicating the presence of water. - -Throughout this scattered vegetation the ruins pushed through the -sand. Sir Lionel had been correct in his guess that the desert sand -had overwhelmed the city. Gray could see that only the tops of the -tumble-down walls were visible--those and the towers which presumably -had been part of the palaces and temples of ancient Sungan. Even the -towers were in a ruined state. - -They seemed to be formed of a dark red sandstone, which Gray knew was -found in the foothills of the Thian Shan country, to the north. He -judged that the structures were at least five or six centuries old. -He saw some portions of walls which were surmounted by battlements. -And the towers--through the glasses--showed narrow embrasures instead -of modern windows. - -The sight stirred his pulse. Before him was the ancient city of the -Gobi that had been the abode of a powerful race before it was invaded -by the advancing sands. Past these walls the caravan of Marco Polo -had journeyed. The great Venetian had spoken of a city here, where -no modern explorers had found one. He had called it Pe-im. - -And in the ruins Mary Hastings might be still living, in desperate -need of him. - -What interested Gray chiefly were the people of the place. He was -too far to make them out clearly, and only a few were visible. This -puzzled him, for Sir Lionel had mentioned a "pack of lepers." - -He was able to see that the people were of two kinds. One was robed -in a light yellow or brown garment. Several of these men were -standing or sitting on ridges outside the ruins. Gray guessed that -they were sentinels. - -Furthermore, he believed them to be priests. The other kind wore -darker dress and appeared from time to time among the ruins. They -were--or seemed to be, at that distance--both men and women. - -The thought of the girl urged Gray to action. It would be the part -of wisdom to wait until nightfall before entering the city. But he -could not bring himself to delay. - -He was reasonably sure, from the conduct of the men acting as -sentinels, that he had not been seen as yet. He had planned no -course of action. What he wanted to do, now that he had an idea of -the lay of the land, was to get hold of one of the men of Sungan, -leper or priest, and question him about the white woman who had been -taken prisoner. - -Mary had been in Sungan at least three days and nights. Surely the -people of the place must know of her. Once Gray had an idea where -she was kept, he would be able to proceed. - -The venture appeared almost hopeless. How could he enter the ruins, -find the girl, and bring her out safely? What would they do then? -How was he to deal with the lepers, whose touch meant possible -contagion? - -But he was hungry for sight of Mary--to know if she was still alive. -He could not wait until night to learn this. He marked the position -of the nearest men in his mind, returned the glasses to their case, -loosened his automatic in its sheath, and slipped down from his -lookout behind the ridge. - -"I've cut out sentries," he mused grimly, "but not this kind. They -don't seem to be armed." - -In fact, the men of Sungan were not armed--with modern weapons. But -they had a deadly means of defense in the disease which bore a -miserable death in its touch. - -Gray, for once, blessed the continuous dunes of the Gobi. He went -forward cautiously, keeping behind the ridges and edging his way from -gully to gully, crawling at times and not daring to lift his head for -another look at the sentinels he had located. - -His sense of direction was good. He had crawled for the last half -hour and the sun was well past mid-day when he heard voices a short -distance ahead. - -Removing his hat, Gray peered over the sand vigilantly. He found -that he had come almost in the line he had planned. A hundred yards -away two figures were seated on a rise. They wore the yellow robes -he had first noticed. - -As he watched, one rose and walked away leisurely toward the ruins. -The other remained seated, head bent on his clasped arms which rested -on his knees. There was something resigned, almost hopeless, in the -man's attitude. - -Gray waited until the first priest had had time to walk some -distance. Then he wriggled forward alertly. - -He had no means of knowing that others were not on the further side -of the ridge where the sentry sat. But he heard no further voices, -and he had ascertained carefully before he set out that these two -were isolated. - -Reasonably certain of his prey, Gray pulled himself from stone to -stone, from depression to depression. Once the man looked -up,--perhaps at a slight sound. Then his head fell on his arms -again. Gray rose to his feet and leaped toward the ridge silently. - -Eyes bent on the still figure of the priest, he gained the foot of -the dune. The man stiffened and raised his head, as if he had sensed -danger. Gray was beneath him by now, and stretched out a powerful -arm. - -His hand closed on a sandaled foot and he pulled the priest down from -his perch. Gray's other hand clamped on the man's mouth, preventing -outcry. They were sheltered from view from Sungan by the ridge, and -the American believed no one would notice the disappearance of the -priest. - -"If you cry out, you will die," he said in Chinese, kneeling over the -other. Cautiously he removed his hand from the priest's mouth. - -"Tell me--" he began. Then--"It's a white man!" - -He peered at the dark, sunburned face, and the newly shaven skull. - -"Delabar," he said slowly. "Professor Arminius Delabar, minus a -beard. No mistaking your eyes, Professor. Now what, by all that's -unholy, are you doing here in this monkey rig?" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE YELLOW ROBE - -The man on the sand was silent, staring up at Gray in blank -amazement. It was Delabar, thinner and more careworn than before. -Shaven, all the lines of his face stood out, giving him the -appearance of a skull over which yellow skin was stretched taut--a -skull set with two smoldering, haggard eyes. - -"Speak up, man," growled Gray. "And remember what I said about -giving the alarm. I don't know if this costume is a masquerade or -not, but--I can't afford to take chances this time." - -Delabar did not meet his gaze. He lay back on the sand, fingers -plucking at his thin lips. - -"I can't speak," he responded hoarsely. - -"You can. And you will. You'll tell me what I want to know--this -time. You lied to me before. Now you'll deal a straight hand. This -is not an idle threat. I must have information." - -Delabar glanced at him fleetingly. Then looked around. No one was -in sight, as they lay in a pocket in the sand. - -"What do you want to know?" - -"A whole lot. First--how did you get here? I thought all white men -were barred." - -"Wu Fang Chien," said Delabar moodily. "He caught me the day after I -left you. He shot the coolie and had me brought here." - -"What's the meaning of that?" Gray nodded contemptuously at the -yellow robe. - -"Wu Fang Chien punished me. He forced me to join the Buddhist -priests who act as guards of Sungan. He did not want me to escape -from China. Here, I was safe under his men." - -"Hm. He trusts you enough to post you as one of the sentries." - -"With another man. The other left to attend a council of the -priests. My watch is over at sunset. In two hours." - -Gray scanned his erstwhile companion from narrowed eyes. He decided -the man was telling the truth, so far. - -"Will these Buddhist dogs come to relieve you at sunset, Delabar?" - -"No. The priests do not watch after nightfall. Some of the lepers -we--Wu Fang Chien can trust make the rounds." - -"Is Wu Fang Chien in control here--governor of Sungan?" - -Delabar licked his lips nervously. Perspiration showed on his bare -forehead. "Yes. That is, the mandarin is responsible to the Chinese -authorities. He has orders to keep all intruders from Sungan--on -account of the lepers." - -Gray smiled without merriment. - -"You say the priests stand guard. Are they armed?" - -"No. Not with guns. Any one who tries to escape from here is -followed and brought back by the outer guards--if he doesn't die in -the desert." - -"I see." Gray gripped the shoulder of the man on the sand. "Did you -hear me say I wanted the truth, not lies? Well, you may have been -telling me the letter of the truth. But not the whole. Once you -said 'we' instead of Wu Fang Chien. Likewise, I know enough of -Chinese methods to be sure Wu wouldn't punish a white man by -elevating him to the caste of priest. You're holding something back, -Delabar. What is your real relation to Wu?" - -Delabar was silent for a long time. Staring overhead, his eyes -marked and followed the movements of a wheeling vulture. His thin -fingers plucked ceaselessly at the yellow robe. - -"Wu Fang Chien," he said at length, "is my master. He is the -emissary of the Buddhists in China. He has the power of life and -death over those who break the laws of Buddha. I am one of his -servants." - -Delabar raised himself on one elbow. - -"A decade ago, in India, I became a Buddhist, Captain Gray. -Remember, I am a Syrian born. I spent most of my youth in Bokhara, -and in Kashgar, where I came under the influence of the philosophers -of the yellow robe. I acknowledged the tenets of the Buddha; I bowed -before the teachings of the ancient Kashiapmadunga and the wisdom -that is like a lamp in the night--that burned before your Christ. -And I gave up my life to 'the world of golden effulgence.'" - -A note of tensity crept into his eager words. The dark eyes -reflected a deeper fire. - -"Earthly lusts I forswore, for the celestial life that is born by -ceaseless meditation, and contemplation of the _Maha-yana_. I was -ordained in the first orders of the priesthood. That was the time -when foreign missionaries began to enter China in force, in spite of -the Boxer uprising and the revolt of the Tai-pings. The heads of the -priesthood wanted information about this foreign faith, and the -peoples of Europe. They wanted to know why the white men sought to -disturb the ancient soul of China." - -Gray whistled softly, as Delabar's character became clear. - -"I was sent to Europe. At first I kept in touch with the priesthood -through Wu Fang Chien. Then came the overthrow of the Manchus, and -the republic in China. But you can not cast down the religion of -eight hundred million souls by a _coup d'état_. The priesthood still -holds its power. And it is still inviolate from the touch of the -foreigner." - -Gray knew that this was true. The scattered foreigners who had -entered the coast cities of China, and the missionaries who claimed a -few converts in the middle kingdom were only a handful in the great -mass of the Mongolians. In the interior, and throughout Central Asia -and India, as in Japan, the shrines of Buddha, of Vishnu, and the -temple of the Dalai Lama were undisturbed. And here, not on the -coast, was the heart of Mongolia. Delabar continued, almost -triumphantly. - -"Word was sent to me from Wu Fang Chien--who had heard the news from -a Chinese servant of the American Museum of Natural History--that an -expedition was being fitted out to explore Central Mongolia. I was -ordered to volunteer to accompany it." - -"And you did your best to wreck the expedition," assented Gray. - -"I liked you, Captain Gray. I tried to persuade you to turn back. -At Liangchowfu it was too late. When you escaped from Wu Fang Chien -there, he held me responsible for the failure. The priesthood never -trusted me fully." - -"In my religion," said Gray grimly, "there is a saying that a man can -not serve two masters and save his own soul." - -Delabar shivered. - -"The priesthood," he muttered, "will not forgive failure. Wu Fang -Chien is watching me. You can do nothing here. Go back, before we -are seen together. Sungan is nothing but a leper colony. You were a -fool to think otherwise." - -"And the Wusun?" - -"Lepers! They are the only ones here except the priests." - -Gray's eyes hardened. - -"A lie, Delabar. Why should Wu Fang Chien kill a dozen men to keep -the English caravan and myself from Sungan?" He caught and held -Delabar's startled gaze. "Where is Mary Hastings?" - -"I--who is she?" - -"You know, Delabar. The girl who came with the caravan. She was -taken prisoner. Where is she?" - -"I don't know." - -Gray touched his automatic significantly. - -"I want to know," he said quietly. "And you can tell me. It is more -important than my life or your miserable existence. _Where is Mary -Hastings?_" - -Delabar cowered before the deadly purpose in the white man's eyes. - -"I don't know, Captain Gray. Wu Fang Chien ordered that when the -caravan was attacked, she should be brought to him. Not killed, but -taken to him. Some of the priests seized her and took her to one of -the inner courts of the city. At the time, Wu Fang Chien was -directing the attack on the caravan. I have not seen her since." - -"Where is this inner court?" - -"You are a fool. You could not possibly get into the ruins without -being seen. Wu Fang Chien would be glad to see you. I heard him say -if the girl was spared, you would come here after her. He knew all -that happened at Ansichow----" - -"Then she is alive!" Gray's pulses leaped. "So my friend Wu is -keeping the girl as bait for my coming. A clever man, Wu Fang Chien. -But how did he know Sir Lionel had told me what happened at Sungan?" - -"The Englishman was followed, back to where he met you. If he had -been killed in the fighting here, I think Wu Fang Chien planned to -send me to bring you here----" - -"Yes, he is clever." Gray studied the matter with knitted brows. -"So Wu wants to kill me off, now that I have come this far--as he did -the men of the caravan? Look here! Does he know I'm near Sungan? -Were you put here as--bait?" - -"No," Delabar shook his head. "The men who were sent to attack -you--the Chinese soldiers hired by Wu Fang Chien--lost track of you. -Wu Fang Chien does not know where you are--yet. If he should find -you here talking to me, it would be my death. I--I have learned too -much of the fate of the Hastings. Oh, they were fools. Why should -your people want to pry into what is hidden from them? Go back! You -can do nothing for the girl." - -Gray stared at the Buddhist curiously. - -"You haven't learned much decency from your religion, Delabar. So -the outer guards failed to make good, eh? By the way, how is it that -they leave camel tracks in the sand?" - -"They wear camels' hoofs instead of shoes. Hoofs cut from dead wild -camels that the Chinese hunters kill for our food--for the lepers. -It helps them to walk on the sand, and mystifies the wandering -Kirghiz. Why do you want to throw your life away----?" - -"I don't." Gray sat down and produced some of his flour cakes. "I -want to get out of Sungan with a whole skin, and with Mary Hastings." -He munched the cakes calmly, washing down the mouthfuls with water -from his canteen. "And I'm going to get into the inner courts of -Sungan. You're going to guide me. If we're discovered, remember -you'll be the first man to die. Now, Delabar, I want a good -description of Sungan, its general plan, and the habits of your -Buddhist friends." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -BASSALOR DANEK - -Nightfall comes quickly after sunset on the Gobi plain. Waiting -until the shadows concealed their movements, Gray and Delabar started -toward the city of Sungan. - -The moon was not yet up. By keeping within the bushes that grew -thickly hereabouts, Delabar was able to escape observation from a -chance passerby. The man was plainly frightened; but Gray allowed -him no opportunity to bolt. - -"You'll stay with me until I see Mary Hastings," he whispered -warningly. - -A plan was forming in the American's mind--a plan based on what -Delabar had told him of the arrangement of the buildings of Sungan. -The lepers, he knew, lived in the outer ruins, where he had seen them -that afternoon. In the center of the Sungan plain, Delabar said, was -a depression of considerable extent. Here were the temples and -palaces, the towers of which he had seen. - -This, the old city, was surrounded by a wall. Delabar said it was -occupied by the priests. And in this place Mary Hastings might be -found. It was a guess; but a guess was better than nothing. - -When they came to the first stone heaps, Gray halted his guide. - -"You told me once," he whispered, "that Sungan had a series of -underground passages. Take me down into these." - -"Through the lepers' dwellings?" - -Gray nodded silently. Delabar was shivering--an old trick of his, -when nervous. - -"It is madness, Captain Gray!" he chattered. "You do not know----" - -"I know what you told me. Likewise that you don't want me to get -into these temples. Step out!" - -Delabar glanced around in despair and led the way through the bushes. -Once the American caught the gleam of a fire and saw a group of -lepers squatting about a blaze in which they were toasting meat. At -the edge of the firelight starved dogs crouched. - -They came to an excavation in the ground, lined with stone. Delabar -pointed to steps leading downward into darkness. - -"An old well," he whispered. "It is dry, now. A passage runs from -it to the inner buildings." - -He seemed familiar with the way, and Gray followed closely. The -steps wound down for some distance, the air becoming cooler. They -halted on what seemed to be a stone platform. - -"Here is the entrance to the passage," Delabar muttered. "It was -used to carry water to the temple." - -Gray put his hand on the man's shoulder and urged him forward, making -sure at the same time that the other did not seize the opportunity to -make his escape. He did not trust Delabar. He was convinced that -the Buddhist had not made a clean breast of matters. For one thing, -he was curious as to why the priests should take such elaborate -precautions to guard the lepers. Elsewhere in China there were no -such colonies as Sungan. - -Why were armed guards stationed around Sungan? Why were the lepers -barred from the inner walled city? Where was Wu Fang Chien? - -The answer to these questions lay in the temple toward which they -were headed. - -They went forward slowly. Complete silence reigned in the passage. -Occasionally Gray stumbled over a loose stone. Then he heard for the -first time the chant. - -It came from a great distance. It was echoed by the stone corridor, -swelling and dying as the gust of air quickened or failed. A -deep-throated chant that seemed to have the cadence of a hymn. - -"What is that?" he whispered. - -"The sunset hymn," Delabar informed him. - -Gray, who had forgotten the council of the priests--which must be -nearby--wondered why the man shivered. - -"Does this passage lead direct to the council?" he demanded. - -Delabar hesitated. - -"It leads to a cellar where two other corridors join it," he -muttered. "The chant is carried by the echoes--the council is still -far off." He moved forward. "Come." - -This time he advanced quickly. The song diminished to a low murmur, -confused by distance. Gray reflected that there must be many -singers. If all the priests were at the council, the corridors might -be clear. Wu Fang Chien would be with the Buddhists. - -A glimmer of light showed ahead. It strengthened as they drew -nearer. Delabar broke into a half trot, peering ahead. By the glow, -Gray saw that the passage they were in was a vaulted corridor of -sandstone carved in places with inscriptions which seemed to be very -old. - -The chant swelled louder as they reached the end of the passage. -Before them was a square chamber resembling a vault. Two large -candles stood in front of another exit. Gray thought he noticed a -movement in the shadows behind the candles. His first glance showed -him that the only other opening was a flight of stone steps, across -from them. - -He reached out to check Delabar. But the man slipped from his grasp -and ran forward into the room. Gray swore under his breath and -leaped after him. - -"Aid!" screamed Delabar. "Aid, for a follower of Buddha! A white -man has come into the passages----" - -He flung himself on his knees before the candles, knocking his shaven -head against the floor. Gray halted in his tracks, peering into the -shadows behind the candles. - -"Help me to seize the white man!" chattered the traitor. "I am a -faithful servant of Buddha. I have come to give warning. The white -man forced me to lead him." - -One after another three Buddhist priests slipped from the shadows and -stared at Delabar and Gray. The former was in a paroxysm of fear, -his knees shaking, his hands plucking at his face. Gray, silently -cursing the trick the other had played, watched the three priests. -They had drawn long knives from their robes and paused by Delabar, as -if waiting for orders. - -The alarm had been given. Footsteps could be heard coming along the -hall behind the candles. Gray was caught. In the brief silence he -heard the deep-throated chant, echoing from a quarter he could not -place. - -Still the priests waited, the candlelight gleaming from their white -eyeballs. Gray cast a calculating glance about the chamber. Two -exits were available. The stairs, and the passage down which he had -come. Which to take, he did not know. But he was not minded to be -run down at the well in the dark. - -A broad, bland face looked out from the corridor by the candles. He -saw the silk robe and luminous, slant eyes of Wu Fang Chien. - -"So Captain Gray has come to Sungan," the mandarin said calmly, in -English. "I have been expecting him----" - -"I did not bring him," chattered Delabar. "I gave the alarm----" - -Terror was in his broken words. Wu Fang Chien scrutinized the -kneeling figure and his eyes hardened. - -"Who can trust the word of a mongrel?" he smiled, speaking in -Chinese. "Slay the dog!" - -Delabar screamed, and tried to struggle to his feet. Two of the -Buddhists stepped to his side and buried their weapons in his body. -The scream ended in a choking gasp. Again the priests struck him -with reddened knives. - -He sank to the floor, his arms moving weakly in a widening pool of -his own blood. Wu Fang Chien had not ceased to smile. - -Gray jerked out his automatic. He fired at the priests, the reports -echoing thunderously in the confined space. Two of the Buddhists -sank down upon the body of Delabar; the third wheeled wildly, -coughing as he did so. - -Gray laid the sights of his automatic coolly on Wu Fang Chien. The -mandarin reached out swiftly. His wide sleeves swept against the -candles, extinguishing them. Gray pressed the trigger and caught a -glimpse of his foe's triumphant face by the flash that followed. -Again he pulled the trigger. - -A click was the only answer. The chamber of the weapon had been -emptied. And Gray had no more cartridges. He threw the useless -automatic at the spot where Wu Fang Chien had been and heard it -strike against the stone. - -He had no means of knowing if he had hit the mandarin with his last -shot. He suspected that the trick of Wu Fang Chien had saved the -latter's life. For a moment silence held the vault, a silence broken -by the groans of the injured priests. The distant chant had ceased. - -Gray turned and sought the stairs behind him. He had made up his -mind to go forward, not back. He would not try to leave Sungan -without Mary Hastings. - -He had marked the position of the steps, and stumbled full upon them -in the dark. Up the stairs he scrambled, feeling his way. What lay -before him he did not know. - -A light appeared behind him. He heard footsteps echo in the vault. -The glow showed him that he was at the top of the stairs. Into a -passage he ran. It resembled the one that led from the well. - -By the sounds behind him he guessed that the priests were following -him. Either Wu Fang Chien had decided that Gray had taken to the -stairs, or the mandarin was sending parties down both exits. - -The feel of the air as well as the continued coolness told Gray that -he was still underground. He ran forward at a venture. The passage -gave into another vaulted room in which a fire gleamed in a brazier. -The place was empty, but skins scattered around the brazier showed -that it had been occupied not long since. - -Gray took the first opening that offered and ran on. Glancing over -his shoulder, he saw the Buddhists emerge into the room. He -quickened his pace. - -His pursuers had gained on him. Gray was picking his way blindly -through the labyrinth of passages. He blundered into a wall heavily, -felt his way around a corner and was blinded by a sudden glare of -lights. - -Gray found himself standing in a lofty hall in which a multitude of -men were seated. - -His first impression was that he had come into the council of the -Buddhist priests. His second was one of sheer surprise. - -The hall had evidently been a temple at one time. A stone gallery -ran around it, supported by heavy pillars. The embrasures that had -once served as windows were blocked with timbers, through which sand -had sifted in and lay in heaps on the floor. - -The temple was underground. Openings in the vaults of the ceiling -let in a current of air which caused the candles around the walls to -flicker. Directly in front of Gray was a daïs. Around this, on -ebony benches, an array of men were seated. - -The floor between him and the daïs was covered with seated forms. -All were looking at him. On the platform was, not the figure of a -god, but a massive chair of carved sandalwood. In this chair was -seated an old man. A majestic form, clothed in a robe of lamb's wool -which vied in whiteness with the beard that descended to the man's -waist. Each sleeve of the robe was bound above the elbow by a broad -circlet of gold. A chain of the same metal was about the man's -throat. - -What struck Gray was the splendid physique of the elder in the chair. -A fine head topped broad shoulders. A pair of dark eyes peered at -him under tufted brows. High cheek bones stood out prominently in -the pale skin. The figure and face were suggestive of power; yet the -fire in the eyes bespoke unrest, even melancholy. The man addressed -Gray at once, in a full voice that echoed through the hall. - -"Who comes," the voice said in broken Chinese, "to the assembly of -the Wusun?" - -Gray started. He glanced from the figure in the chair to the others. -There were several hundred men in the room. All were dressed in -sheepskin, and nankeen, with boots of horsehide or red morocco. The -majority were bearded, but all showed the same light skin and -well-shaped heads. They appeared spellbound at his coming. - -Footsteps behind him told him that his pursuers were nearing the -hall. Gray advanced through the seated throng to the foot of the -daïs. They made way for him readily. - -Mechanically Gray raised his hand in greeting to the man on the -throne. - -"A white man," he answered. - -At that moment several of the Buddhist priests entered the hall. He -saw Wu Fang Chien appear. At the sight there was a murmur from the -throng. - -Gray was still breathing heavily from his run. He stared at the -majestic form on the daïs. The Wusun! That was the word the other -had used. The word that Van Schaick had said came from the captive -race itself. - -He glanced at Wu Fang Chien. The Chinaman was different from these -men--broader of face, with slant eyes and black hair. The eyes of -the man in the chair were level, and his mustache and beard were -full, even curling. He resembled the type of Mirai Khan, the -Kirghiz, more than Wu Fang Chien. - -So this was the secret of Sungan. Gray smiled grimly, thinking of -how Delabar had tried to conceal the truth from him--how the Buddhist -had chosen to betray him rather than run the risk of his seeing the -Wusun. And this explained the guards. The Wusun were, actually, a -captive race. - -Gray was quick of wit, and this passed through his mind instantly. -He noticed another thing. Wu Fang Chien had left the other priests -at the entrance and was coming forward alone. The mandarin folded -his arms in his sleeves and bowed gravely. For the first time he -spoke the dialect of the West. - -"Greetings, Bassalor Danek, Gur-Khan of the Wusun," he said gravely. -"It was not my wish to disturb the assembly of the Wusun during the -hour of the sunset prayer, in the festival of the new moon. I came -in pursuit of an enemy--of one who has slain within the walls of -Sungan. You know, O Gur-Khan, that it is forbidden to slay here. -When I have taken this man, I will leave in peace." - -Bassalor Danek stroked the arms of the chair gently and considered -the mandarin. - -"Within the space of twelve moons, O Wu Fang Chien, the foot of a -Buddhist priest has not been set within the boundary of my people. -Here, I am master, not you. That was agreed in the covenant of my -fathers and their fathers before them. You have not forgotten the -covenant?" - -"I have not forgotten," returned the mandarin calmly. "It is to ask -for the person of this murderer that I come now. When I have him, I -will go." - -"Whom has he slain?" - -"Two of my men who watched at one of the passages." - -"Have the Wusun asked that guards be placed in the passages?" - -Wu Fang Chien scowled, then smiled blandly. - -"We were waiting to seize this man--a foreign devil. An enemy of -your people as well as mine." - -Gray watched the two keenly. He had observed that many of the Wusun -near Bassalor Danek were armed, after a fashion. They carried bows, -and others had swords at their hips. The followers of Wu Fang Chien -seemed ill at ease. Moreover, their presence in the hall appeared to -anger the Wusun. - -Thrust suddenly into a totally strange environment, Gray had only his -wits to rely upon. He was unaware of the true situation of the -Wusun, as of their character. But certain things were clear. - -They were not overfond of Wu Fang Chien. And they were bolder in -bearing than the Chinese. Bassalor Danek, who had the title of -Gur-Khan, had spoken of a covenant which seemed to be more of a -treaty between enemies than an agreement among friends. - -On the other hand, Wu Fang Chien spoke with an assurance which -suggested a knowledge of his own power, and a certainty that he held -the upper hand of the situation. - -The Wusun had risen to their feet and were pressing closer. They -waited for their leader to speak. The Gur-Khan hesitated as if -weighing the situation. - -"This man," Wu Fang Chien pointed to Gray, "has come to Sungan with -lies in his mouth. He has pulled a veil over his true purpose. And -he is an enemy of Mongolia. You will do well to give him up." - -Bassalor Danek turned his thoughtful gaze on Gray. - -"You have heard what Wu Fang Chien has said," he observed. "You -speak his tongue. Tell me why you have come through the walls of -Sungan. In the lifetime of ten men no stranger has come to Sungan -before this." - -Gray's head lifted decisively. - -"Wu Fang Chien," he responded slowly, "has said that I killed his -men. Is this a crime in one man, when it is not such in another? -Just a little while ago the soldiers of the Chinese surprised and -destroyed a caravan of my people without warning and without cause." - -"They had no right to come where they did," asserted the mandarin -blandly. - -"They were coming to Sungan." - -Wu Fang Chien smiled and waved his brown hand, as if brushing aside -the protest of a child. - -"Foreign devils without a god. You were warned to keep away." - -The white man's eyes narrowed dangerously. - -"I came to find a woman of my people that you seized. She is here in -Sungan." - -Bassalor Danek looked up quickly. "When did she come to Sungan?" - -"Several days ago. And Wu Fang Chien kept her. He planned to bring -me here, in order to kill me." Gray met the gaze of the old man -squarely. "This woman and I, Bassalor Khan, are descended from the -same fathers as your race. We were coming to Sungan to seek you. -And this man has tried to prevent that. A score of men have lost -their lives because of it." - -The mandarin would have spoken, but the Gur-Khan raised his hand. - -"This is a matter, Wu Fang Chien," he said with dignity, "that cannot -be decided in a wind's breath. I will keep this stranger. I will -hear his story! At this time to-morrow, after sunset, come alone to -the hall and I will announce my decision. Until then I will think." - -Wu Fang Chien frowned, but accepted the verdict with the calmness -that was the mark of his character. - -"Remember, Bassalor Danek," he warned, "that these people are devils -from the outer world. And remember the covenant which spares your -people their lives. Sungan is in the hollow of the hand of Buddha. -And Buddha is lord of Mongolia." - -The Gur-Khan seemed not to hear him. - -"Truly it is strange," he mused. "Twice in one moon strangers have -come before me, with the same tale on their lips. This man, and the -woman that my young men took from your priests because she had the -face and form of one of our race. She, also, is in my dwelling." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -CONCERNING A CITY - -Contrary to general belief, a man does not sleep heavily after two -days and nights of wakefulness. Gray had been without sleep for that -time, but he was alert, although very tired. Continuous activity of -the nervous system is not stilled at once. - -As soon as Wu Fang Chien left the hall of the Wusun, the American had -asked to be permitted to see Mary Hastings. - -His request was refused by Bassalor Danek. The woman, said the -Gur-Khan, was under his protection and could not be seen until -daylight. Gray was forced to acquiesce in this. He felt that Mary -would be safe in the hands of the elder, who seemed to enjoy complete -authority in the gathering. This belief proved to be correct. - -The knowledge that the girl was near him and reasonably protected -from harm brought a flood of relief, and eased the tension which had -gripped him for the past forty hours. He was exhilarated by the -first good news in many hours. - -As a consequence, he now became acutely hungry. Bassalor Danek -directed that he be taken from the hall and fed. Two of the younger -men with the bows conducted him through a new series of corridors, up -several flights of winding steps and into a small, stone compartment -which, judging by the fresh air that came through the embrasures, was -above the level of the sand. - -Here they supplied him with goat's milk, a kind of cheese made from -curdled mare's milk and some dried meat which was palatable. Gray -fell asleep quickly on a pile of camel skins, while the men--Bassalor -Danek had referred to them as _tumani_[1]--watched curiously. - - -[1] Possibly derived from the Tatar word _tuman_, a squadron of -warriors, hunters. - - -Gray awakened with the first light that came into the embrasures. He -found that he was very stiff, and somewhat chilled. At his first -movement the _tumani_ were up. One of them, a broad-shouldered youth -who said his name was Garluk, spoke broken Chinese, of a dialect -almost unknown to Gray. - -He explained that they were in one of the towers of the temple which -projected well above the sand. Gray, for the first time, had a fair -view of Sungan from the embrasures. - -It was a clear day. The sky to the east was crimson over the brown -plain of the Gobi. The sun shot level shafts of light against the -ruins. Gray saw the wall of the old city--the abode of the Wusun. -Later in the day he wrote down some notes of what he observed on the -reverse side of the maps he carried. They were roughly as follows: - -The old city had been built in an oasis, apparently four or five -centuries ago. Willows, poplars and tamarisks lined narrow canals -which had been constructed through the ruins from the wells. By -walling these canals with stone, the Wusun had kept them intact from -the encroaching sand. There was even grass near the canals, and -several flocks of sheep. The trees afforded shade--although the sun -is never unendurable in the Gobi, owing to the altitude. - -The buildings of the city had been more than half enveloped by the -moving sand which was swept into the walled area--so Garluk -said--with each _kara buran_. Owing perhaps to the protection of the -wall, the sand ridges around the inner city were higher than the -ground within. So it was difficult to obtain a good view of the city -from the surrounding country. - -Gray reflected that this must be why the Kirghiz had reported seeing -only the summits of some towers; also, why he himself had taken the -foliage that he made out through his glasses for bushes. - -The buildings of Sungan were ancient, and fashioned of solid -sandstone so that although partially covered with sand, their -interiors--after the embrasures had been sealed--were reasonably -comfortable and warm dwellings. Delabar had been correct in quoting -the legend that there were extensive vaults and cellars in Sungan. -The underground passages communicated from vault to vault--a system -that was most useful in this region where the black sand-storms occur -every day in the spring, early summer and throughout the winter. - -"Mighty good dugouts, these," thought Gray. "The Wusun have -certainly dug themselves in on their ancestral hearths. Wonder how -they manage for food?" - -He asked Garluk this question. The Wusun responded that he and -certain of his companions--the _tumani_--were allowed to go out on -the plain through the lines of lepers and hunt the wild camels and -gazelles of the plain. Also, the Buddhists maintained several -shepherd settlements near the River Tarim, a journey of three or four -days to the west. - -Some citrons, melons and date trees grew by the canals of Sungan. At -times a caravan would come to Sungan from China bringing other food. - -Through his glasses Gray made out the figures of lepers outside the -wall. Garluk explained that these were "the evil fate of the Wusun." -They were put there to keep the Wusun within the wall. For centuries -he and his people had been pent up. They were diminishing in -numbers, due to the captivity. Occasionally some adventurous man -would escape through the lepers and the Chinese soldiers, cross the -desert to Khotan or Kashgar. These never returned. Death was the -penalty for trying to escape. - -Gray scanned the ruins through his glasses. Women were cooking and -washing near the canals. Men appeared from the underground chambers -and went patiently about the business of the day. They seemed an -orderly throng, and Gray guessed that Bassalor Danek ruled his -captive people firmly. Which was well. - -He noticed pigeons in the trees. It was not an ugly scene. But on -every side stretched the barren Gobi, encroaching on and enveloping -the stronghold of the Wusun, the "Tall Men." The same resignation -and patience that he had noted in the eyes of Bassalor Danek were -stamped in the faces of Garluk and his companions. They were olive -faces, stolid and expressionless. Gray had seen the same traits in -some Southern Siberian tribes, isolated from their fellows, and in -the Eskimos. - -Among the notes, he afterwards jotted down some references for Van -Schaick--on the chance that he would be able to get the data into the -hands of his employers. Gray had a rigid sense of duty. His -observations were fragmentary, for he lacked the extended knowledge -of racial history and characteristics that Delabar was to have -supplied. - -In spite of their confined life, the "Tall Ones" were above the -stature of the average Mongol. Their foreheads did not slope back -from the eyes as much as in the Tartar of the steppe, and the eyes -themselves were larger, especially among the young women, who were -often attractive in face. - -Language: the Wusun had all the hard gutturals, and the forcible "t" -and "k" of the Mongol tongue; but their words were syllabic--even -poetically expressive. Many myths appeared in their -songs--references to Genghis Khan, as the "Mighty Man-slayer" and to -Prester John, by his native name--Awang Khan of the Keraits. - -Intelligence: on a par with that of the middle-class Chinese, -superior to that of the Kirghiz and Dungans of the steppe. Their -characteristics were kindly and hospitable; their ideas simple, owing -to the narrow range of objects within their vision. Of history and -the progress of the world, they were totally ignorant, being kept so -in accordance with the favorite practice of the Buddhists. - -Arms and implements: limited to the bow, and the iron sword with -tempered point. They had seen firearms in the possession of the -Chinese guards, but were not allowed to own them. For cultivation, -they dragged a rude, wooden harrow by hand, and used a sharply -pointed hoe of iron. As to cooking--this was done with rudimentary -utensils, such as copper pots purchased from the Chinese, makeshift -ovens in the sand, and spits over an open fire. - -As to religion, Gray was destined to make a curious discovery, as -surprising as it was unexpected, but one which was beyond his limited -knowledge to explain. - -Such were the Wusun, as Gray saw them. - -Garluk broke in on his thoughts with a guttural exclamation. - -"How can you see so far," he demanded, "when we can not see?" - -Gray smiled and was about to hand the Wusun his glasses when he -checked himself. The binoculars might prove useful later, he -thought. As it happened, they did. - -Meanwhile, Gray's mind had reverted to the thought that was last with -him when he had gone to sleep the night before and was first to come -to him with awakening. He had neither washed nor eaten, but he would -not delay. - -"Take me to the white woman," he ordered. - -Still staring at him in bewilderment, the two hunters led him down -the stairs, through a postern door, and out on the sand. After a -brief word with some older Wusun who were squatted by the tower, -Garluk struck off through the ruins, waving back the throngs that -came to gaze at Gray. - -The American noticed that there were few children. Some of the women -carried water jars. They were not veiled. They wore a loose robe of -clean cotton--he learned that they worked their own looms, of ancient -pattern--bound by a silk girdle, and covered by a flowing _khalat_. -All were barefoot. - -Gray was conducted to a doorway outside which a _tumani_ stood, sword -in hand. After a brief conference with his guides, the guard -permitted them to enter. Throughout his stay in Sungan, Gray was -watched, quietly, but effectively. - -His heart was beating fiercely by now, and he wanted to cry out the -name of the girl. He walked down into semi-darkness. A smell of -musk and dried rose leaves pervaded the place. A woman rose from the -floor and disappeared into the shadows. Presently Garluk drew aside -a curtain. Gray entered what seemed to be a sleeping chamber and -found Mary Hastings standing before him. - -"Captain Gray!" she cried softly, reaching out both hands. "Last -night they told me you were here. Oh, I'm so glad!" - -He gripped the slim hands tightly, afraid to say what came into his -mind at sight of the girl. She was thinner and there were circles -under the fine eyes that fastened on him eagerly. - -He could see her clearly by the glow from a crimson lamp that hung -overhead. The room was comfortably fitted with rugs and cushions. A -jar of water and some dates stood near them. - -"How did you get here?" she echoed. "Where is Sir Lionel?" A shadow -passed over her expressive face. "I saw the attack on the caravan. -Did he----" - -"Sir Lionel made his way back to me," said Gray, his voice gruff and -tense. "He was the only survivor of the caravan." - -"Then he is dead," she responded slowly. "Or he would have come with -you." She bit her lip, bending her head, so that Gray should not see -the tears in her eyes. "Oh, I have feared it. The Buddhist priests -said that their guards would find and kill him. An old man of the -Wusun who speaks Turki repeated it to me." - -Gray was glad that Mary was prepared, in a measure, for the death of -her uncle. He had found the sight of her distress hard to bear. He -turned away. - -"Yes. Sir Lionel died--bravely." - -She released his hands, and fumbled with a torn, little square of -linen that had once been a handkerchief. - -"Oh!" - -Fearing that she would break down and weep, Gray would have left the -room, but she checked him with a gesture. She looked up quietly, -although the tears were still glistening on her eyelids. - -"Please, Captain Gray! I've been so--lonely. You won't go away, -just for a while?" - -For a while? He would have remained at her side until dragged away, -if she wished it so. He saw that she had changed. Some of the life -and vivacity had been driven from her delicate face, leaving a -wistful tenderness. - -He himself showed little sign of the hardships of the last two days, -except a firmer set to the wide mouth, and deeper lines about the -eyes. He was unshaven, as he had been for some time, and the -clothing on his rugged figure was rather more than usually the worse -for wear. - -The girl noticed a new light in his eyes--somber, even dogged. There -was something savage in the determination of the hard face, -born--although she did not know it--of his knowledge that the life -and safety of Mary Hastings was now his undivided responsibility. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE TALISMAN - -"Poor Uncle Lionel," she said sadly, "he never knew that--the Wusun -were here, as he had thought they would be." - -"He will have full credit for his achievement when you and I get back -home, out of Sungan, Miss Hastings." - -She looked at him, dumbly grateful. Gone was all the petulance, the -spirit of mockery now. But her native heritage of resolution had not -forsaken her. - -"Thank you for that, Captain Gray. I--I was foolish in disregarding -your warning. I was unjust--because I wanted Uncle Singh to be first -in Sungan." She sighed, then tried to smile. "Will you sit down? -On a cushion. Perhaps you haven't breakfasted yet. I have only -light refreshments to offer----" - -A fresh miracle was taking place before Gray's eyes. He did not know -the courage of the English girls whose men protectors live always in -the unsettled places that are the outskirts of civilization. - -His nearness to the girl stirred him. Her pluck acted as a spur to -his own spirits. In spite of himself, his gaze wandered hungrily to -the straying, bronze hair, and the fresh, troubled face. - -Unconsciously, she reached up and deftly adjusted a vagrant bit of -hair. He wanted to pat her on the back and tell her she was -splendid. But he feared his own awkwardness. Mary Hastings seemed -to him to be a fragile, precious charge that had come into his life. - -He drew a quick breath. "I am hungry," he lied. - -She busied herself at once, setting out dates and some cakes. While -he ate, she barely nibbled at the food. - -"Now," he began cheerfully, having planned what he was to say, "I'm -indebted to you for breakfast. And I'm going to question you." - -He realized that he must take her mind from the death of her uncle. - -"How have our new allies, the Wusun, been treating you, Miss -Hastings?" - -"Very nicely, really. But not the priests. They took all my -belongings except a little gold cross under my jacket. You see, the -priests came with the--the lepers who attacked us." - -Gray nodded. - -"And the Buddhists seized me, not the poor, sick men. They carried -me off after gagging me so I couldn't call out." - -"Wu Fang's orders." - -"They took me down into some kind of a tunnel and kept me there until -the shooting had ceased. They were escorting me along the passages -when we met a party of Wusun, armed with bows. They talked to the -priests, then they seemed to become angry, and the Buddhists gave me -up. I don't know why the Wusun wanted me." - -Glancing at the beautiful girl, Gray thought that the reason was not -hard to guess. He did not then understand, however, the full -significance that the woman held for the Wusun. - -"Perhaps they recognized you as a white woman--one of their own -kind," he hazarded. - -She shook her head dubiously. - -"I thought the Wusun did not know any other white people existed, -Captain Gray. One of them--I heard them call him Gela, the Kha -Khan--was a young man, as big as you, and not bad looking. He was -angriest of all--with the priests, that is, not with me." - -Gray frowned. - -"Gela led me to the council hall of the 'Tall Ones,'" she continued, -looking at him in some surprise, for the frown had not escaped her. -"There I found old Bassalor Danek. I could not speak their language, -but Uncle Singh taught me quite a bit of the northern Turki. -Bassalor Danek was really a fine old chap, but I like Timur better." - -"Timur?" he asked. "One of the _tumani_?" - -"I don't see why you don't like them. They helped me. No, Timur -seems to be a kind of councilor. He's white haired, and limps. But -he speaks broken Turki, which I understand. So--I have been well -treated, except that they will not let me out of this building, which -belongs to Bassalor Danek." - -"What did the Turki-speaking fellow have to say for himself?" - -"He asked my name. Of course he could not pronounce it, so he -christened me something that sounds like Kha Rakcha. I think -Kha--it's a Kirghiz word, too--means 'white' in their tongue." - -"Rakcha is western Chinese for some kind of spirit," assented Gray, -interested. "So they've named you the White Spirit--or, in another -sense, the White Woman-Queen. Your coming seems to have been an -event in the affairs of the Wusun----" - -"That is what Timur said." She nodded brightly. "He is one of the -elders of the _kurultai_--council. I hope I made a good impression -on him. He seemed to be friendly." - -"I think," pondered Gray seriously, "that you have made a better -impression than you think. That helps a lot, because----" he was -about to say that his own standing with the Wusun was none too good, -thanks to Wu Fang Chien's enmity, but broke off. He did not want to -alarm her. "Because they've let me come to see you," he amended -awkwardly. - -The girl's vigilant wits were not to be hoodwinked. - -"That's not what you meant to say, Captain Gray," she reproached him. - -"It's true--" he was more successful this time--"that your coming -probably earned me a respite." - -"A respite?" - -When is a woman deceived by a man's clumsy assurance? Or when does -she fail to understand when something is kept back? - -"Captain Gray, you know something you won't tell me! Did the Wusun -threaten you?" - -"No. They shielded me----" - -"Then you were in danger. I thought so. Now what did you mean -by--respite?" - -Instead, Gray told her how he had found his way into Sungan, omitting -the details of the fighting, or his own achievement. Mary considered -him gravely, chin on hand. - -"I prayed that you would follow our caravan," she said. "I wished -for you when every one was fighting so. Somehow, I was sure that you -would reach Sungan. You see, you made me feel you were the kind of -man who went where he wanted to go." - -Gray looked up, and she shook her head reproachfully. - -"You're just like Uncle Singh. You won't tell if there's any danger. -Will not the Wusun protect us from the priests?" She stretched out a -slim hand appealingly. "There's just the two of us left. Shouldn't -you be quite frank with me? Now tell me what you meant by 'respite'!" - -He cordially regretted his unfortunate choice of the word. Perforce, -he told her of Wu Fang Chien, and the dispute in the council. - -"So you see our case comes up for trial to-night," he concluded. -"It's a question of the Gur-Khan's authority against the power of Wu -Fang Chien. I'm rooting for old Bassalor Danek. I think he'll treat -us well. For one thing, because he's curious about us. In a way, -we're his guests. I hope he checkmates Wu, because--to be -frank--we're better off in Sungan than with the Buddhists." - -This time she was satisfied. - -"Of course," she nodded. "Wu Fang Chien would not let us go free -easily. He would have to answer, then, for the attack on the -caravan. To answer to the British embassy." - -Gray reflected that they were the only survivors of the fight and -that the Chinese could not afford to permit them to escape. - -"I'll appear to argue for immunity--our immunity--to-night," he -smiled. - -"Are you a lawyer, Captain Gray?" The girl tried to enter into the -spirit of his remark. "Have we a good case?" - -"Chiefly our wits," he admitted. "And perhaps the tie the Wusun may -feel for us as a kindred race." - -"Splendid!" She clapped her hands. "I think you're a first-rate -attorney." - -Gray recalled the majestic face of Bassalor Danek, and the anger of -the Wusun at the entrance of Wu Fang Chien. - -"They made some kind of a covenant, didn't they, with the Chinese -Emperor?" - -"Timur said it was an agreement by which the Wusun were to keep their -city inviolate, and not to leave its boundaries. Even the invading -sands have not dislodged them. Timur described them as numerous as -the trees of the Thian Shan, the Celestial Mountains, at first. Now -only a few survive. The Chinese have posted lepers around them." - -Gray nodded. Slowly the history of the Wusun was piecing itself out. -A race descended from invaders from Europe before the dawn of -history, they had allied themselves with the might of Genghis Khan -and earned the enmity of the Chinese. Since then, with the slow -persistence of the Chinese, they had been confined and diminished in -number. - -"You remember the legend of Prester John--in the middle ages," -continued the girl eagerly. "Marco Polo tells about a powerful -prince in mid-Asia who was a Christian. I have been thinking about -it. Isn't the word Kerait the Mongol for Christian? Do you suppose -the first Wusun were Christians?" - -"They don't seem to have any especial religion, Miss Hastings--except -a kind of morning and evening prayer." - -"I've heard them chant the hymn. Timur says it was their -ancestors'." The girl sighed. "To think that we should have found -the Wusun, after all. If only my uncle----" She broke off sadly. - -A step sounded outside the room and Garluk thrust his shaggy head -through the curtain. - -"I come from the Gur-Khan," he announced. "The Man-Who-Kills-Swiftly -must come before Bassalor Khan." - -"They are paging me," said Gray lightly, in answer to her questioning -look. "I've got to play lawyer. But I have an experiment to try. -Don't worry." - -He rose, and she looked up at him pleadingly. - -"Come back, as soon as you can," she whispered. "I--it's so lonely -here. I was miserable until Timur told me they had heard shooting -during yesterday's sunset chant. I guessed it was you----" - -"My automatic," explained Gray with a grin. "I missed Wu Fang Chien, -which is too bad." He was talking cheerily, at random, anxious to -hearten the girl. She winced at mention of the fighting. - -"I'll be back to report what is going on." - -"If anything should happen to you----" - -"I seem to be accident-proof, so far." He smiled lightly, masking -his real feelings. "And there's a plan----" - -"Come," said Garluk. "Bassalor Khan waits at his shrine." - -"I'll have a better dinner to offer you," Mary smiled back. "Don't -forget!" - -"I'll make a note of it--Mary." - -Gray stepped outside the curtain. In spite of his promise, he could -not return to the girl's room. - -He found Bassalor Danek waiting in a chamber under the temple, to -which he was conducted by the impatient Garluk. The Gur-Khan was -seated on a silk carpet beside an old man with a face like a satyr, -whom Gray guessed to be Timur. They looked up silently at his -approach. The turnout withdrew. - -At a sign from Bassalor Danek, Gray seated himself before the two. -They regarded him gravely. He waited for them to speak. - -"Wu Fang Chien," began the Gur-Khan at length, "will come to the hall -to hear my word at sunset. His ill-will might bring the dark cloud -of trouble upon my people. If I give you up, he will thank me and -bring us good grain and tea from China in the next caravan." - -He paused as if for an answer. But Gray was silent, wishing to hear -what more the two had to say. - -"Yet, O One-Who-Kills-Swiftly," put in Timur mildly, "you are of the -race of the Kha Rakcha and she has found favor in our hearts. You -say you came here to seek her. That is well. But we must not bring -trouble upon our people. They have little food. There is none to -place before the shrine of our race." - -He glanced over his shoulder at a closed curtain. Here one of the -Wusun stood guard. Gray guessed that this was their shrine. He was -curious for a glimpse of it. - -"What is the will of the Gur-Khan?" he asked quietly. - -Bassalor Danek glanced at him keenly. - -"I have not made ready my answer, O Man-from-the-Outside. Wu Fang -Chien cried that you had come unbidden to meddle with what does not -concern you. The Kha Rakcha is very beautiful, and the light from -her face will be an ornament to our shrine. You have said that you -came to seek us. But that cannot be. For no word of us has passed -the outer guards. Even the wandering Kirghiz that we see at a -distance do not know us." - -Gray had been waiting for a lead to follow. Now he saw his chance -and summoned his small stock of poetical Chinese to match the oratory -of Bassalor Danek. - -"Hearken, O Gur-Khan," he said, and paused, knowing the value of -meditation when dealing with an oriental. Inwardly, he prayed for -success in his venture, knowing that the fate of the girl depended -greatly on what he said. - -"It is true," he resumed, "that I was sent to seek the Wusun. Beyond -the desert and beyond the border of Mongolia live a people whose -fathers a very long time ago were the same as your fathers. They -have means of seeing across great distances. They have the -Eyes-of-Long-Sight. With these eyes they saw the Wusun in captivity, -and they sent me with a message. This message I shall deliver when -it is time." - -Timur shook his gray head shrewdly. - -"Can a fish see what is on the land? A gazelle has keen eyes; but a -gazelle cannot see across the desert, much less can a man. What you -have said is not true." - -"It is true. Not only can my people see beyond any distance, but -they can hear. Behold, here is proof." - -While the two watched curiously, Gray pulled his maps from his shirt -and spread them on the floor before him. Bassalor Danek glanced from -the paper to him expectantly. - -"Here is what we saw, with our Eyes-of-Long-Sight. See, here is the -last village of China, Ansichow, and the desert. Here, by this mark, -is where we knew Sungan to be. And beyond it is the River Tarim, as -you know, and the Celestial Mountains. By this paper I found my way -here." - -Bassalor Danek fingered the map curiously. Then he shook his head. - -"This is a paper, like to those of the priests of Buddha. It is a -kind of magic. With magic, much is possible. But these are signs -upon paper. They are not mountains and rivers." - -Gray sighed, confronted with the native incredulity of a map. The -Wusun, despite their natural intelligence, were bound by the -stultifying influence of generations of isolation. In fact, their -state of civilization was that of the dark ages. It was as if Gray -and Mary Hastings had wandered into a stronghold of the Goths. - -Still, he felt he had made a slight impression. He drew the field -glasses from their case. - -"I have been given a token," he explained slowly, making sure that -the two understood his broken Chinese. "It is a small talisman of -the Eyes-of-Long-Sight. With it, you can see what is far, as clearly -as if it lay in your hand." - -Timur stroked his beard and smiled. - -"It may not be. Even with magic, it may not be." - -"Look then." Gray lifted the glasses and focussed them on the guard -who stood by the shrine curtain. "With this you can bring the man's -face as near as mine." - -He handed the glasses to Bassalor Danek who turned them over -curiously in his hand. Obeying Gray's direction, he leveled them on -the guard. The man stirred uneasily, evidently believing that some -kind of magic was being practiced upon him. Bassalor Danek gave a -loud exclamation and the glasses fell to his knees. He peered from -them to the man at the curtain and muttered in his beard. - -"I saw the face within arm's reach of my own," he cried. "Truly, it -is as this man has promised!" - -"Nay," Timur objected. "The one by the shrine did not move, for I -watched. It may not be." - -Nevertheless, his hand trembled as he lifted the glasses to his -feeble eyes. Gray helped him to focus them. He, also, gave an -exclamation. - -For a while the two Wusun experimented with the binoculars, -scrutinizing the walls, the floor and the rugs with increasing -amazement. Gray kept a straight face. The glasses were powerful, -with excellent lenses. The Wusun had never seen or heard of anything -of the kind. - -"This is but a token," he reminded them gravely, "of the -Eyes-of-Long-Sight that my people have. If this talisman can bring -near to you what is afar, do you doubt that we could know what is -beyond the desert? Is not the coming of the White Spirit proof that -we knew?" - -This was a weighty matter and Bassalor Danek and Timur conferred upon -it, putting down the glasses reluctantly. - -"I know not," hazarded Timur. Gray saw that his double question had -confused them. To remedy his error he turned to Bassalor Danek. - -"Keep these small Eyes-of-Long-Sight," he said. "I give them to you." - -Despite his accustomed calm, the chieftain of the Wusun gave an -involuntary exclamation of pleasure. Gray pressed his advantage. - -"Further proof I will give, O Bassalor Danek. Draw the curtains of -the shrine that I may see the god of the Wusun. Then I will show you -that my people beyond the desert knew of the god." - -He reasoned swiftly that the Wusun, if Timur's account of their -history had been correct, must have in their shrine some emblem of -the Tatar deity--the god Natagai which Mirai Khan had described to -him--or possibly some Mohammedan symbol. He rather guessed the -former, since the Wusun had been isolated before the Moslem wave -swept over Central Asia. - -"It is not a god, O Man-from-the-Outside," demurred Timur. "It is a -talisman of our fathers. Once, the Wusun had priests. In the time -of Kubla Khan. Now, all that we remember is the hymn at sunset and -sunrise. Almost we have forgotten the words. We have kept the -talisman because once our priests, who were also warriors, cherished -it." - -Gray nodded, believing now that it was an image of Natagai, the Tatar -war deity. - -"It is said," continued Timur meditatively, "that the talisman was -fashioned by a chieftain of our people. I have heard a tale from the -elders that this khan lived when the Wusun were in another land, -before they crossed the mountains on the roof of the world. Draw the -curtain!" - -At the command the guard drew back the heavy folds of brocade. Gray -saw a stone altar, covered with a clean cloth of white silk. On the -cloth stood a cross. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -MARY MAKES A REQUEST - -The cross was jade, in the shape of the medieval emblem--the Greek -cross. Before it burned a candle. Gray stared at it silently while -Timur limped forward and trimmed the wick of the candle. - -"We do not remember the faith of our fathers," the old Wusun said -sadly. "But we have kept the talisman. It is not as strong as the -bronze Buddha of Wu Fang Chien. We will not give it up, although he -has asked to buy it. Truly, no man should part with what was -precious in the sight of his fathers." - -Thoughts crowded in upon Gray. Was this the cross left by a -wandering missionary--one of those who followed the footsteps of -Marco Polo? Were the ancient Wusun the Christians mentioned in -medieval legends as the kingdom of Prester John, sometimes called -_Presbyter_ John? The Wusun had been warriors. Was the symbol of -the cross adapted from the hilt of a sword? Was it one of the -vagaries of fate that had brought the cross into the hands of the -Wusun, who were descendants of the Christians of Europe? Or had they -of their own accord become worshipers of the cross? What did it mean -to them? - -He recalled the sunset hymn. Was this their version of the vespers -of a forgotten priest? He did not know. The problem of the cross -existing among the remnants of the Wusun remains to be solved by more -learned minds than his. It was clear, however, that beyond the -cross, they retained no vestige of their former religion. - -Abruptly his head snapped up. - -"I promised you, Bassalor Danek," he cried, "that this would be a -symbol. As I have promised, you will find it. We--who are of the -same fathers--have also this talisman of our God." - -The Wusun stared at him. There was a ring of conviction in Gray's -words. He recalled Delabar's words that the talisman of the Wusun -had earned the captive race the hatred of the Buddhists. He saw now -how this was. Fate--or what the soldier esteemed luck--had put an -instrument into his hand. For the defense of the girl. He must make -full use of it. - -He pointed to the jade cross. - -"The Kha Rakcha and I are of the same blood as the Wusun. We came in -peace to seek you. The Kha Rakcha claims your protection. Will you -not grant it? Thus, I have spoken." - -Bassalor Danek folded his lean arms, tiny wrinkles puckering about -his aged eyes. - -"I hear," he said. "The tale of the Eyes-of-Long-Sight is a true -tale. But this thing is another tale. Have you a token to show, so -that we may know that it, also, is true?" - -In the back of Gray's mind was memory of a token. Something that -Mary had mentioned. In his anxiety, he could not recall it. - -Thus did Gray miss a golden opportunity. If he had been alone, his -natural quickness of thought would have found an answer to the -Gur-Khan's question. With the life of the girl he loved at stake, he -hesitated. - -It was vitally important that Bassalor Danek should believe what Gray -had said about the cross. Believing, he would aid them, for he -reverenced the cross. Doubting, they would be exposed to the wiles -of Wu Fang Chien. - -"If I spoke the truth in one thing, O Gur-Khan," he parried, "would I -speak lies concerning another?" - -"The two things are not the same," put in Timur, logically. "The -talisman is precious--like to the gold in the sword-hilt of Gela. -Yet what is it to you?" - -"It is the sign of our faith. It is the talisman of Christianity." - -"I know not the word." - -"You know the name of the ancient khan of the Wusun--Awang Khan?" - -Gray hazarded a bold stroke, on his knowledge of the legend of -Prester John of Asia. Timur considered. - -"The name is not in our speech," he announced. - -Bassalor Danek looked up sagely. - -"You speak of faith, O One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. Is that a word of a -priesthood?" - -"Yes." - -"Then," said Bassalor Danek gravely, "it is clear that your talisman -is not like to this. Nay, for the only priesthood is that of the -false Buddhists." - -"Our faith is different from theirs--even as a grain of sand is -different from a drop of clear water." - -The Gur-Khan's hand swept in a wide circle. - -"Nay. What can we see from Sungan save the grains of sand? -Everywhere, beyond, is the Buddhist priesthood. We have seen this -thing. It is true." He lifted his head proudly. "Behold, youth, -here is the talisman of a warrior. From chieftain to chieftain, it -has been handed down. It is the token of a chieftain. Of one who -safeguards his people. None can wear it but myself, or another of -royal blood who has fought for his people." - -For the first time he showed Gray a smaller cross, fashioned from -gold which hung from a chain of the same metal across his chest under -the cloak. - -"Because I am khan of the Wusun, this thing is mine," he added. "If -my father and his before him had not been strong warriors, the Wusun -would have passed from the world as a candle is blown out in a strong -wind." - -"Aye," amended Timur. "It is a sign of the rank of the Gur-Khan. -Has it not always been thus?" - -Both men nodded their heads, as at an unalterable truth. Age and -isolation had made their conceptions rigid. The safety of the Wusun -was their sole care. - -"Your sign is not like to ours," said they. "Is the moon kindred to -the sun because both live in the sky?" - -"There is but one Cross," cried Gray. - -They shook their heads. How were they to alter the small store of -belief that had been their meager heritage of wisdom? - -"You are not kin to us, but the Kha Rakcha is a woman, and so may -become kin to the Wusun," announced Bassalor Danek. "Go now, for we -must weigh well our answer to Wu Fang Chien." - -Gray rose, his lips hard. - -"Be it so," he said slowly. "If it is in your mind that you must -yield to Wu Fang Chien, give me up into his hands. I will take a -sword and go to seek him. Keep the Kha Rakcha safe within Sungan. -She is, as you have seen, the White Spirit. Her beauty is not less -than the light of the sun. Guard her well." - -Gray had spoken bitterly, feeling that he had failed in his plea. He -had not sensed the full meaning of the other's words. He knew that -his own death would be the most serious loss to the girl. Without -him she was defenseless. - -He did not want to leave her. She had been so childlike in her -reliance upon his protection. And he was so helpless to aid her. - -But Gray had weighed the odds with the cold precision that never left -him. There was a slight chance that he might be able to kill Wu Fang -Chien, and if so, Mary might be safeguarded. - -He walked away from the shrine, and, unconsciously, bent his steps -toward the house of Bassalor Danek where the girl was. Then he -turned back, resolutely. He could not see Mary now. She would guess -instantly--so quick was the woman's instinct--that something was -wrong. - -Gray retraced his steps to the tower and to his own chamber where he -would await the decision of the Gur-Khan. - -For the space of several hours the two Wusun debated together. They -glanced from time to time at a water clock which creaked dismally in -the corner furthest from the shrine. Their brows were furrowed by -anxiety as they talked. - -Outside the sun was already past its highest point, and the sands -burned with reflected heat. The people of Sungan had taken shelter -under the canal trees and in the underground buildings. Even the -dogs and the lepers were no longer to be seen. Quiet prevailed in -Sungan, and in the armed camps of the guards without the wall. - -No glimmer of sunlight penetrated into the shrine of Bassalor Danek. -The attendant lighted fresh candles and stood motionless. Then he -stirred and advanced to the doorway. He uttered a gruff exclamation. - -Mary Hastings pushed past him and stood gazing at the two Wusun. - -"Timur!" she cried. "Where is the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly?" - -The councilor of Sungan glanced at her wonderingly. She was flushed, -and breathing quickly. Her bronze hair had fallen to her slim -shoulders. Tall and proud and imperious, she faced him--a lovely -picture in the dim chamber. - -"He said that he would return to me," she repeated. "And he has not -come. Well do I know that this could only be because of something -evil that has happened. Where is he?" - -The two were stoically silent. She approached them fearlessly. To -the guard's amazement, she stamped an angry foot, her eyes wide with -anxiety. - -This, to the guard, was something that should not be permitted in the -high presence of the Gur-Khan. He laid a warning hand on her -shoulder. Startled, the girl drew back and struck down his arm. -Abashed by her flaming displeasure, the warrior glanced at Bassalor -Danek. - -The Gur-Khan frowned. - -"Touch not the Kha Rakcha, dog!" he growled "Soon the woman is to be -allied to me by blood." Then to Mary: "It is not fitting, maiden, -the even one such as you should come to this place in anger. Cover -then the flame of spirit with the ashes of respect." - -Timur interpreted his stately speech. But the girl was wrought up by -fear for Gray. Not until he had failed to rejoin her did she realize -how much his coming had meant. - -So she was not minded to respect the dignity of the two aged men. -Mary Hastings had been mistress of native servants. She knew how to -exact obedience. - -"Tell the chieftain," she cried, "to answer when I speak. Am I one -to hide the fire of spirit under the cloak of humiliation? Speak! -What has become of the white man?" - -Timur rendered the Gur-Khan's reply in Turki. - -"The tall warrior has offered his body to cool the anger of Wu Fang -Chien, who demands him." - -The girl paled. - -"How? When?" - -"He will take a sword that we will give him this night and go to seek -the ruler of the Buddhists. Even so shall it be. We have decided, -in council. In this way Wu Fang Chien will be appeased, and the -Wusun will drink of the solace of peace in their trouble. -Furthermore----" - -"Stay!" The girl drew a quick breath. She guessed why Gray had not -come to her. The knowledge of his danger steadied her tumultuous -thoughts. The danger was worse than she feared. But--such was the -woman's strength of soul when the man she loved was menaced--she -became strangely calm. - -She had not admitted to herself until now that she loved the -American. With the understanding of the fresh sacrifice he was -prepared to make for her, she could no more deny the truth of her -love than she could question the fact of her own life. - -"Will you give me up as well?" she asked scornfully. - -"Nay. You will have a place by the side of the Gur-Khan, because of -your beauty which--so said the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly--is like to the -sun. The Wusun will safeguard the Kha Rakcha, even as he demanded." - -Mary Hastings sighed softly. Then lifted her head stubbornly. She -flushed rosily. - -"The white man is precious in my sight," she said dearly. "His life -is like to the warmth of the sun, and if he dies, my life would pass, -even as water vanishes when it is poured upon the sands." - -"Verily," pondered Timur, stroking his beard, "is he a brave man. -But how then may Wu Fang Chien be appeased?" - -Anger flashed into the girl's expressive face. - -"So the Wusun are weak of soul," she accused. "Their heart is like -the soul of a gully jackal. They would give up the warrior who came -to be their friend, to buy their own comfort! _Aie_! Are you such -men?" - -Timur stared, confronted for perhaps the first time in his life with -the scorn of a woman who thought as a man. - -"Think you I will buy my comfort, upon such terms?" she continued -mercilessly. "Or remain in the shadow of those who are not men but -jackals?" - -Timur raised his hand. The decision of the leaders of the Wusun had -been actuated by their jealous care of their people, not by selfish -motives. But the girl's swift words had sadly confused him. - -"If you yield him up," said Mary Hastings, "I also will go. I will -not part from him." - -And she would not. If Gray was to face the Chinese, she would be at -his side. How often do men judge correctly the true strength of a -woman's devotion? - -"We have planned otherwise," pointed out Timur. "For you----" - -"I have spoken, you have heard." - -Bassalor Danek questioned the councilor as to what had been said. -Then the chieftain rose. - -"Say to the woman," he announced, "that I, the leader of the Wusun, -have decided. What my wisdom decides, she cannot alter by hot words. -Who is she, but a fair woman? I am master of the talisman of the -Wusun." - -He pointed to the altar. Mary, intent upon his face, followed his -gesture swiftly. She gave a little cry at seeing for the first time -the cross. She caught Timur's arm. - -"What is that?" she begged. "What--does it mean?" - -Timur explained the symbol. - -"It is the sign of the Gur-Khan alone," he concluded. "None but -those of a chieftain's rank bear it." He touched the smaller cross -lying upon the broad shoulders of Bassalor Khan. - -Radiantly the girl's face brightened. She smiled, drawing nearer to -the two old men. No need for a woman's wit to reason logically! - -She drew back the throat of her jacket, revealing the tiny gold cross -which had been her sole belonging left by the avaricious Buddhists. -If Wu Fang Chien had known of the token, he would have torn it from -her. - -"See," she said softly. "I also am a bearer of the cross." - -The Wusun stared from her excited face to the glittering symbol on -her breast. - -To their limited intelligence two things were plain. The girl's -talisman had not been in Sungan before she came. So it was clearly -hers. Also, she wore it as by right. - -They recalled her pride, and her angry words. Verily, she wore the -sign of rank by right. Timur stepped back and bent his head. - -"O, Queen," he said, "I was blind. Will you pardon the dog who was -blind?" - -Bassalor Danek had been frowning, somewhat jealously. But as he -stared into the woman's open face, his brow cleared. - -"It is well, Kha Rakcha," he observed slowly. "This is truly the -token that witnesses the truth of your coming. None but a woman -royal-born can wear such a talisman as this. It is well." - -He touched the cross curiously, comparing it with his own. Timur -bent over his hand, watching. The girl was silent, holding her -breath in suspense. - -The minds of the Wusun were wise in their way, but their wisdom was -that of simplicity. - -"None but a queen may carry this on her breast," they assured each -other. "So in very truth this _is_ a woman royal-born." - -She seized swiftly upon her advantage. - -"Then you know that I am one who commands." - -"Aye," they said, each in his tongue, "we were as blind dogs before." - -"Guard then," she said, her lips trembling, for she felt the strain, -"the life of the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. For he is of my blood." - -Bassalor Danek pondered, and spoke with grave decision. - -"We will safeguard him within Sungan. Wu Fang Chien will ask in -vain." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE ANSWER - -Mary laughed a little unsteadily. Surely it was a strange miracle -that her gold cross had worked. She did not think it luck. In her -woman soul there was no thought of fate. God's care had shielded the -life of the man she loved. - -Timur was speaking. - -"Bassalor Danek is well content," she heard. "Beforetimes, he was -warmed by the sight of your fairness. But now it is verily a thing -assured. Gela, the Kha-Khan, son of my son, commander of the -_tumani_, has conceived love for you. Bassalor Danek has granted his -wish that you may become the wife of his abode and hearth." - -Hearing, she did not yet understand. - -"Gela?" - -"He who took you from the evil priests. Because of the talisman you -wear it is fitting that you should be his bride." - -She looked from one to the other, in sudden discomfort. - -"Thus will you truly become kin to the Wusun," nodded Timur. - -"I?" - -"Bassalor Danek, in his wisdom, has decided." - -The joy of her brief victory faded swiftly. The reaction weakened -her, made this new obstacle disheartening. But she drew strength -from a fresh thought. - -"Take me to the white man!" - -"Nay--it is not fitting. The bond of Gela's love is upon you." - -To their bewilderment, the girl laughed. For a brief moment hysteria -had claimed her, wearied by the hardships she had undergone. In her -sudden stress she clung to the thought that had brought her -consolation. - -She was a woman unnerved. In reality, she was instinctively calling -upon the aid of Gray's strength. - -"Are you still blind?" she begged unevenly, the tears not far from -her eyes. "Have you not seen the love of the white man for me? How -can Gela take me from him, when I am already bound to him?" - -Gray had said nothing to her of his love. But she had read in his -face what he had not spoken. - -"Fools!" she stamped angrily. "You cannot take me from the arms of -the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. He will hear of this." She was speaking -somewhat wildly now, feeling all her strength ebb from her. "He will -claim me. He will keep me---- Oh, truly, you are blind." - -To the Wusun her sudden emotion was a display of the temper that -undoubtedly was the heritage of her royal blood. - -Mary was, however, on the verge of a breakdown, and sought the -shelter of her own room, since she could not see Gray. She hurried -hither, with the woman who had waited without the shrine, at her -heels. To tell the truth, she fled. - -In her chamber she flung herself down on the cushions and gave -herself up to a most unqueenly fit of weeping. The woman waited -stoically. - -When Mary sat up and dried her tears, the woman smiled. Mary's face -was wan, and her hair disheveled. Glancing into a bronze mirror that -the woman brought her, she was almost glad that Gray could not see -her now. Whereupon she fell into reflection, and presently sent the -handwoman for brush and black ink-like paint which is the writing -fluid of the Wusun. - -Then she diligently sought for any scraps of white stuff that might -serve as paper. She selected her handkerchief, but was forced to -place it in a window to wait until it dried. - -She watched it in the process, a very sad looking woman, her hands -clasped about her knees and her head resting sidewise on her hands. - -Meanwhile, the post-meridian shadows were lengthening across the -enclosure of Sungan. Shepherds were driving their few flocks from -the outer strips of grass; children who had bathed in the canals were -playing in the last of the sunlight. Groups of warriors emerged from -the ruins and walked slowly toward the fires where the evening meal -was preparing. Elders sought the council hall. - -There was even greater bustle without the wall, where the Chinese -were gathering. - -It was now the time of the sunset hymn. Gray, pacing the stone floor -of his tower room, heard the chant of many voices. It came from the -temple below, and the voices were repeating words the meaning of -which the owners no longer knew. Gray glanced impatiently from his -window, wondering why he had not heard from Bassalor Danek. - -It might have been an hour after sunset that steps sounded outside -the door of the chamber. Garluk opened the door and stepped back -with a gesture of respect. - -Gray looked up eagerly, thinking that Bassalor Danek or the lame -Timur had come. Instead a tall figure strode into the room. - -It was a young man of powerful bearing. He carried his shapely, -olive head proudly. His dress was the white lambskin of the -Gur-Khan, but without the gold ornaments. A broad, leather belt -girdled his waist, and from this a straight sword hung in a bronze -scabbard. - -The newcomer lifted his hand in greeting--a gesture that Gray -returned. He squatted down on the carpets silently, beckoning to -Garluk. Gray eyed him appraisingly, thinking that he had seldom seen -a man of such fine physique. The stranger's shoulders were shapely, -his arms heavily thewed, his waist slender. He moved with the ease -of a man poised on trained muscles. - -The three sat in silence until Garluk bethought him to speak. - -"This is the Kha Khan, O Man-from-the-Outside," the _tumani_ -observed. "Gela, the leader of the _tumani_, and grandson of -Bassalor Danek." - -"I give him greeting," returned the white man, wondering what his -visitor had to say. - -Presently Gela turned his dark head to Garluk and spoke in a low tone -that carried resonantly, from a deep chest. Evidently he did not -know the dialect that Gray spoke. The majority of the Wusun were -ignorant of Chinese. - -"Bassalor Danek," interpreted Garluk, "has seen the talisman on the -breast of the Kha Rakcha. He has pondered, in his wisdom, the words -you spoke. And he has made answer to Wu Fang Chien." - -Once more Gela spoke, while Gray waited impatiently. - -"Bassalor Danek, who is lord of the Wusun, listened to the complaint -of Wu Fang Chien, governor of Sungan. And his decision was as -follows: Undoubtedly both you and the white woman came to seek the -Wusun. While you have slain many of the men of the Buddhists, they -also have killed the men of the caravan. So, there is no debt to be -avenged." - -Gray smiled at this simple, but logical way of looking at the -situation. - -"Furthermore," interpreted Garluk, at Gela's prompting, "since you -have sought the Wusun, you may stay here. In the covenant it was -agreed that the penalty of attempting to escape is death; still, -there is no punishment for entering Sungan. You and the Kha Rakcha -will stay in Sungan." - -This was good news. Gray was surprised, but he did not permit this -to appear in his face. - -"What said Wu Fang Chien?" he asked. - -"He will try to seize you and the woman. He will call in the -soldiers with guns from the desert." - -"Will Bassalor Danek protect us?" - -"He has given his word. Moreover, he is bound to guard the woman." - -Gray did not at first heed this last remark. He was wondering just -how far the Chinese would go in their attempt to gain possession of -himself and the girl. Probably, he decided, Wu Fang Chien was not -over-desirous of forcing an entrance into Sungan. But the mandarin -would lose no chance of capturing himself, or possibly of sniping him -from the outer wall. - -But for the present he reasoned that they were safe. Then Garluk's -reference to Mary returned to his mind. He recalled that Timur had -mentioned that Mary must remain with the Wusun. - -Gela had risen, his message delivered. Gray halted him with a -gesture. - -"Why is Bassalor Danek bound to keep the Kha Rakcha?" he asked, -inspired by a new and potent uneasiness. - -Gela himself answered this, and Garluk interpreted. - -"Have you not heard?" he smiled. "Gela, the Kha Khan, desires the -White Spirit for himself. Tomorrow night he will marry her, -according to the custom of the Wusun. Bassalor Danek has agreed." - -Gray checked an exclamation with difficulty. - -"That may not be," he said sternly. "The White Spirit is not one to -marry among the Wusun." - -Garluk laughed. "Did not Gela, the strongest of the Wusun, take her -from the yellow priests? Does she not wear the talisman which is the -same as that of our shrine? Gela as yet has no wife. Why should he -not marry?" - -While the two watched him, Gray considered the new turn affairs had -taken. All his instincts prompted him to cry out that the thing was -impossible. Mary must be protected. Yet he knew the futility of a -protest. - -"Has the Kha Rakcha agreed to this?" he playing for time. - -"She does not know of it," asserted Garluk complacently. "Why should -a maiden be told before she has the armlet"--he pointed at the bronze -circlet about Gela's powerful arm--"of her lord bound about her -throat?" - -Gela interrupted brusquely. - -"The Kha Khan asks," said Garluk, "if you are the husband of the Kha -Rakcha?" - -"Good Lord!" meditated the American. He thought of asserting that he -was. Then reflected that Mary, who knew nothing of what was passing, -would hardly bear out his story. But he could not let the -opportunity go by without asserting some claim to the girl. "I was -to marry her," he compromised, "when we returned from the desert." - -Gela barked forth a curt word and strode from the door, after a keen -glance at the American. - -"The Kha Khan says that he will take her. Doubtless there are many -women where you come from. He desires the Kha Rakcha, whose life he -saved. Wu Fang Chien would have slain her. So said the yellow -priests." - -Gray glowered at Garluk, who smiled back. - -"Gela has never seen such a woman as the Kha Rakcha. She is as -beautiful as an aloe tree in bloom," chattered the _tumani_. "She -will bear him strong children, and a son to wear his sword when he is -old." - -"If she does not agree--what then?" - -"It will make no difference. Bassalor Danek has said that she will -be a worthy wife to his grandson. Does she not wear the talisman at -her throat? That is a good omen for the Wusun. Did she not come -here to seek the Wusun? Moreover, if Gela marries her, then Wu Fang -Chien cannot take her." - -"What if I forbid?" asked Gray dryly. - -"No one will heed you," explained Garluk frankly. - -Gray considered the matter, frowning. - -"Take me to the Kha Rakcha," he ordered. - -Garluk made a gesture of denial. - -"It is forbidden. To-morrow night the maiden is to be married. -There will be a feast, and a great chant. We will drink wine of -mare's milk." - -"Then send Timur to me." - -"It is night, and he is lame. After sunrise, perhaps he will come." - -With that Garluk slipped from the door. Gray heard the sound of a -bar falling into place. He was shut in for the night. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE CHALLENGE - -He slept little. The fate destined for Mary had come as a complete -surprise. It was not strange, he reflected, that Gela should want -her for a wife. Nor that Bassalor Danek should approve the marriage. -He might have foreseen something of the kind. - -No wonder the Gur-Khan had taken excellent care of the girl, when she -was marked for the bride of his grandson. Gray swore fluently, and -vainly. The calmness with which the Wusun had put him aside was -irksome. He wished that he had claimed to be the husband of Mary. -It was too late now. - -Nor did he hope that the girl's objection, once she heard of the -proposed match, would carry weight. Evidently marriage among the -Wusun was arranged by the parents of the parties concerned, as in -China. Bassalor Danek's word was law. And the old chieftain fully -appreciated the beauty of the girl. - -Gray groaned, reflecting that the coincidence of the cross that the -girl wore had rendered her doubly desirable in the eyes of the Wusun. -He wondered how they had seen the cross. Was the marriage to be the -price of his safety? He groaned at the thought. - -Flight, even if he could reach the girl, from Sungan, was not to be -thought of for the present. Wu Fang Chien would be alert for just -such an attempt. And Gray did not see how he could hope to win -through the lepers. - -"They say blood calls to blood," he muttered. Then he scowled -savagely. "Confound Gela!" - -He was hungry for sight of the girl. She must be worried about him, -as he had not been able to visit her yesterday as he had promised. -His involuntary protest had excited the suspicions of Garluk. He -would find it difficult now to escape from the surveillance of the -_tumani_, if he should make the attempt. - -And beyond the Wusun was Wu Fang Chien, watching keenly for any -effort on the part of Gray or Mary to leave Sungan. - -It was clear to Gray that the mandarin could not permit them to leave -the place alive. For one thing, they would carry the news of the -massacre of the caravan. And the tidings of the existence of the -Wusun. - -It would be fatal to the plans of Wu Fang Chien and the Buddhists if -the Wusun should be discovered. The knowledge of a race of ancient -Asia that worshipped the cross would be a severe blow to the -Mongolians. The Wusun were dying out. Soon they would be extinct, -and the danger over. Until then Wu Fang Chien must guard his -prisoners. - -The situation afforded little comfort to Gray. At daybreak he -pounded on his door. In time Garluk came with food. Timur, he said, -would visit Gray presently, in the morning. No, the -Man-from-the-Outside could not leave the tower. Bassalor Danek had -issued orders. He was concerned for the safety of his guests as the -soldiers of the Chinese had been seen assembling outside the wall. - -The Wusun, said Garluk, had mustered their fighting men at the wall -and in the passages, under Gela. After the wedding the Chinese could -not interfere with the Kha Rakcha, for she would be the wife of the -Kha Khan. - -Gray dismissed Garluk, to hasten the approach of Timur, and watched -moodily from the embrasure. He knew that he was little better than a -prisoner. Hours passed while the sun climbed higher. He noticed an -unusual activity in Sungan, and saw bodies of armed men pass from -point to point. - -The discipline of the place was strict. Probably, he reflected, a -heritage from the military ancestors of the Wusun. It was noon when -Timur entered the chamber and seated himself calmly on the rugs. - -Gray curbed his anxiety, and greeted the lame councilor quietly. He -had a desperate game to play with nothing to rely upon but his own -wits. - -"Garluk said that you had need of me," observed Timur, scanning him -keenly. - -"I have a word to say to you," corrected Gray quietly. - -"It is said," he added as the old man was silent, "that the Kha -Rakcha is to be asked in marriage by Gela, the Kha Khan. Is this so?" - -"They said the truth. The wedding will be tonight, after sunset." - -Gray's heart sank at this. He had hoped, illogically, that Garluk -had exaggerated the state of affairs. Timur stretched out a lean -hand. In it was a small square of linen, Mary's handkerchief. - -The American took it eagerly. It was a message from Mary, written in -the Chinese ink, and it ran as follows: - - -Bassalor Danek has ordered me to marry Gela. I have said no, a -hundred times, but they will not listen. It will be to-night. They -will not let me see you. I don't know what to do, Captain Gray. -Please, please think of something--to delay it. I did not dream they -wanted to do anything like that. I would rather face Wu Fang Chien. -Why could not you come to me? Please, help me. Timur has agreed to -carry this. - - -It was signed with Mary's name. The girlish appeal stirred Gray -strangely. She had sent to him for aid. Yet there was little he -could do. He followed the note mechanically and faced Timur, -thinking quickly. - -"In her own country," he said slowly, "the Kha Rakcha has high rank. -Because of this it is not fitting that she should marry among the -Wusun. She does not want to stay in Sungan. It will kill her. This -is the truth." - -"I have seen that you speak the truth," assented the chieftain. "And -my heart is warm for love of the woman who talked with me. Yet Gela -has rank among us." - -"But she does not wish the marriage." - -"It is the word of Bassalor Danek." - -"You know that I speak what is so. The woman will die, if not by her -own hand, from unhappiness." - -Timur looked sadly from the embrasure. - -"It may be. But death is slow in coming to the young, O -Man-from-the-Outside. Before she dies the Kha Rakcha will bear Gela -a son. That is the wish of Bassalor Danek." - -Gray's lips tightened grimly. - -"Is that a just reward for coming over the desert to find the Wusun -and lighten their captivity?" - -"It is fate." - -"If it comes to pass the White Spirit will never leave Sungan, but -will die here. Will you lay that black fate upon her?" - -"Will she not be kept here, if she does not marry Gela?" - -Gray looked up hotly. "The Kha Rakcha is not a subject of Bassalor -Danek. She is a servant of a mightier king----" - -Timur raised his hand. - -"Harken, youth," he said gravely. "I have seen your love for the Kha -Rakcha, and I know that she has love for you in her heart----" -Gray's pulses quickened at this--"but the will of Bassalor Danek must -be obeyed. I know not if it is fitting that she marry among the -Wusun. But the Gur-Khan has said that by the marriage, aid may be -obtained from her people for the Wusun. Blood ties are strong. And -the Wusun are fast dying out. If the marriage takes place, the Kha -Rakcha will remain in Sungan. That is the word of the Gur-Khan. It -may not be altered." - -Silently, Gray studied the pattern of the carpet at his feet. His -firm mouth was set in hard lines. Argument was gaining him nothing. -And he must make his effort to save the girl now or never. - -"I claim the White Spirit as my bride," he said. "By right of love. -She is mine." - -Timur combed his white beard thoughtfully. - -"How can it be?" - -"In this way. Bassalor Danek has given to Gela what is mine. Since -the time of Kaidu and Genghis Khan it has been the law of Mongolia -that a maiden should not be taken from the man to whom she is -betrothed." - -"Bassalor Danek has decided. It is for the good of his people." - -"I, who have come across the desert to the Wusun, know that it is not -so. I call upon the Wusun to abide by the law of Mongolia." - -"The marriage feast is being prepared. The White Spirit will be -clothed in the robe of blessed felicity." - -"Let it be so." Gray looked at the old man steadily. "Let there be -a marriage this night, according to the custom of the Wusun. But I, -as well as Gela, claim the girl. You know the law?" - -"If two men say that a woman is theirs, they must decide the matter -with weapons in their hands." - -"That is the law, Timur. From across the desert I have known it. I -will fight Gela. Thus it will be decided." - -Timur glanced at him curiously. - -"The Kha Khan is no light foe. He will fight with swords. He has -learned the art of sword play from his fathers." - -"Be it so." Gray rose. "Bear this message to the Kha Khan. Say -that the White Spirit is mine." - -The Wusun sighed. - -"It is the way of the hot blood of youth. You are foolhardy. Why -should friends fight when Wu Fang Chien is approaching our gates? -Still, what fate has written will come to pass. I will tell Bassalor -Danek your message." - -That night there was a stir in Sungan. Rumor of the coming event had -spread through the ruins, and, with the exception of the guards that -Gela stationed to prevent any attempt at entrance on the part of the -Chinese, the whole of the Wusun men flocked into the council hall. - -Gray, from his tower, watched the glow of the sunset and saw the -shadows form about the gardens of Sungan. The evening chant floated -up to him, mournful and melodious. Occasionally he saw a sentry pass -along the outline of the wall. - -He wondered grimly whether he would see the next sunrise. Timur had -announced, by Garluk, that Gray's challenge to the chief of the -_tumani_ had been accepted. - -Garluk was voluble with excitement. He made no secret of his belief -that the American would die at the hand of Gela. It would be an -excellent spectacle, he said. He asked if Gray intended to protect -himself by magic during the combat. - -Gray did not answer. He had had no experience in handling a sword; -the primitive blades of the Wusun were clumsy weapons. Doubtless -Gela was skilled in their use. - -The situation afforded little ground for hope. Certainly Gray, who -had had an opportunity to measure his adversary, was not -overconfident. He was resolved to make the best of it. He was doing -the only thing he could to aid the girl. - -He was not sorry. Gray was the type that did not shirk physical -conflict. And his love for Mary Hastings was without stint. He did -not know how much she cared for him. He was incredulous of Timur's -words--that she could love him. - -At Garluk's summons, he followed the _tumani_ down the stairs. The -corridors were thronged with men who stared at him avidly. So great -was the crowd that Garluk could barely force his way into the hall. - -The place was brightly lighted with candles. Overhead, the gallery -was filled with the Wusun. On the daïs Bassalor Danek was talking -earnestly with Timur and the other elders of the tribe. - -A murmur went up at Gray's entrance and the throng turned, as one -man, to stare at him. He returned their scrutiny, from the doorway, -hoping that he might see the girl. Would she be brought to the hall? -He did not know. Timur limped forward. - -"The bronze bracelet," he ordered Garluk. The _tumani_ produced a -metal armlet which he clamped upon Gray's left forearm. It was an -ancient ornament, engraved with lettering unfamiliar to the American. -He wondered idly what Van Schaick would have thought of it. - -"It shall be as you wish," said Timur gravely. "Bassalor Danek is -just. He has granted your claim. If you are the victor, the White -Spirit shall be yours." - -"It is well," assented Gray. - -He spoke mechanically, feeling the phenomena known to men who are -about to go into bodily danger--the acute interest in all about him, -merged into indifference. - -"We have sent for the White Spirit," added Timur. "Gela will bring -her." - -A fresh murmur caused Gray to raise his eyes. He searched the throng -greedily. At the door behind the daïs Mary Hastings had appeared. -The murmur changed into a loud exclamation of astonishment. - -The girl had been forced to discard her own clothing for a loose -garment of white silk, fitted with a wide girdle of the same material -and a veil that covered her face below the eyes. Her hair hung over -her slender shoulders in bronze coils on which the candlelight played -fitfully. - -Her arms were bare. Thrust into the glare, she shrank back. Then -she caught sight of Gray and would have started forward, but the -women around prevented her. For a moment her eyes sought his -pleadingly. - -"The Kha Rakcha," murmured those near him. "_Aie_--she is fair." - -Gray's heart leaped at the sight. Then Gela appeared at the girl's -side, his tall bulk towering above the women. He was armed with his -sword and appeared well pleased with the situation. - -"A fine stage setting," thought Gray whimsically. "Just like the -plays at home. Only the savage in this case isn't ready to drop by -the footlights when the time comes. And his sword isn't _papier -maché_." - -His mind ran on, illogically. But his gaze fastened hungrily on the -girl. He admired the pluck which kept her erect and calm in the face -of the multitude. - -"A thoroughbred!" he muttered. He wanted to call to her, but the -commotion would drown his voice. He did not look at her again. The -appeal in the girl's mute eyes was too great. - -With this came a quick revulsion of feeling. His stupor of -indifference vanished at sight of the slight figure among the staring -Wusun. A hot longing to fight for her swept over him--a desire to -match his strength with her enemies, to win her for himself and keep -her. - -The thought sent the blood pulsing through him quickly. He smiled -and waved at the girl, who responded bravely. - -Gray moved toward her, followed by Timur. He wished to speak to her. -And then came the incident which altered matters entirely and which -set in motion the strange events of that night. - -Gela had been talking with Bassalor Danek. In a burst of pride, the -Kha Khan turned to the girl, caught her about the knees and lifted -her easily for all to see. Surprise caused the girl to cry out. - -"Gela!" Gray called angrily, "that was ill done. The Kha Rakcha is -not for your hands to touch!" - -The youth did not understand. Mastered by an impulse of passion, he -laughed, pressing the white woman closer. An echoing cry came from -the Wusun. Gela kissed the bare arm of the girl, running his free -hand through her hair. - -The sight was too much for Gray's prudence. Pushing Timur aside, he -sprang forward. Several of the _tumani_ stepped into his path. Gray -struck at them viciously. - -He was in the grip of a cold rage which renders a man doubly -dangerous. His powerful body flung forward through the group of his -enemies. Love for the girl blinded him to the consequences of his -mistake. - -An outcry arose. Gray paid no heed to it, his fists smashing into -the faces of those who tried to hold him. He wrenched free from men -who caught his legs. - -"Peace!" cried the great voice of Bassalor Danek. - -An injured Wusun, bleeding from the mouth, struck at Gray with his -sword. The white man stepped under the blow and twisted the weapon -away from its holder. - -Aflame with the lust of conflict, he swung his blade against the -others that flashed in his face. The force of his trained muscles -beat down their guard and cleared him a way to the foot of the daïs. - -Then the Wusun gave back, at a sharp command. A space was cleared -around him. He saw Gela standing alone before him, smiling, weapon -in hand. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -A STAGE IS SET - -"Ho!" cried the voice of Garluk. "It is come." - -Others caught up the words. "It is come. Gela is ready. One must -die!" - -"One must die," echoed Garluk, "or give way to the other." - -A quick glance upward showed Gray that Bassalor Danek was leaning -forward in his chair. Mary was watching tensely from the group of -women. - -Gray had little time to think. The man who now confronted him was a -more formidable adversary than those he had knocked aside. Gela -stood, poised easily, his bare sword swinging in a knotted arm. - -Gray smiled and moved forward, while the throng of the Wusun watched -greedily. - -The thought of what he was to do had come to him. And he acted on it -instantly. - -Swinging his weapon over his head he leaped at Gela. The Kha Khan's -sword went up to guard the blow. As it did so, the white man dropped -his blade and caught the other's arm. - -It had been done in the space of a second, coolly and recklessly. -Gray drew the arm of Gela over his own shoulder, turning as he did -so. It was a wrestling trick and it brought the Wusun's weight full -on the sword arm. - -A wrench, a quick change of footing, and Gela's sword dropped to the -floor. Both men were now unarmed. - -Gray had taken the only course that would save his life. Unskilled -in use of the sword, he had reduced the fight to even terms. But he -felt at once the great strength of the Wusun. - -Gela gripped him about the waist, crushing his arms to his side. -Gray felt a sharp pain in his back, and stiffened against the hold. -Slowly he forced his arms up until his fists were under the other's -chin. - -It was now a trial of sheer strength. Gela strained at his grip, -locking his iron-like muscles in an effort to bend his foe back. -Gray brought one knee up into the Wusun's stomach and pressed up with -his fists. - -For a long moment the two were locked motionless. Silence held the -hall. - -"Ho!" came the voice of Garluk, "we will see the man crushed. Gela -will crush him as a bullock beats down a sheep." - -They were panting now, and the perspiration streamed down into Gray's -eyes. He had not guessed the Wusun was so strong. The scene and the -spectators faded from his sight, leaving the vision of Gela's set -face staring into his own. - -In weight and muscle the Wusun had the advantage of his adversary. -But Gray was not putting forth his strength to the utmost, knowing -that the hold must be changed when Gela tired. - -Seeing that he could not snap Gray's spine by sheer weight, Gela -shifted his grip swiftly, reaching for a lower hold. - -Gray had been waiting for this. As the other released his pressure, -he struck. It was a hurried blow, but it jerked back the Wusun's -head and rocked him on his feet. - -Instantly Gray struck with the other hand. This time his fist -traveled farther and Gela fell to the floor. - -He was up at once, growling angrily. As he rushed, Gray beat him off -coolly--short, telling blows that kept him free from the other's -grasp. - -"Ho!" laughed Timur, "which is the bullock now? The man has sharp -horns." - -Gela hesitated, bleeding from nose and mouth. He had never been -forced to face a man who was master of such blows. He swayed, -gasping with his exertions, his brown head thrust forward from -between his wide shoulders. - -Gray waited, poised alertly, regaining his breath. - -Then Gela lowered his head and sprang forward. Gray caught him twice -as he came--with each fist. But this time the man was not to be -stopped. - -Gray was caught about the shoulders, swung from his feet and dashed -to the stone floor. He felt the other's knees drive into his body, -and rolled to one side as Gela's hands fumbled for his throat. He -knew it would mean death to be pinned to the floor by the Wusun. - -Lights were dancing before his eyes. The hall had grown dark, for -Gela's arm was over his eyes. - -For a long space the two were locked almost motionless on the floor. - -He heard Mary cry out. The sound was drowned in an exultant shout, -from the watchers. Gray was on his knees. He drew a long, painful -breath. His lungs had been emptied by the fall to the hard floor. - -Silently, he set his teeth and warded off the hands that sought his -throat. With an effort, he rose to his feet, throwing off the weight -of his enemy. He staggered as he did so, and realized that he was on -the point of utter exhaustion. - -The shout grew in volume as Gela, still vigorous, advanced on Gray -with outstretched arms. The white man stepped back. Again he -avoided the clutch of the Wusun who was grinning in triumph. As he -did so he summed his remaining strength with grim determination, -watching Gela. - -Again the Wusun advanced. This time Gray did not draw back. He -launched forward bodily, eyes fixed on his foe's face. His fist -caught Gela full on the cheek-bone, under the eye. - -Watching, and fighting off the stupor of weakness, Gray saw Gela's -head jerk back. The Wusun slipped to the floor, and lay there. - -It was all that Gray could do to keep his feet. His head was on his -chest, and his dull sight perceived that Gela was trying to crawl -toward him. - -The muscles of the Wusun moved feebly, pulling his body over the -floor. His splendid shoulders heaved. The blow that he received -would have knocked out an ordinary man. - -Gray, his shirt torn from his back, and blood dripping from his -mouth, watched. Gela edged nearer. There was silence in the hall. - -Then the Wusun's head dropped to the floor and his shoulders fell -limp. He ceased moving forward. Gray's blow had ended the struggle. -Both men were exhausted; but the white man was able to keep his feet. - -As his sight cleared, he looked up at Mary. The girl's gaze burned -into his. Gray moved toward her, fumbling at his left arm. - -He mounted the steps of the daïs. He took the bronze armlet weakly -in his hand. Barely, he was able to raise it and place it around the -girl's throat. She did not draw back. - -Then he put his hand on her shoulder and turned to face Bassalor -Danek. As he did so, there was a commotion in the crowd at the hall -entrance. A Wusun stepped forward. He held a strung bow in one hand. - -"I bring news, O Gur-Khan," the newcomer cried. "Wu Fang Chien is -within the gate of Sungan." - -At this, confusion arose among the Wusun. Women screamed and the -_tumani_ shouted angrily. - -"The Chinese soldiers have driven back the sentries on the wall," -repeated the messenger. "Wu Fang Chien sends word to you. He has -come for the two white people. They must be given up to him. Or he -will search the whole of Sungan." - -The uproar died down at this. All eyes were turned to Bassalor -Danek. The Gur-Khan sat quietly in his chair, but the hand that -stroked his beard trembled. - -"Will Wu Fang Chien break the covenant of our people?" he demanded -sternly. - -"Aye; he has mustered his soldiers with guns." - -Gray felt the girl draw closer to him. She did not know what was -going on, yet guessed at trouble in the air. He put his arm over her -shoulders, thrilled that she did not protest. - -Instead, her hand reached up and pressed his softly. Her hair -touched his cheek. He had married Mary Hastings, by the law of the -Wusun. It was not marriage as their customs ordained; but he felt -the exultation that had come when he bound the circlet of bronze -about her slim throat. She was his! He had won her from Gela. -And--miraculously--she was content to have his arm about her. Of -course he could not urge the claim of this barbaric ritual on her--if -they ever won free from Sungan. For the moment, however, he joyed in -the thought that he had fought for and won the woman he loved. The -new menace, voiced by the messenger, slipped from his mind. He saw -only the girl. - -Then he realized that she was blushing hotly. - -"Please," she whispered, "I--I must get my clothes. This dress is -not--I don't want to wear it." - -"It's mighty becoming," he said, laughingly. - -He spoke haphazard, his triumph still strong upon him. - -"Oh!" She smiled back. "Now that you are my--master, they'll let me -change to my own things, won't they? I'll run back to Bassalor -Danek's house." - -He saw that she was disturbed by the multitude, But the lines about -his mouth hardened. His arm tightened about her. - -"You won't leave me--now," he whispered. Then he saw sudden alarm in -her eyes. "We're in trouble, as usual. I'll send a woman for your -clothes." He spoke lightly, trying to reassure her. "Here's -Timur----" - -At his request, the lame chieftain curtly dispatched an attendant for -Mary's garments. Timur was watching Bassalor Danek. The Gur-Khan -was staring blankly before him. He was called upon to make a -decision which meant much to his people. - -Gray also was watching the ruler of the Wusun, wondering whether the -latter's pride would lead him to resist Wu Fang Chien. - -Then a figure pushed through the _tumani_ at the foot of the daïs. -It was Gela, staggering with weariness, the blood still flowing from -the cuts in his face. In spite of this he carried himself proudly, -and there was a savage light in the eyes that peered at Bassalor -Danek and the two white people. - -He pointed at Gray and growled something that the American did not -understand. - -"He says," interpreted Timur, "that you are a brave man. That the -word of Gela will not be broken. He will guard the Kha Rakcha from -the Buddhists. And he will protect you who are the husband of the -woman." - -A murmur of approval came from the ranks of the _tumani_ at the words -of their leader. Bassalor Danek looked troubled. - -"It is well said," cried Gray. He stepped forward, holding out his -hand. Gela drew himself up defiantly. It may have been that he did -not understand the gesture of the white man. - -"Gela says," explained Timur, "that he will do this for the Kha -Rakcha. Not for you." - -But Gray had seen his chance, and turned to Bassalor Danek. - -"Harken, Gur-Khan of the Wusun," he said clearly. "You must answer -Wu Fang Chien. You have heard the word of Gela, who is a generous -foe. Have you forgotten that your fathers and mine were once the -same? Or the talisman in the shrine? By this thing, I ask a favor. -It will be the last." - -"Speak," responded the chieftain quietly. "I have not forgotten." - -"The Kha Rakcha and I have come across the desert to Sungan to seek -the Wusun, who are of our blood. Many died, that we should come -here. And"--he recalled the words Mirai Khan had once used--"we have -eaten your meat and bread. What we came for has been accomplished. -Why should we stay here? Would it not be better to bring word of -what we have seen to those of your blood who are across the desert?" - -Bassalor Danek meditated, stroking his beard. - -"Once I said to Wu Fang Chien and the priests, O -Man-from-the-Outside, that you are my guest. So it shall be. I will -not give you up." - -"The time of the Kha Rakcha in Sungan is ended," returned Gray -boldly. "Like the crescent moon she has come and will go. She must -carry the word of the talisman in the shrine back with her. It was -for this that the Kha Rakcha was sent. She will return to a king who -is greater than the Manchu emperor once was." - -The Gur-Khan shook his head shrewdly. - -"What power is greater than the Dragon Empire? What other people are -there than the Mongols, the Kirghiz and the Buddhists priests?" - -"Beyond the desert is a sea, and beyond the sea are those whose blood -was once yours. We will take our message to them and they will know -of the Wusun." - -Timur limped forward to the Gur-Khan's side. - -"A thought has come to me, O Khan of the Wusun," he said slowly. "It -is a high thought and an omen. It is that this man and woman will -return whence they have come, with speech of what they saw in Sungan. -It is written in the book of fate that this shall be. Why else did -the white man overcome Gela?" - -He turned to Gray, with a moody smile on his lined face. - -"Your people, O Man-from-the-Outside, will not find the Wusun, if -they send again. That is my thought. The sun passes from the -heavens and it is night; the camel leaves his bones to dry in the -sands. So will the Wusun pass from Mongolia. The priests of Buddha -are powerful. Soon the sands will climb over the walls of Sungan." - -A murmur from a hundred throats, a muttered lament, greeted this. - -"We will deliver our message," said Gray. - -Timur was silent, standing beside the troubled Gur-Khan. A quick -emotion of friendship for these resigned captives of Sungan swept -over Gray. He turned to Gela. - -"Will you do this for the Kha Rakcha?" he asked. "Will you escort us -through the ranks of the Buddhist priests and the soldiers? It will -not be an easy task. There will be bloodshed. But it would save the -life of the Kha Rakcha." - -Timur interpreted his request. The Kha Khan lifted his head proudly. -He spoke rapidly, harshly, pointing to the watching warriors. - -"He will do what you say," assented Timur. "The _tumani_ will take -you through the guards of Sungan. It has not been done before----" - -"Wu Fang Chien first broke the covenant," reminded the American. - -"_Aie_! It will be a hard struggle. The soldiers have guns----" - -Gela broke in sternly. Already the light of conflict showed in his -keen eyes. He issued a series of guttural commands to the _tumani_. -The women began to press from the hall, uttering wailing laments. -The young men clustered around the Kha Khan. - -"Wu Fang Chien will scourge us for this," muttered Timur. - -"Wu Fang Chien," pointed out Gray grimly, "may not live to do it. -Likewise, it is better, for the peace of the Wusun, that we should go -from Sungan." - -He thought, also, of Gela's savage love for the girl. For the moment -the Wusun was their friend. But the future might alter that. He had -seen his opportunity, and seized it. The _tumani_ were drawing their -weapons and chattering excitedly. - -Gray had reasoned that now the Buddhists were assembled at the gates -of Sungan. If he and the girl could penetrate their ranks, they -might obtain a good start over the desert, which was now free of the -outer guards. - -"As you have said," announced Bassalor Danek, rising, "it shall be -done." - -"What is happening?" Mary asked anxiously. Sensing the importance of -what was passing, she had not spoken before. - -Gray laughed. He touched her shoulder shyly. - -"Come to me, as soon as you are ready, Mary. Gela is a generous foe. -He will guide us beyond the wall." - -She looked at the young Kha Khan gratefully. Well she knew what the -danger would be, although Gray had not mentioned it. On a quick -impulse the girl stooped and picked up Gela's weapon from the floor. -She placed it in the hand of the Wusun. The action caught the fancy -of the _tumani_. - -"The Kha Rakcha is one at heart with the Wusun!" they cried, looking -eagerly at the beautiful woman. - -"Aye, the Kha Rakcha!" shouted Gela, his moodiness vanished. "We -will shed our blood for the white queen." - -"Ho--the white queen!" echoed the _tumani_. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -RIFLE AGAINST ARROW - -What happened now came swiftly and with little warning. Bassalor -Danek, once the die was cast, ceded his authority to Gela. The -traditional leadership of the Wusun was the Kha Khan's in time of -war. Now, for the first time in generations they were to resist the -authority of their gaolers. - -Gray remembers clearly that Bassalor Danek bade them a solemn -farewell standing in his white robe at the foot of the daïs. Then -the Gur-Khan, who was impressed with the importance of the occasion, -raised his hand with dignity. - -"By the talisman at your throat, O Kha Rakcha," he said, "do not -forget the Wusun--if it is the decree of fate that you should pass -from here in safety." - -"She will not forget," promised Gray. He watched the aged figure -depart for the tower where Bassalor Danek intended to watch what was -to happen through the Eyes-of-Long-Sight. - -Gela assumed command impetuously. Gray watched him muster the -_tumani_. The young men were afire with anticipation of a struggle. -The long pent up enmity against their captors was about to be -released. From the dwellings of Sungan came the lament of the women. -It shrilled in the night air--the world-old plaint of women before -battle. - -Timur lingered with them. The three were surrounded by the hunters -who had strung their bows and unsheathed their heavy swords. - -There was only a half-light in the upper hall of the council-temple -where they now stood. It reflected faintly upon the red sandstone of -the walls, with the faded, painted figures of an older age looking -down upon them. - -Gutturally, the warriors spoke under their breath to each other, -laughing much, although not loudly. Some, however, leaned upon their -bows silently, their eyes blank. This note of tensity was familiar -to the American. Gray had watched men go forward under fire with the -same forced merriment, the same semi-stupor. - -But the hunters were contented. Young men, for the most part, their -lean faces hardened and lined by exposure to the sun, their bloodshot -eyes narrow, their lips thin and cracked--they smiled more frequently -than not. A savage pleasure lurked in their eyes. They were to lift -their swords against the oppressors of the Wusun. Gray counted the -swords. They were all too few. - -Wearied of confinement, they were, for a brief moment, to strike into -the desert as free men. Perhaps. For they might never win beyond -the wall. - -They shuffled their yak-skin boots, breathing heavily. The air in -the gallery became close and hot with scent of soiled leather. Mary -stood close to Gray, her shoulder against his. She had changed to -her torn dress and crumpled jacket. Her glance was on him. - -"Robert!" - -"Yes--Mary." He looked down, his face alight at hearing her speak -his name. - -"You were frowning. Will it be so very bad?" Her slender body -pressed against his so that he could feel the pulse of her heart. -"Then you mustn't leave me--this time." - -"No." - -He wanted to take her in his arms, to call her his wife. But he -checked the swift impulse sternly. He had no right. How was he to -know that she was yearning for just this comfort? - -Gela waved his arm, and there was a shuffling of many feet, moving -forward. - -"Robert!" - -Her eyes, shining with faith in him, drew nearer and held his own. -His arm drew her closer to him, savagely. Perhaps he hurt her. But -she did not protest. - -Blindly, he pressed his mouth against the fragrance of her hair. -Clumsily, with dry lips, he kissed her throat and cheek, marveling at -the pulse that beat so strongly where he touched. - -Two swift, slender arms closed around his neck. The girl sighed, -quivering, uttering a soft, happy murmur. Gray, unbelieving, tried -to look into her face, but tender, moist lips touched his in a quick -caress. Her eyes were half closed, and she was strangely pale. - -"Mary!" he whispered, and again: "Mary." - -She was smiling now, the gray eyes glad. - -Gela cast an appraising eye over the assemblage and gave a command. -The _tumani_ pressed forward to the stairs that led to the entrances -above ground. - -Gray felt Mary's hand seek his. A cool breath of air brushed their -hot faces. He saw the glitter of torches, lighted by the _tumani_. -Then they passed out into the night. - -The sands of Sungan were vacant except for the group of warriors -under Gela. A slight breeze stirred among the aloes and tamarisks, -lifting tiny spirals of dust under their feet and causing the torches -to flicker. - -Then the torches were dashed into the sand, and the warrior groups -became shadowy forms, moving against the deeper shadow of the towers. - -Overhead the moon was cold and bright. Its radiance showed the dark -figures of Chinese on the wall, and glittered on their guns. At the -gate in the wall in front of them was a group of priests. Wu Fang -Chien was not to be seen. - -Between the _tumani_ and the wall was a level stretch of sand perhaps -two hundred yards in length. - -"See!" chattered the old Timur, "the message of Bassalor Danek has -been sent. They are waiting." - -"It would not be well to rush the wall," cautioned Gray quickly, -sizing up the situation. "They have guns----" - -"If I had a bow!" Timur's reluctance had vanished under the growing -excitement. "Ho! The hunters will hunt new prey." - -One of the priests cried out something that Gray did not understand. -Gela answered defiantly, and the _tumani_ rushed forward, carrying -Gray and Mary with them. - -A shot sounded from the wall, greeted by a defiant shout from the -Wusun. A scattering volley followed. The guards--Chinese -irregulars, Dungans, bandits, followers of the priests, -what-not--were poor marksmen. But the range was close. And the -Wusun, ignorant of tactics against gunfire, were bunched close. - -Gray saw several stumble and fall in the sand. More shots. The -torches wavered. Timur stooped and picked up a bow and arrow from -one of the fallen. - -The priests had vanished from the gate. This had been closed. But -not before Gray sighted groups of the lepers running about in -confusion. Some seemed to be armed. - -The Wusun wavered under the fire, as undisciplined men are bound to -do. Gray forced the girl to crouch in the sand with Timur while he -ran forward to Gela. The Kha Khan was shouting angrily at his -followers. - -"The passages!" Gray seized Gela's arm. "Here, you will be killed. -Go down to the passages." - -Gela, the hot light of battle in his scarred face, stared at him -unheedingly. But Timur, who was not to be left behind, limped -forward and echoed Gray's words. - -Comprehension dawned on the Kha Khan, and his eyes narrowed shrewdly. -He shouted to his men. The _tumani_ began to run back, leaving dark -bodies prone in the sand. - -Gray made his way to the temple with Mary. A shout of triumph -sounded from the wall. The firing did not cease. The blood-lust had -been aroused in the men on the wall, who had found the killing of the -poorly armed Wusun an easy matter. - -But Gray, seeing the set faces around him, realized that the _tumani_ -were not going to give up the struggle. It was an age-old feud--the -struggle of the oppressed Central Asians against their Mongol captors. - -He and the girl were swept along at Gela's side like leaves in a -swift current. Down into the temple the Wusun pressed, silent this -time. They streamed into the underground corridors, led by men with -torches. The shouting over-ground grew fainter. - -Once Gray stumbled over a body. It was a woman, bleeding from a -death wound in the throat. The priests had been here, and warfare in -the Gobi reckons not of sex. - -The flutter of a yellow robe appeared in the corridor in front of -them. A bow twanged, and Gray saw an arrow appear between the -shoulders of the fleeing priest. A knife that the Buddhist held -clattered to the floor. - -The _tumani_ shouted and pressed forward. They were under the wall -now, and the passage began to rise. Gray saw that it was the same -that led to the well. - -A sharp command from Gela silenced the Wusun. They ran out into the -well and up the steps, savagely intent on their purpose. - -They emerged into confusion. Gray saw that other Wusun were running -out from the adjoining passages, driving the priests before them. -The Chinese on the wall had turned. Taken by surprise, they were -firing hastily. Their foes were scattered now, and the fight became -a hand-to-hand affair. - -One by one the torches dropped to the sand. Swords flashed in the -moonlight. Gray saw some of the men of the leper pack, led by -priests. These were met with arrows of the _tumani_ and driven back. -They fled easily. - -Forced to hand-grips, the Chinese at the wall wavered. - -"_Aie!_" cried Timur. "The fight goes well. I am young again." He -pointed exultantly at the leaping forms of the hunters. - -The girl walked quietly at Gray's side. The American picked up an -empty musket and went forward. It was a poor weapon, but it served. -Gela was in advance of his followers, who had cleared the wall now -and were pacing forward, seeking out the groups of Chinese. - -By now the soldiers were running back through the outskirts of the -city. - -Gray could see the leper pack mingling with the shadows among the -sand dunes. Occasionally, there was a shrill cry as the Wusun hunted -out a yellow-robed Buddhist. The Chinese were fleeing in earnest. -The only light now came from the moon. It was a battle of shadows, -wherein dim forms leaped and struck with bared knives, peering at -each other's face. - -"_Aie!_" echoed the old chieftain, who was leaning on the shoulder of -a _tumani_, "this is the way our fathers drove their foes before -them. It is a goodly sight." - -He hobbled on, refusing to be left behind. Gray drew a deep breath, -surveying the scene with experienced eye. The smoldering anger of -the Wusun had cleared a temporary passage. "We are outside the city, -Mary," he said. - -"It is not over yet," she responded quickly. "See--there are lights -ahead, to the right." - -Gela had seen the same thing. He gathered together the hunters that -remained about him and advanced cautiously. Rounding some dunes, -they came full on the lights. - -It was the camp of the Chinese guards. Camels and horses were -tethered among some make-shift tents. Lanterns flickered as coolies -sought to assemble the beasts. - -A group of men were facing them standing uneasily in front of the -tents. Gray saw the bulky figure and mandarin hat of Wu Fang Chien. -The light from a lantern struck across his broad face, savage now -with baffled anger. He held a rifle. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE BRONZE CIRCLET - -The girl gave a quick cry. It was answered by a shout from Gela. - -One of the Chinese fired. The man who was supporting Timur dropped -to the ground with a moan, hands clasped to his stomach. - -Both Gela and Gray sprang forward at the same time. Wu Fang Chien -caught sight of them and lifted his rifle. His followers shot -wildly, doing no damage in the uncertain light. - -The mandarin, Gray thought swiftly as he ran, had rallied some of the -fugitives at the camp. Possibly he had guessed Gray's intention to -leave Sungan, and was determined to prevent it at all costs. - -Gray could see the man clearly as he peered at him over the sights of -the rifle. The weapon was steady. Behind him, a warning shout -echoed from the Wusun. Gela, at his side, did not slacken his pace. - -Still Wu Fang Chien held his fire. Gray, watching intently, saw that -the rifle the mandarin held was one of his own--stolen from his -luggage. The thought wrought on him with grim humor. It did not -occur to him to turn back. He could not leave Gela to go forward -alone. The Kha Khan was panting as he ran, wearied by his efforts, -but grimly intent on Wu Fang Chien. - -Behind Wu Fang Chien, he saw the horses struggling at their tethers. -His senses were strangely sharpened by the tensity of the moment. He -heard Gela pant, and even caught the distant lament of the women of -the Wusun. The coughing of frightened camels came to him clearly. - -The lantern glinted on the rifle barrel that was aimed full at him. -He saw Wu Fang Chien's evil eyes narrow. Then they widened. The -rifle barrel wavered. And dropped to the sand. Gela and the white -man halted in their tracks. - -From the throat of Wu Fang Chien projected an arrow shaft, the -feathers sticking grotesquely under his chin. - -Slowly the mandarin's knees gave way and he fell forward on the sand, -both hands gripping the arrow that snapped the thread of his life. - -"_Aie!_" the voice of Timur rang out. "I have taken a life. I have -slain an enemy of my people!" - -Gray turned and saw the old chieftain standing bow in hand beside -Mary. His cry had barely ceased when a yellow-robed priest sprang at -him from a tent. - -The Buddhist held a knife. His course took him directly toward Mary. -The girl waited helplessly. Gela's warning cry rang out. Several of -the Wusun were running toward her. But too far away to aid. - -The priest was within a few paces of the girl, too near for Gela or -Gray to interfere in time. - -Then the figure of Timur limped forward. The old man struck at the -priest feebly with his bow. And caught him by the shoulders. - -The Buddhist stabbed the Wusun viciously, burying his knife in -Timur's back. The old man uttered no sound, but kept his hold, -snarling under the bite of the knife. Gray stepped to the side of Wu -Fang Chien and caught up the mandarin's rifle. - -It was his own piece and loaded. He laid the sights on the man in -the yellow robe as the latter threw off the clinging form of Timur. -The rifle cracked as the Buddhist stepped toward Mary. - -The priest staggered to his knees. It had been a quick shot, and an -excellent one, considering the light. Gela grunted approval. - -Gray saw the girl go to the side of the stricken Timur. Then he -looked about the camp. Wu Fang Chien was dead, and his remaining -followers had run from the camp into the desert. Only Gela's band of -the Wusun were visible, thinned in numbers, but triumphant. They -thronged toward their leader, bearing useless rifles as spoil, tired, -yet chuckling loudly. - -The fight was over. - -Gela motioned significantly to the moon which was high overhead. -Time was passing, and the white man must be dispatched while the -coast was free. He had not forgotten his promise in the council -hall. The Kha Khan returned to Mary and led her away from the old -chieftain. - -Gray saw that the girl was crying. Not noisily, but quietly, trying -to keep back the tears. The strain of the night was beginning to -tell on her, and the death of Timur at her side had been a shock. -She did not want to look back. - -"I--I liked Timur," she said softly. "He was good to me." - -"He was a good sort," assented Gray heartily. - -For the girl's sake, he wished to leave the camp at once. Delay -would mean peril. Gela seemed to have guessed his thought. The Kha -Khan issued brisk orders to his followers. Then he threw his own -warm, sheepskin _khalat_ over the girl's shoulders. - -Two camels, the pick of those in the encampment, were produced. -These were fitted hastily with blankets. A third was -loaded--protesting loudly after the fashion of the beasts--with -foodstuffs and water, commandeered from the supplies of the Chinese. -Gela examined the goat skin water bags attentively and nodded with -satisfaction. They were all-important. - -This done, he turned to Gray and pointed again to the moon. Then he -motioned out over the desert to the west to a gray expanse of -shimmering earth, with scattering wisps of stunted bushes. - -"He wants us to go in that direction," said the girl, "not back to -China." - -Gray had already reasoned out their best course. The direction of -Gala agreed with his own conclusion. To the west four or five days' -fast ride on camels was the river Tarim, with isolated settlements of -shepherds. Here they would be across the boundary of Kashgaria and -free from the authority of the Chinese Buddhists. And beyond the -Tarim was Khotan--just north of the Karakorum Pass to India. He -still had his maps and compass. - -"From there," assented the girl, "we can reach Kashgar, where there -will be merchants from Kashmir. My uncle has been at Khotan with me. -It is not hard to travel to India from there." - -Urged by Gela they mounted the kneeling camels. The Wusun clustered -around. Out of the camp they led the white man and woman until the -towers of Sungan were barely visible on the horizon. - -Here they were beyond danger of meeting with Chinese fugitives. Gela -halted and raised his hand in farewell. Gray and the girl did -likewise. - -"He has kept his word to us, and he is proud of it," whispered Mary, -"and we can't thank him." For neither could speak Gela's tongue. - -"Good-by, old man, and good luck," said Gray heartily, in English. - -Turning back after an interval, he saw the Kha Khan and the Wusun -watching them. They were seated in the sand, their faces bent toward -the departing camels. Until the two were out of sight, Gela remained -there. - -The camels were fresh and moved swiftly. It was a clear night, with -a touch of cold in the air, a forerunner of the winter that was -settling down on Central Asia. The miles passed swiftly behind, as -Gray, guided by his compass, kept on to the west. - -They did not speak. Behind them the crimson of dawn flooded the sky. -The moon paled, coldly. Early morning chill numbed the man and the -girl. The long shadows of the camels appeared on the sand before -them. Mists, wraith-like and grotesque, receded on the skyline. -From black to gray, and then to brown the sand dunes turned. Waves -of sand swept to the sky-line on either side. - -They were alone in the infinity of Asia. - -Gray wanted to speak, but a strong shyness gripped him. He urged his -beast beside the girl's and took her hand. She did not withdraw it. -This made him bold. Already the sun warmed their backs. The camels -slowed to a steady trudge. - -"Our honeymoon has begun," he said. His heart was beating in unruly -fashion. "And in Kashgar, we can find a missionary, to--to make you -really my wife--if you will." - -She did not answer. Instead, she drew back the _khalat_ that the -Wusun had given her. 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If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Marching Sands</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Harold Lamb</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: July 11, 2021 [eBook #65825]<br /> -[Most recently updated: October 14, 2021]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Al Haines</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARCHING SANDS ***</div> - -<h1> -<br /><br /> -MARCHING SANDS -</h1> - -<p class="t3b"> -BY -</p> - -<p class="t2"> -HAROLD LAMB -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY -<br /><br /> -NEW YORK : LONDON : 1920 -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t4"> - COPYRIGHT, 1920,<br /> - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY<br /> -<br /> - Copyright, 1919, by<br /> - Frank A. Munsey Company<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="noindent"> - CONTENTS<br /> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> - I. <a href="#chap01">The Lost People</a><br /> - II. <a href="#chap02">Legends</a><br /> - III. <a href="#chap03">Delabar Discourses</a><br /> - IV. <a href="#chap04">Warning</a><br /> - V. <a href="#chap05">Intruders</a><br /> - VI. <a href="#chap06">Mirai Khan</a><br /> - VII. <a href="#chap07">The Door Is Guarded</a><br /> - VIII. <a href="#chap08">Delabar Leaves</a><br /> - IX. <a href="#chap09">The <i>Liu Sha</i></a><br /> - X. <a href="#chap10">The Mem-Sahib Speaks</a><br /> - XI. <a href="#chap11">Sir Lionel</a><br /> - XII. <a href="#chap12">A Message from the Centuries</a><br /> - XIII. <a href="#chap13">The Desert</a><br /> - XIV. <a href="#chap14">Traces in the Sand</a><br /> - XV. <a href="#chap15">A Last Camp</a><br /> - XVI. <a href="#chap16">Gray Carries On</a><br /> - XVII. <a href="#chap17">The Yellow Robe</a><br /> - XVIII. <a href="#chap18">Bassalor Danek</a><br /> - XIX. <a href="#chap19">Concerning a City</a><br /> - XX. <a href="#chap20">The Talisman</a><br /> - XXI. <a href="#chap21">Mary Makes A Request</a><br /> - XXII. <a href="#chap22">The Answer</a><br /> - XXIII. <a href="#chap23">The Challenge</a><br /> - XXIV. <a href="#chap24">A Stage Is Set</a><br /> - XXV. <a href="#chap25">Rifle against Arrow</a><br /> - XXVI. <a href="#chap26">The Bronze Circlet</a><br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<p class="t2"> -MARCHING SANDS -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER I -<br /><br /> -THE LOST PEOPLE -</h3> - -<p> -"You want me to fail." -</p> - -<p> -It was neither question nor statement. It came -in a level voice, the words dropping slowly from -the lips of the man in the chair as if he weighed -each one. -</p> - -<p> -He might have been speaking aloud to himself, -as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerful -hands crossed placidly over his knees. He was a -man that other men would look at twice, and a -woman might glance at once—and remember. Yet -there was nothing remarkable about him, except -perhaps a singular depth of chest that made his -quiet words resonant. -</p> - -<p> -That and the round column of a throat bore out -the evidence of strength shown in the hands. A -broad, brown head showed a hard mouth, and -wide-set, green eyes. These eyes were level and -slow moving, like the lips—the eyes of a man who -could play a poker hand and watch other men -without looking at them directly. -</p> - -<p> -There was a certain melancholy mirrored in the -expressionless face. The melancholy that is the -toll of hardships and physical suffering. This, -coupled with great, though concealed, physical -strength, was the curious trait of the man in the -chair, Captain Robert Gray, once adventurer and -explorer, now listed in the United States Army Reserve. -</p> - -<p> -He had the voyager's trick of wearing excellent -clothes carelessly, and the army man's trait of -restrained movement and speech. He was on the -verge of a vital decision; but he spoke placidly, even -coldly. So much so that the man at the desk leaned -forward earnestly. -</p> - -<p> -"No, we don't want you to fail, Captain Gray. -We want you to find out the truth and to tell us -what you have found out." -</p> - -<p> -"Suppose there is nothing to discover?" -</p> - -<p> -"We will know we are mistaken." -</p> - -<p> -"Will that satisfy you?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes." -</p> - -<p> -Captain "Bob" Gray scrutinized a scar on the -back of his right hand. It had been made by a -Mindanao <i>kris</i>, and, as the edge of the <i>kris</i> had -been poisoned, the skin was still a dull purple. -Then he smiled. -</p> - -<p> -"I thought," he said slowly, "that the lost people -myths were out of date. I thought the last missing -tribe had been located and card-indexed by the -geographical and anthropological societies." -</p> - -<p> -Dr. Cornelius Van Schaick did not smile. He -was a slight, gray man, with alert eyes. And he -was the head of the American Exploration Society, -a director of the Museum of Natural History—in -the office of which he was now seated with Gray—and -a member of sundry scientific and historical -academies. -</p> - -<p> -"This is not a <i>lost</i> people, Captain Gray," He -paused, pondering his words. "It is a branch of -our own race, the Indo-Aryan, or white race. It -is the Wusun—the 'Tall Ones.' We—the American -Exploration Society—believe it is to be found, -in the heart of Asia." He leaned back, alertly. -</p> - -<p> -Gray's brows went up. -</p> - -<p> -"And so you are going to send an expedition to -look for it?" -</p> - -<p> -"To look for it." Van Schaick nodded, with the -enthusiasm of a scientist on the track of a -discovery. "We are going to send you, to prove that -it exists. If this is proved," he continued decisively, -"we will know that a white race was dominant in -Asia before the time of the great empires; that the -present Central Asian may be descended from -Aryan stock. We will have new light on the -development of races—even on the Bible——" -</p> - -<p> -"Steady, Doctor!" Gray raised his hand. "You're -getting out of my depth. What I want to know is -this: Why do you think that I can find this white -tribe in Asia—the Wusuns? I'm an army officer, -out of a job and looking for one. That's why I -answered your letter. I'm broke, and I need work, -but——" -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick peered at a paper that he drew from -a pile on his desk. -</p> - -<p> -"We had good reasons for selecting you, Captain -Gray," he said dryly. "You have done -exploration work north of the Hudson Bay; you once -stamped out dysentery in a Mindanao district; -you have done unusual work for the Bureau of -Navigation; on active service in France you led -your company——" -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up quickly. "So did a thousand -other American officers," he broke in. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, but very few have had a father like yours," -he smiled, tapping the paper gently. "Your father, -Captain Gray, was once a missionary of the -Methodists, in Western Shensi. You were with him, -there, until you were four years of age. I -understand that he mastered the dialect of the border, -thoroughly, and you also picked it up, as a child. -This is correct?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes." -</p> - -<p> -"And your father, before he died in this country, -persisted in refreshing, from time to time, your -knowledge of the dialect." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick laid down the paper. -</p> - -<p> -"In short, Captain Gray," he concluded, "you -have a record at Washington of always getting -what you go after, whether it is information or -men. That can be said about many explorers, -perhaps; but in your case the results are on paper. -You have never failed. That is why we want you. -Because, if you don't find the Wusun, we will then -know they are not to be found." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't think they can be found." -</p> - -<p> -The scientist peered at his visitor curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Wait until you have heard our information -about the white race in the heart of China, before -you make up your mind," he said in his cold, concise -voice, gathering the papers into their leather -portmanteau. "Do you know why the Wusun have -not been heard from?" -</p> - -<p> -"I might guess. They seem to be in a region -where no European explorers have gone——" -</p> - -<p> -"Have been permitted to go. Asia, Captain Gray, -for all our American investigations, is a mystery -to us. We think we have removed the veil from -its history, and we have only detached a thread. -The religion of Asia is built on its past. And -religion is the pulse of Asia. The Asiatics have -taught their children that, from the dawn of -history, they have been lords of the civilized world. -What would be the result if it were proved that a -white race dominated Central Asia before the -Christian era? The traditions of six hundred million -people who worship their past would be shattered." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was silent while the scientist placed his -finger on a wall map of Asia. Van Schaick drew -his finger inland from the coast of China, past the -rivers and cities, past the northern border of Tibet -to a blank space under the mountains of Turkestan -where there was no writing. -</p> - -<p> -"This is the blind spot of Asia," he said. "It -has grown smaller, as Europeans journeyed -through its borders. Tibet, we know. The interior -of China we know, except for this blind spot. It -is——" -</p> - -<p> -"In the Desert of Gobi." -</p> - -<p> -"The one place white explorers have been prevented -from visiting. And it is here we have heard -the Wusun are." -</p> - -<p> -"A coincidence." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick glanced at his watch. -</p> - -<p> -"If you will come with me, Captain Gray, to the -meeting of the Exploration Society now in session, -I will convince you it is no coincidence. Before -we go, I would like to be assured of one thing. -The expedition to the far end of the Gobi Desert -will not be safe. It may be very dangerous. Would -you be willing to undertake it?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray glanced at the map and rose. -</p> - -<p> -"If you can show me, Doctor," he responded, -"that there is something to be found—I'd tackle -it." -</p> - -<p> -"Come with me," nodded Van Schaick briskly. -</p> - -<p> -The halls of the museum were dark, as it was -past the night hour for visitors. A small light at -the stairs showed the black bulk of inanimate forms -in glass compartments, and the looming outline of -mounted beasts, with the white bones of prehistoric -mammals. -</p> - -<p> -At the entrance, Van Schaick nodded to an -attendant, who summoned the scientist's car. -</p> - -<p> -Their footsteps had ceased to echo along the -tiled corridor. The motionless beast groups stared -unwinkingly at the single light from glass eyes. -Then a form moved in one of the groups. -</p> - -<p> -The figure slipped from the stuffed animals, down -the hall. The entrance light showed for a second -a slender man in an overcoat who glanced quickly -from side to side at the door to see if he was -observed. Then he went out of the door, into the -night. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER II -<br /><br /> -LEGENDS -</h3> - -<p> -That evening a few men were gathered in Van -Schaick's private office at the building of the -American Exploration Society. One was a celebrated -anthropologist, another a historian who had come that -day from Washington. A financier whose name -figured in the newspapers was a third. And a -European orientologist. -</p> - -<p> -To these men, Van Schaick introduced Gray, -explaining briefly what had passed in their interview. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray," he concluded, "wishes proof of -what we know. If he can be convinced that the -Wusun are to be found in the Gobi Desert, he is -ready to undertake the trip." -</p> - -<p> -For an hour the three scientists talked. Gray -listened silently. They were followers of a -calling strange to him, seekers after the threads of -knowledge gleaned from the corners of the earth, -zealots, men who would spend a year or a lifetime -in running down a clew to a new species of human -beings or animals. They were men who were gatherers -of the treasures of the sciences, indifferent -to the ordinary aspects of life, unsparing in their -efforts. And he saw that they knew what they -were talking about. -</p> - -<p> -In the end of the Bronze Age, at the dawn of -history, they explained, the Indo-Aryan race, their -own race, swept eastward from Scandinavia and the -north of Europe, over the mountain barrier of Asia -and conquered the Central Asian peoples—the -Mongolians—with their long swords. -</p> - -<p> -This was barely known, and only guessed at by -certain remnants of the Aryan language found in -Northern India, and inscriptions dug up from the -mountains of Turkestan. -</p> - -<p> -They believed, these scientists, that before the -great Han dynasty of China, an Indo-Aryan race -known as the Sacæ had ruled Central Asia. The -forefathers of the Europeans had ruled the -Mongolians. The ancestors of thousands of Central -Asians of to-day had been white men—tall men, -with long skulls, and yellow hair, and great fighters. -</p> - -<p> -The earliest annals of China mentioned the -Huing-nu—light-eyed devils—who came down into -the desert. The manuscripts of antiquity bore the -name of the Wusun—the "Tall Ones." And the -children of the Aryan conquerors had survived, -fighting against the Mongolians for several hundred -years. -</p> - -<p> -"They survive to-day," said the historian earnestly. -"Marco Polo, the first European to enter -China, passed along the northern frontier of the -Wusun land. He called their king Prester John -and a Christian. You have heard of the myth of -Prester John, sometimes called the monarch of -Asia. And of the fabulous wealth of his kingdom, -the massive cities. The myth states that Prester -John was a captive in his own palace." -</p> - -<p> -"You see," assented Van Schaick, "already the -captivity of the Wusun had begun. The Mongolians -have never tolerated other races within their -borders. During the time of Genghis Khan and -the Tartar conquerors, the survivors of the Aryans -were thinned by the sword." -</p> - -<p> -"Marco Polo," continued the historian, "came as -near to the land of the Wusun as any other European. -Three centuries later a Portuguese missionary, -Benedict Goës, passed through the desert near -the city of the Wusun, and reported seeing some -people who were fair of face, tall and light-eyed." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick turned to his papers. -</p> - -<p> -"In the last century," he said, "a curious thing -happened to an English explorer, Ney Elias. I -quote from his book. <i>An old man called on me -at Kwei-hwa-ching, at the eastern end of the Thian -Shan Mountains, who said he was neither -Chinaman, Mongol, nor Mohammedan, and lived on -ground especially allotted by the emperor, and where -there now exist several families of the same origin. -He said that he had been a prince. At Kwei-hwa-ching -I was very closely spied on and warned -against asking too many questions</i>." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick peered over his spectacles at Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"The Thian Shan Mountains are just north of -this blind spot in the Gobi Desert where we think -the Wusun are." -</p> - -<p> -The historian broke in eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -"Another clew—a generation ago the Russian explorer, -Colonel Przewalski, tried to enter this blind -spot from the south, and was fought off with much -bloodshed by one of the guardian tribes." -</p> - -<p> -Gray laughed frankly. -</p> - -<p> -"I admit I'm surprised, gentlemen. Until now -I thought you were playing some kind of a joke -on me." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick's thin face flushed, but he spoke -calmly. -</p> - -<p> -"It is only fair, sir, that you should have proof -you are not being sent after a will-o'-the-wisp. A -few days ago I talked with a missionary who had -been invalided home from China. His name is -Jacob Brent. He has been for twenty years head -of the college of Chengtu, in Western China. He -heard rumors of a captive tribe in the heart of the -Gobi. And he saw one of the Wusun." -</p> - -<p> -He paused to consult one of his papers methodically, -</p> - -<p> -"Brent was told, by some Chinese coolies, of a -tall race dwelling in a city in the Gobi, a race that -was, they said, 'just like him.' And in one of his -trips near the desert edge he saw a tall figure -running toward him over the sand, staggering from -weariness. Then several Chinese riders appeared -from the sand dunes and headed off the fugitive. -But not before Brent had seen that the man's face -was partially white." -</p> - -<p> -"Partially?" asked Gray quizzically. -</p> - -<p> -"I am quoting literally. Yes, that was what -Brent said. He was prevented by his native bearers -from going into the Gobi to investigate. They -believed the usual superstitions about the desert—evil -spirits and so forth—and they warned Brent -against a thing they called the pale sickness." -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up quietly. "You know what that is?" -</p> - -<p> -"We do not know, and surmises are valueless." He -shrugged. "You have an idea?" -</p> - -<p> -"Hardly, yet—you say that Brent is ill. Could -he be seen?" -</p> - -<p> -"I fancy not. He is in a California sanitarium, -broken down from overwork, the doctors informed -me." -</p> - -<p> -"I see." Gray scrutinized his companions. The -same eagerness showed in each face, the craving -for discovery which is greater than the lust of the -gold prospector. They were hanging on his next -words. "Gentlemen, do you realize that three great -difficulties are to be met? Money—China—and a -knowledge of science. By that I mean my own -qualifications. I am an explorer, not a scientist——" -</p> - -<p> -At this point Balch, the financier who had not -spoken before, leaned forward. -</p> - -<p> -"Three excellent points," he nodded. "I can -answer them. We can supply you with funds, -Captain Gray," he said decisively. -</p> - -<p> -"And permission from the Chinese authorities?" -</p> - -<p> -"We have passports signed, in blank, for an -American hunter and naturalist to journey into -the interior of China, to the Gobi Desert." -</p> - -<p> -"You will not go alone," explained Van Schaick. -"We realize that a scientist must accompany you." -</p> - -<p> -"We have the man," continued Balch, "an -orientologist—speaks Persian and Turki—knows -Central Asia like a book. Professor Arminius Delabar. -He'll join you at Frisco." He stood up and held -out his hand. "Gray, you're the man we want! I -like your talk." He laughed boyishly, being young -in heart, in spite of his years. "You're equal to -the job—and you can shoot a mountain sheep or a -bandit in the head at five hundred yards. Don't -deny it—you've done it!" -</p> - -<p> -"Maps?" asked Gray dryly. -</p> - -<p> -"The best we could get. Chinese and Russian -surveys of the Western Gobi," Balch explained -briskly. "We want you to start right off. We -know that our dearest foes, the British Asiatic -Society, have wind of the Wusun. They are fitting -out an expedition. It will have the edge on yours -because—discounting the fact that the British know -the field better—it'll start from India, which is -nearer the Gobi." -</p> - -<p> -"Then it's got to be a race?" Gray frowned. -</p> - -<p> -"A race it is," nodded Balch, "and my money -backs you and Delabar. So the sooner you can -start the better. Van Schaick will go with you to -Frisco and give you details, with maps and -passports on the way. We'll pay you the salary of -your rank in the army, with a fifty per cent bonus -if you get to the Wusun. Now, what's your -answer—yes or no?" He glanced at the officer -sharply, realizing that if Gray doubted, he would not be -the man for the expedition. -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled quizzically. -</p> - -<p> -"I came to you to get a job," he said, "and here -it is. I need the money. My answer is—yes. I'll -do my best to deliver the goods." -</p> - -<p> -"Gentlemen," Balch turned to his associates, "I -congratulate you. Captain Gray may or may not -get to the Wusun. But—unless I'm a worse judge -of character than I think—he'll get to the place -where the Wusun ought to be. He won't turn back." -</p> - -<p> -Their visitor flushed at that. He was still young, -being not yet thirty. He shook hands all around -and left for his hotel, with Balch and Van Schaick -to arrange railroad schedules, and the buying of an -outfit. -</p> - -<p> -This is a brief account of how Robert Gray came -to depart on his mission to the Desert of Gobi, as -reported in the files of the American Exploration -Society for the summer of 1919. -</p> - -<p> -It was not given to the press at the time, owing -to the need of secrecy. Nor did the Exploration -Society obtain authority from the United States -Government for the expedition. Time was pressing, -as they learned the British expedition was getting -together at Burma. Later, Van Schaick agreed -with Balch that this had been a mistake. -</p> - -<p> -But by that time Gray was far beyond reach, in -the foothills of the Celestial Mountains, in the <i>Liu -Sha</i>, and had learned the meaning of the pale sickness. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER III -<br /><br /> -DELABAR DISCOURSES -</h3> - -<p> -Gray had meant what he said about his new job. -Van Schaick pleaded for haste, but the army officer -knew from experience the danger of omitting some -important item from his outfit, and went ahead with -characteristic thoroughness. -</p> - -<p> -He assembled his personal kit in New York, with -the rifles, medicines and ammunition that he needed. -Also a good pair of field glasses and the maps that -Van Schaick furnished. Balch made him a present -of twenty pounds of fine smoking tobacco which -was gratefully received. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll need another man with me," Gray told Van -Schaick, who was on edge to be off. "Delabar'll be -all right in his way, but we'll want a white man -who can shoot and work. I know the man for the -job—McCann, once my orderly, now in the reserve." -</p> - -<p> -"Get him, by all means," agreed the scientist. -</p> - -<p> -"He's in Texas, out of a job. A wire'll bring -him to Frisco in time to meet us. Well, I'm about -ready to check out." -</p> - -<p> -They left that night on the western express. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was not sorry to leave the city. Like all -voyagers, he felt the oppression of the narrow -streets, the monotony of always going home to the -same place to sleep. Wanderlust had gripped him -again at thought of the venture into another continent. -</p> - -<p> -He took his mission seriously. On the maps that -Van Schaick and Balch had given him they had -pointed out a spot beyond the known travel routes, -a good deal more than a thousand miles into the -interior of China. To this spot Gray was going. -He had his orders and he would carry them out. -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick talked much on the train. He -explained how much the mission meant to the -Exploration Society. It would give them world-wide -fame. And it would add enormously to the knowledge -of humankind. Gray, he said, would travel -near the path of Marco Polo; he would tear the -veil of secrecy from the hidden corner of the Gobi -Desert. It would be a victory of science over the -ancient soul of Mongolia. -</p> - -<p> -It would shake the foundation of the great jade -image of Buddha, of the many-armed Kali, of Bon -the devil-god, and the ancient Vishnu. It would -strengthen the hold of the Bible on the Mongolian -world. -</p> - -<p> -If only, said Van Schaick wistfully, Gray could -find the Wusun ahead of the expedition of the -British Asiatic Society, the triumph would be complete. -</p> - -<p> -Gray listened silently. It was fortunate, in the -light of what followed, that his imagination was -not easily stirred. -</p> - -<p> -He looked curiously at the man who was to be -his partner in the expedition. Van Schaick -introduced them at the platform of the San Francisco -terminal. -</p> - -<p> -Professor Arminius Delabar was a short, slender -man, of wiry build and a nervous manner that -reminded Gray of a bird. He had near-sighted, -bloodshot eyes encased behind tinted glasses, and a -dark face with well-kept beard. He was half -Syrian by birth, American by choice, and a denizen -of the academies and byways of the world. Also, -he spoke at least four languages fluently. -</p> - -<p> -The army man's respect for his future companion -went up several notches when he found that Delabar -had already arranged competently for the -purchase and shipment of their stores. -</p> - -<p> -"You see," he explained in his room at the hotel -to Gray, "the fewer things we must buy in Shanghai -the better. Our plan is to attract as little attention -as possible. Our passport describes us as hunter -and naturalist. Foreigners are a common sight in -China as far into the interior as Liangchowfu. -Once we are past there and on the interior plains, -it will be hard to follow us—if we have attracted -no attention. Do you speak any Chinese dialects?" -</p> - -<p> -It was an abrupt question, in Delabar's high -voice. The Syrian spoke English with only the -trace of an accent. -</p> - -<p> -"A little," admitted Gray. "I was born in -Shensi, but I don't remember anything except a -baby white camel—a playmate. Mandarin Chinese -is Greek to me." -</p> - -<p> -Some time afterward he learned that Delabar had -taken this as a casual boast—not knowing Gray's -habit of understating his qualifications. Fortune -plays queer tricks sometimes and Gray's answer was -to loom large in the coming events. -</p> - -<p> -Fortune, or as Gray put it, the luck of the road, -threw two obstacles in their way at Frisco. Van -Schaick had telegraphed ahead to the sanitarium -where the missionary Brent was being treated. He -hoped to arrange an interview between Brent and -Gray. -</p> - -<p> -Brent was dying. No one could visit him. Also, -McCann, the soldier who was to accompany them, -did not show up at the hotel,—although he had -wired his officer at Chicago that he would be in -Frisco before the appointed time. -</p> - -<p> -Gray would have liked to wait for the man. He -knew McCann would be useful—a crack shot, a -good servant, and an expert at handling men—but -Delabar had already booked their passage on the -next Pacific Mail steamer. -</p> - -<p> -"Van Schaick can wait here," Delabar assured -Gray, "meet McCann, and send him on by the boat -following. He will join you at Shanghai." -</p> - -<p> -"Very well," assented Gray, who was checking up -the list of stores Delabar had bought. "That will -do nicely. I see that you've thought of all the -necessary things, Professor. We can pick up a -reserve supply of canned foodstuffs at Shanghai, or -Hankow." He glanced at Van Schaick. "There's -one thing more to be settled. It's important. Who -is in command of this party? The Professor or I? -If he's to be the boss, all right—I'll carry on with -that understanding." -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick hesitated. But Delabar spoke up -quickly. -</p> - -<p> -"The expedition is in your hands, Captain Gray. -I freely yield you the responsibility." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was still watching Van Schaick. "Is that -understood? It's a good thing to clear up before -we start." -</p> - -<p> -"Certainly," assented the scientist. "Now we'll -discuss the best route——" -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick stood at the pier-head the next day -when the steamer cast off her moorings, and waved -good-by to the two. Gray left him behind with -some regret. A good man, Van Schaick, an -American from first to last, and a slave to science. -</p> - -<p> -During the monotonous run across the Pacific -when the sea and the sky seemed unchanged from -day to day, Delabar talked incessantly about their -trip. Gray, who preferred to spend the time doing -and saying nothing, listened quietly. -</p> - -<p> -The officer was well content to lie back in his -deck chair, hands clasped behind his curly head, -and stare out into space. This was his habit, when -off duty. It satisfied him to the soul to do nothing -but watch the thin line where the gray-blue of the -Pacific melted into the pale blue of the sky, and -feel the sun's heat on his face. It made him appear -lazy. Which he was not. -</p> - -<p> -The energetic professor fancied that Gray paid -little attention to his stream of information about -the great Gobi Desert. In that, he did the other -an injustice. Gray heeded and weighed Delabar's -words. Ingrained in him from army life and a -solitary existence marked by few friendships was -the need of reticence, and watchfulness. Nor was -his inclination to idle on the voyage mere habit. -Unconsciously, he was storing up vital strength in -his strongly knit frame—strength which he had -called on in the past, and which he would need -again. -</p> - -<p> -"You don't seem to appreciate, my young friend," -remarked the professor once, irritably, "that it is -inner Asia we are invading. Also, we are going a -thousand miles beyond your American gunboats." -</p> - -<p> -"The days of the <i>Ih-hwo-Ch'uan</i> are past." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar shrugged his shoulders, surprised at his -companion's pertinent remark. "True. China is -a republic and progressive, perhaps. But the -Mongolian soul does not change overnight. Moreover, -there are the priests—Buddhists and Taoists. Fear -and superstition rule the mass of the Dragon Kingdom, -my friend, and it is these priests who will be -our enemies." -</p> - -<p> -Gray had spoken truly when he said he remembered -nothing of China, except a white camel, but, -subconsciously, many things were familiar to the -soldier. -</p> - -<p> -"At the border of the Gobi Desert, where we -believe the Wusun to be," continued the scientist -warmly, as Gray was silent, "a center of Buddhism -existed in the Middle Ages. The three sects of -Buddhist priests—Black, Yellow and Red—are -united in the effort to preserve their power. They -preach the advent of the Gautama in the next few -years. Also, that the ancient Gautama ruled the -spiritual world before the coming of Christianity. -</p> - -<p> -"So you can see," he pointed out, "that the -discovery of a white race—a race that did not -acknowledge Buddha—in the heart of China would be a -blow to their doctrine. It would contradict their -book of prophecy." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded, puffing at his pipe. Presently, he -stirred himself to speak. -</p> - -<p> -"Rather suspect you're right, Professor. You -know the religious dope. And the religions of -Asia are not good things to monkey with. But, look -here." He drew a map from his pocket and spread -it out on his knee. "Here's the spot where Van -Schaick located the Wusun—our long-lost but not -forgotten cousins. Well and good. Only that -spot, which you and your friends call the 'blind -spot' of Asia, happens to be in the middle of the far -Gobi Desert. How do you figure people existed -there for several centuries?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar hesitated, glancing up at the moving -tracery of smoke that rose from the funnel, against -the clouds. They were on the boat deck. -</p> - -<p> -"The Ming annals mention a city in that place, -some two thousand years ago. A thousand years -later we know there were many palaces at this end -of the Thian Shan—the Celestial Mountains. -Remember that the caravan routes from China to -Samarcand, India and Persia are very old, and that -they—or one of the most important of them—ran -past this blind spot." -</p> - -<p> -"Marco Polo trailed along there, didn't he?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes. We know the great city of the Gobi was -called Sungan. The Ming annals describe it as -having 'massive gates, walls and bastions, besides -underground passages, vaulted and arched.'" -</p> - -<p> -"European travelers don't report this city." -</p> - -<p> -"Because they never saw it, my friend. Brent, -who was at the edge of the Gobi near there, states -that he saw towers in the sand. And the -Mohammedan annals of Central Asia have a curious tale." -</p> - -<p> -"Let's have it," said Gray, settling himself -comfortably in his chair. -</p> - -<p> -"It was in the sixteenth century," explained -Delabar, who seemed to have the myths of Asia at his -tongue's end. "A religious legend. A certain holy -man, follower of the prophet, was robbed and -beaten in a city near where we believe Sungan to -be. After his injury by the people of the city—he -was a mullah—he climbed into a minaret to call the -hour of evening prayer." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar's voice softened as he spoke, sliding into -more musical articulation. -</p> - -<p> -"As he cried the hour, this holy man felt something -falling like snow on his face. Only it was -not snow. The sky and the city darkened. He -could not see the roofs of the buildings. He went -down and tried the door. It was blocked. Then -this man saw that it was sand falling over the city. -The sand covered the whole town, leaving only the -minaret, which was high. The people who had -done him the injury were buried—became white -bones under the sand." -</p> - -<p> -"That story figures in the Bible," assented Gray, -"only not the same. You don't consider the myth -important, do you?" -</p> - -<p> -"The priests of Asia do," said the professor -seriously. "And I have seen the memoirs of Central -Asian kingdoms which mention that treasure was -dug for and found in ruins in the sands." He -glanced at his companion curiously. "You do not -seem to be worried, Captain Gray, at entering the -forbidden shrine of the Mongols." -</p> - -<p> -Having been born thereabouts, the idea amused -Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you?" Gray laughed. "The Yellow Peril is -dead." -</p> - -<p> -"So is Dr. Brent." -</p> - -<p> -"You don't connect the two?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't attempt to analyze the connection, -Captain Gray. Remember in China we are dealing with -men who think backward, around-about, and every -way except our own. Then there are the priests. -All I know is that Dr. Brent entered on forbidden -ground, fell sick, and had to leave China. Do you -know what he died of?" -</p> - -<p> -"Do you?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar was silent a moment; then he smiled. "I -have imagination—too much, perhaps. But then I -have lived behind the threshold of Asia for half -my life." -</p> - -<p> -"I suspect it's a good thing for me you have," -Gray admitted frankly. -</p> - -<p> -Before they left their chairs that afternoon a -steward brought the officer a message from the -wireless cabin. -</p> - -<p> -Van Schaick had sent it, before the steamer passed -the radio limit. Gray read it, frowned, and turned -to Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -"This is rather bad luck, Professor," he said. -"McCann, the fellow I counted on, is not coming. -He was taken sick with grippe in Los Angeles on his -way to Frisco. It looks as if you and I would -have to go it alone." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IV -<br /><br /> -WARNING -</h3> - -<p> -The news of McCann's loss, so important to the -officer, Delabar passed over with a shrug. Gray -wondered briefly why a man obviously inclined to -nervousness should ignore the fact that they were -without the services of a trustworthy attendant. -Later, he came to realize that the scientist -considered that McCann's presence would have been no -aid to him, that rifles and men who knew how to -use them would play no part in meeting the hostile -forces surrounding the territory of the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -From that moment he began to watch Delabar. -It was clear to him that the professor was uneasy, -decidedly so. And that the man was in the grip of -a rising excitement. -</p> - -<p> -It manifested itself when the steamer stopped at -a Japanese port. Gray would have liked to visit -Kyoto, to see again the little brown people of the -island kingdom, to get a glimpse of the gray castle -of Oksaka, and perhaps of peerless, snow-crowned -Fujiyama. -</p> - -<p> -But Delabar insisted on remaining aboard the -steamer until they left for China. The nearing -gateway of Asia had a powerful effect on him. -Gray noticed—as it was unusual in a man of mildly -studious habits—that the scientist smoked quantities -of strong Russian cigarettes. Indeed, the air of -their cabin was heavy with the fumes. -</p> - -<p> -"We must not make ourselves conspicuous," -Delabar urged repeatedly. -</p> - -<p> -At Shanghai they passed quickly through the -hands of the customs officials. Their preparations -progressed smoothly; the baggage was put on board -a waiting Hankow steamer, and Delabar added to -their stores a sufficient quantity of provisions to -round out their outfit. In spite of this, Delabar -fidgeted until they were safely in their stateroom -on the river steamer, and passing up the broad, -brown current of the Yang-tze-kiang—which, by -the way, is not called the Yang-tze-kiang by the -Chinese. -</p> - -<p> -Gray made no comment on his companion's -misgivings. He saw no cause for alarm. There were -a dozen other travelers on the river boat, sales -agents of three nations, a railroad engineer or two, -a family of missionaries, several tourists who stared -blandly at the great tidal stretch of the river, and -commented loudly on the comforts of the palatial -vessel. Evidently they had expected to go up to -Hankow in a junk. They pointed out the chocolate -colored sails of the passing junks with their -half-naked coolies and dirty decks. -</p> - -<p> -For days the single screw of the Hankow boat -churned the muddy waste, and the smoke spread, -fanwise, over its wake. -</p> - -<p> -The Yang-tze was not new to Gray. He was glad -he was going into the interior. The fecund cities -of the coast, with their monotonous, crowded -streets, narrow and overhung with painted signs -held no attraction for him. The panorama of -Mongolian faces, pallid and seamed, furtive and -merry was not what he had come to China to see. -In the interior, beyond the forest crowned mountains, -and the vast plains, was the expanse of the -desert. Until they reached this, the trip was no -more than a necessary evil. -</p> - -<p> -Not so—as Gray noted—did it affect Delabar. -The first meeting with the blue-clad throngs in -Shanghai, the first glimpse of the pagoda-temples -with their shaven priests had both exhilarated and -depressed the scientist. -</p> - -<p> -"Each stage of the journey," he confided to -Gray, "drops us back a century in civilization." -</p> - -<p> -"No harm done," grunted the officer, who had -determined to put a check on Delabar's active -imagination. "As long as we get ahead. That's the -deuce of this country. We have to go zig-zag. -There's no such thing as a straight line being the -shortest distance between two points in the land of -the Dragon." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar frowned, surprised by these unexpected -displays of latent knowledge. Then smiled, waving -a thin hand at the yellow current of the river. -</p> - -<p> -"There is a reason for that—as always, in China. -Evil spirits, they believe, can not move out of a -straight line. So we find screens put just inside -the gates of temples—to ward off the evil influences." -</p> - -<p> -"Look at that." Gray touched the other's arm. A -steward stood near them at the stern. No one else -was in that part of the deck, and after glancing -around cautiously the man dropped over the side -some white objects—what they were, Gray could -not see. "I heard that some fishermen had been -drowned near here a few days ago. That Chink—for -all his European dress—is dropping overside -portions of bread as food and peace offering to the -spirits of the drowned." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes," nodded Delabar, "the lower orders of -Chinamen believe the drowned have power to pull -the living after them to death. Centuries of -missionary endeavor have not altered their superstitions. -And, look—that does not prevent those starved -beggars in the junk there from retrieving the bread in -the water. Ugh!" -</p> - -<p> -He thrust his hands into his pockets and tramped -off up the deck, while Gray gazed after him -curiously, and then turned to watch the junk. The -coolies were waving at the steward who was watching -them impassively. Seeing Gray, the man -hurried about his duties. For a moment the officer -hesitated, seeing that the junkmen were staring, not -at the bread in their hands, but at the ship. Then -he smiled and walked on. -</p> - -<p> -In spite of Delabar's misgivings, the journey went -smoothly. The banks of the river closed in on -them, scattered mud villages appeared in the shore -rushes. Half naked boys waved at the "fire junk" -from the backs of water buffaloes, and the smoke of -Hankow loomed on the horizon. From Hankow, -the Peking-Hankow railway took them comfortably -to Honanfu, after a two-day stage by cart. -</p> - -<p> -Here they waited for their luggage to catch up -with them, in a fairly clean and modern hotel. -They avoided the other Europeans in the city. -Gray knew that they were beyond the usual circuit -of American tourists, and wished to travel as quietly -as possible. -</p> - -<p> -"We're in luck," he observed to Delabar, who -had just come in. "In a month, if all goes well, -well be in Liangchowfu, the 'Western Gate' to the -steppe country. What's the matter?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar held out a long sheet of rice paper with -a curious expression. -</p> - -<p> -"An invitation to dine with one of the officials -of Honan, Captain Gray—with the vice-governor. -He asks us to bring our passports." -</p> - -<p> -"Hm," the officer replaced the maps he had been -overhauling in their case, and thrust the missive on -top of them. He tossed the case into an open valise. -"A sort of polite invitation to show our cards—to -explain who we are, eh? Well, let's accept with -pleasure. We've got to play the game according -to the rules. Nothing queer about this invite. -Chinese officials are hospitable enough. All they -want is a present or two." -</p> - -<p> -He produced from the valise a clock with chimes -and a silver-plated pocket flashlight and scrutinized -them mildly. -</p> - -<p> -"This ought to do the trick. We'll put on our -best clothes. And remember, I'm a big-game enthusiast." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar was moody that afternoon, and watched -Gray's cheerful preparations for the dinner without -interest. The army man stowed away their more -valuable possessions, carefully hanging the rifle -which he had been carrying in its case over his -shoulder under the frame of the bed. -</p> - -<p> -"A trick I learned in Mindanao," he explained. -"These towns are chuck full of thieves, and this rifle -is valuable to me. The oriental second-story man -has yet to discover that American army men hang -their rifles under the frame of their cots. Now for -the vice-governor, what's his name? Wu Fang Chien?" -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien was most affable. He sent two -sedan chairs for the Americans and received them -at his door with marked politeness, shaking his -hands in his wide sleeves agreeably when Delabar -introduced Gray. He spoke English better than -the professor spoke Chinese, and inquired solicitously -after their health and their purpose in visiting -his country. -</p> - -<p> -He was a tall mandarin, wearing the usual iron -rimmed spectacles, and dressed in his robe of ceremony. -</p> - -<p> -During the long dinner of the usual thirty courses, -Delabar talked with the mandarin, while Gray -contented himself with a few customary compliments. -But Wu Fang Chien watched Gray steadily, from -bland, faded eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"I have not known an American hunter to come -so far into China," he observed to the officer. "My -humble and insufficient home is honored by the -presence of an enthusiast. What game you expect to -find?" -</p> - -<p> -"Stags, antelope, and some of the splendid -mountain sheep of Shensi," replied Gray calmly. Wu -Fang Chien's fan paused, at the precision of the -answer. -</p> - -<p> -"Then you are going far. Do your passports permit?" -</p> - -<p> -"They give us a free hand. We will follow the -game trails." -</p> - -<p> -"As far as Liangchowfu?" -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps." -</p> - -<p> -"Beyond that is another province." The -mandarin tapped his well-kept fingers thoughtfully on -the table. "I would not advise you, Captain Gray, -to go beyond Liangchowfu. As you know, my -unhappy country has transpired a double change of -government and the outlaw tribes of the interior -have become unruly during the last rebellion." He -fumbled only slightly for words. -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"We are prepared to take some risks." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien bowed politely. -</p> - -<p> -"It might be dangerous—to go beyond Liangchowfu. -Your country and mine are most friendly, -Captain Gray. I esteem your welfare as my own. -My sorrow would greaten if injury happen to you." -</p> - -<p> -"Your kindness does honor to your heart." -</p> - -<p> -"I suggest," Wu Fang Chien looked mildly at the -uneasy Delabar, "that you have me <i>visé</i> your -passports so that you may travel safely this side of -Liangchowfu. Then I will give you a military -escort who will be protection against any outlaws -you meet on the road. In this way I will feel that I -am doing my full duty to my honored guests." -</p> - -<p> -"The offer is worthy," said Gray, who realized -that the sense of duty of a town official was a serious -thing, but did not wish an escort, "of one whose -hospitality is a pleasure to his guests." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien shook hands with himself. "But -we have little money to pay an escort——" -</p> - -<p> -"I will attend to that." -</p> - -<p> -"Unfortunately, an escort of soldiers would spoil -my chances at big game. We shall pick up some -native hunters." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien bowed, with a faint flicker of -green eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"It shall be as you wish, Captain Gray. But I -am distressed at the thought you may suffer harm. -The last American who went beyond the Western -Gate, died." -</p> - -<p> -Gray frowned. He had not known that one of -his countrymen had penetrated so far into the -interior. -</p> - -<p> -"Without doubt," pursued the mandarin, stroking -his fan gently across his face, "you have a good -supply of rifles. I have heard much of these -excellent weapons of your country. Would you oblige -me showing them to me before you leave Honan?" -</p> - -<p> -"I should be glad to do so," said Gray, "if they -were not packed in our luggage which will not be -here before we set out. But I have two small -presents——" -</p> - -<p> -The gift of the clock and electric light turned -the thread of conversation and seemed to satisfy -Wu Fang Chien, who bowed them out with the -utmost courtesy to the waiting sedan chairs. Then, -as the bearers picked up the poles, he drew a small -and exquisite vase from under his robe and pressed -it upon Gray as a token, he said, to keep fresh the -memory of their visit. -</p> - -<p> -At their room in the hotel Gray showed the vase -to Delabar. It was a valuable object, of enamel -wrought on gold leaves, and inscribed with some -Chinese characters. -</p> - -<p> -"What do you make of our worthy Wu Fang—hullo!" -he broke off. Delabar had seized the vase -and taken off the top. -</p> - -<p> -"It is what the Chinese call a message jar," -explained the scientist, feeling within the vase. He -removed a slim roll of silk, wound about an ebony -stick. On the silk four Chinese characters were -delicately painted. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-036"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-036.jpg" alt="four Chinese symbols" /> -<br /> -</p> - -<p> -"What do they mean?" asked Gray, looking over -his shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -The Syrian glanced at him appraisingly, under -knitted brows. His companion's face was expressionless, -save for a slight tinge of curiosity. Delabar -judged that the soldier knew nothing of written -Chinese, which was the truth. -</p> - -<p> -"Anything or nothing, my friend. It reads like -a proverb. The oriental soul takes pleasure in -maxims. Yet everything they do or say has a -meaning—very often a double meaning." -</p> - -<p> -"Such as Wu Fang's table talk," smiled Gray. -"Granted. Is this any particular dialect?" -</p> - -<p> -"Written Chinese is much the same everywhere. -Just as the Arabic numerals throughout Europe." He -scanned the silk attentively, and his lips -parted. "The first ideograph combines the attribute -or adjective 'clever' or 'shrewd' with the -indicator 'man.' A shrewd man—<i>hua jen</i>." -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps Wu Fang: perhaps you. Go on." -</p> - -<p> -"The second character is very ancient, almost a -picture-drawing of warning streamers. It is an -emphatic 'do not!'" -</p> - -<p> -"Then it's you—and me." -</p> - -<p> -"The third character is prefixed by <i>mu</i>, a tree, -and signifies a wooden board, or a wall. The -fourth means 'the West.'" -</p> - -<p> -"A riddle, but not so hard to guess," grinned -Gray, taking up his maps from the table and filling -his pipe preparatory to work. "<i>A wise guy doesn't -climb the western wall</i>." -</p> - -<p> -"You forget," pointed out Delabar sharply, "the -negative. It is the strongest kind of a warning. -<i>Do not, if you are wise, approach the western -wall</i>. My friend, this is a plain warning—even a -threat. To-day Wu Fang Chien hinted we should -not go to Liangchowfu. Now he threatens——" -</p> - -<p> -"I gathered as much." Gray took the slip of fine -silk and scanned it quizzically. "Delabar, do you -know the ideograph for 'to make' or 'build?'" -</p> - -<p> -The scientist nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"Then write it, where it seems to fit in here." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar did so, with a glance at his companion. -Whereupon the soldier folded the missive and -replaced it in the jar. He clapped his hands loudly. -Almost at once a boy appeared in the door. -</p> - -<p> -To him Gray handed the vase with instructions to -carry it to His Excellency, the official Wu Fang -Chien. He reënforced his order with a piece of -silver cash. To the curious scientist he explained -briefly. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang is a scholar. He will read our reply -as: <i>A wise man will not build a wall in the west</i>. -It will give him food for thought, and it may keep -His Excellency's men from overhauling our belongings -a second time during our absence." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar started. "May?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes. Remember I left that message of Wu's -on top of these maps. I find it underneath them. -The maps are all here. We locked our door, -carefully. Some one has evidently given our papers the -once over and forgotten to replace them in the -order he found them. I say it <i>may</i> have been at -Wu's orders. I think it probably was." -</p> - -<p> -"Why?" Delabar licked his thin lips nervously. -</p> - -<p> -"Because nothing has been taken. A Chinese -official has the right to be curious about strangers -in his district. Likewise, his men wouldn't have -much trouble in entering the room—with the -landlord's assistance. The ordinary run of thieves -would have taken something valuable—my field -glasses, for instance." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar strode nervously the length of the room -and peered from the shutters. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray!" he swung around, "do you know -there are maps of the Gobi, of Sungan, in your -case. The person who broke into our room must -have seen them." -</p> - -<p> -"I reckon so." -</p> - -<p> -"Then Wu Fang Chien may know we are going -to the Gobi! I have not forgotten what he said -about the last American hunter. What hunter has -been as far as the Gobi? None. So——" -</p> - -<p> -"You think he meant——" -</p> - -<p> -"Dr. Brent." -</p> - -<p> -Gray shook his head slowly. "Far fetched, -Delabar," he meditated. "You're putting two and two -together to make ten. All we know is that Wu has -sent us a polite motto. No use in worrying ourselves." -</p> - -<p> -But it was clear to him that Delabar was worried, -and more. Gray had been observing his companion -closely. Now for the first time he read -covert fear in the professor's thin face. -</p> - -<p> -Fear, Gray reflected to himself, was hard to deal -with, in a man of weak vitality and high-strung -nerves. He felt that Delabar was alarmed -needlessly; that he dreaded what lay before them. -</p> - -<p> -For that reason he regretted the event of that -night which gave shape to Delabar's apprehensions. -</p> - -<p> -At the scientist's urging, they did not leave the -room before turning in. Gray adjusted Delabar's -walking stick against the door, placing a string of -Chinese money on the head of the stick, and -balancing the combination so a movement of the door -would send the coins crashing to the floor. -</p> - -<p> -"Just in case our second-story men pay us -another visit," he explained. "Now that we know -they can open the door, we'll act accordingly." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER V -<br /><br /> -INTRUDERS -</h3> - -<p> -It was a hot night. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, naked except for shirt and socks, lay under -the mosquito netting and wished that he had brought -double the amount of insect powder he had. Across -the room Delabar had subsided into fitful snores. -The night was not quiet. -</p> - -<p> -In the courtyard of the hotel some Chinese servants -were at their perpetual gambling, their shrill -voices coming up through the shutters. On the -further side of the street a guitar twanged -monotonously. Somewhere, a dog yelped. -</p> - -<p> -The warm odors of the place assaulted Gray's -nostrils unpleasantly. They were strange, potent -odors, a mingling of dirt, refuse, horses, the -remnants of cooking. Gray sighed, longing for the -clean air of the plains toward which they were -headed. -</p> - -<p> -They were still far from the Gobi's edge. The -distance seemed to stretch out interminably. It is -not easy to cross the broad bosom of China. -</p> - -<p> -He wondered what success they would have. -What was the city of Sungan? How had it -escaped observation? How did a city happen to be -in the desert, anyway? -</p> - -<p> -What was the pale sickness Brent had spoken of? -Brent had died. From natural causes, of course. -Gray gave little heed to Delabar's wild surmises. -But the conduct of Wu Fang Chien afforded him -food for thought. -</p> - -<p> -Had the vice-governor actually known of their -mission? His words might have had a double -meaning. And they might not. The silk scroll meant -little. Delabar had read warning into it; but was -not that a result of his imagination? -</p> - -<p> -Gray turned uncomfortably on his bed and -considered the matter. How could Wu Fang Chien -have known they were bound for Sungan? Their -mission had been carefully kept from publicity. -Only Van Schaick and his three associates knew -of it. Men like Van Schaick and Balch could keep -their mouths shut. And Delabar was certainly -cautious enough. -</p> - -<p> -Gray cursed the heat under his breath, with added -measure for the dog which seemed bound to make a -night of it. The chatter at the hotel door had -subsided with midnight. But the guitar still struck -its melancholy note, accompanied by the -intermittent wail of the sorrowing dog. -</p> - -<p> -No, Gray thought sleepily, Wu Fang Chien could -not have known of their mission. He had let -Delabar's nerves prey on his own—that was all. -Delabar was full of this Asia stuff, especially -concerning the priests—— -</p> - -<p> -Gray's mind drifted away into vague visions of -ancient and forgotten temples. The guitar note -became the strum of temple drums, echoing over the -waste of the desert. The dog's plaint took form in -the wailing of shrouded forms that moved about -gigantic ruins, ruins that gave forth throngs of -spirits. And the spirits took up the wail, -approaching him. -</p> - -<p> -A green light flamed from the temple gate. The -gongs sounded a final crash—and Gray awoke at -the noise of the stick and coins falling to the floor. -</p> - -<p> -He became fully conscious instantly—from habit. -And was aware of two things. He had been asleep -for some time. Also, the door had been thrown -open and dark forms were running into the room. -</p> - -<p> -Gray caught at his automatic which he always -hung at his pillow. He missed it in the dark. One -of the figures stumbled against the bed. He felt -a hand brush across his face. -</p> - -<p> -Drawing up his legs swiftly he kicked out at the -man who was fumbling for him. The fellow -subsided backward with a grunt, and the officer gained -his feet. His sight was not yet cleared, but he -perceived the blur of figures in the light from the -open door. -</p> - -<p> -He wasted no time in outcry. Experience had -taught him that the best way to deal with native -assailants was with his fists. He bent forward from -the hips, balanced himself and jabbed at the first -man who ran up to him. -</p> - -<p> -His fist landed in the intruder's face. Gray -weighed over a hundred and seventy pounds, and -he had the knack which comparatively few men -possess of putting his weight behind his fists. -Moreover, he was not easily flurried, and this coolness -gave his blows added sting. -</p> - -<p> -At least four men had broken into the room. The -other two hesitated when they saw their companions -knocked down. But Gray did not. There was -a brief rustle of feet over the floor, the sound of a -heavy fist striking against flesh, and the invaders -stumbled or crawled from the room. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was surprised they did not use their knives. -Once they perceived that he was fully awake they -seemed to lose heart. The fight had taken only a -minute, and Gray was master of the field. -</p> - -<p> -He had counted four men as they ran out. But -he waited alertly by the door while Delabar, who -had remained on his bed, got up and lit the lamp. -Gray's first glance told him that no Chinamen were -to be seen. -</p> - -<p> -He was breathing heavily, but quite unhurt. -Having the advantage of both weight and hitting -power over his light adversaries, he took no pride -in his prompt clearing of the room. Delabar, -however, was plainly shaky. -</p> - -<p> -"What did they want?" the professor muttered, -eyeing the door. "How——" -</p> - -<p> -"Look out!" warned Gray crisply. -</p> - -<p> -From the foot of his bed a head appeared. Two -slant eyes fixed on him angrily. A Chinaman in -the rough clothes of a coolie crawled out and stood -erect. -</p> - -<p> -In one hand he held Gray's rifle, removed from -the case. With the other he was fumbling at the -safety catch with which he seemed unfamiliar. -</p> - -<p> -Gray acted swiftly. Realizing that the gun was -loaded and that it would go off if the coolie thought -of pulling the trigger, inasmuch as the safety catch -was not set, he stepped to one side, to the head of -the bed. -</p> - -<p> -Here he fell to his knees. The man with the -rifle, if he had fired, would probably have shot over -the American, who was feeling under the pillow. -</p> - -<p> -As it happened the coolie did not pull the trigger -of the gun. A dart of flame, a <i>crack</i> which echoed -loudly in the narrow room—and Gray, over the -sights of the automatic which he had recovered -and fired in one motion, saw the man stagger. -</p> - -<p> -Through the swirling smoke he saw the coolie -drop the gun and run to the window. -</p> - -<p> -Gray covered the man again, but refrained from -pressing the trigger. There was no need of killing -the coolie. The next instant the man had flung open -the shutters and dived from the window. -</p> - -<p> -Looking out, Gray saw the form of his adversary -vaguely as the coolie picked himself up and -vanished in the darkness. -</p> - -<p> -The street was silent. The guitar was no longer -to be heard. -</p> - -<p> -Gray crossed the room and flung open the door. -The hall was empty. He closed the door, readjusted -the stick and string of coins and grinned at -Delabar who was watching nervously. -</p> - -<p> -"That was one on me, Professor," he admitted -cheerfully. "The coolie who bobbed up under the -bed must have been the one I kicked there. Fancy -knocking a man to where he can grab your own -gun." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar, however, saw no humor in the situation. -</p> - -<p> -"They were coolies," he said. "What do you -suppose they came after?" -</p> - -<p> -"Money. I don't know." Gray replaced the -shutters and blew out the light. "We'll complain to -our landlord in the morning. But I don't guess -we'll have much satisfaction out of him. The fact -that my shot didn't bring the household running -here shows pretty well that it was a put-up job." -</p> - -<p> -His prophecy proved true. The proprietor of the -hotel protested that he had known nothing of the -matter. Asked why he had not investigated the -shot, he declared that he was afraid. Gray gave -up his questioning and set about preparing to leave -Honanfu. -</p> - -<p> -"The sooner we're away from Wu Fang's jurisdiction -the better," he observed to Delabar. "No -use in making an investigation. It would only delay -us. Our baggage came this morning, and you've -engaged the muleteers. We'll shake Honanfu." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar seemed as anxious as Gray to leave the -town. Crowds of Chinese, attracted perhaps by -rumor of what had happened in the night, followed -them about the streets as Gray energetically -assembled his two wagons with the stores, and the men -to drive the mules. -</p> - -<p> -He made one discovery. In checking up the list -of baggage they found that one box was missing. -</p> - -<p> -"It's the one that had the rifles and spare -ammunition," grunted Gray. "Damn!" -</p> - -<p> -He had put the rifle that had been intended for -McCann with his own extra piece and ammunition -in a separate box. In spite of persistent -questioning, the drivers who had brought the wagons to -Honanfu denied that they had seen the box. -</p> - -<p> -A telegram was sent to the railway terminal. The -answer was delayed until late afternoon. No news -of the box was forthcoming. -</p> - -<p> -"It's no use," declared Delabar moodily. "Remember, -you told Wu Fang Chien that our rifles -were with the luggage. Probably he has taken the -box." -</p> - -<p> -"Looks that way," admitted Gray, who was angered -at the loss. "Well, there's no help for it. -We'll hike, before Wu Fang thinks up something -else to do." -</p> - -<p> -He gave the word to the muleteers, the wagons -creaked forward. He jumped on the tail of the -last one, beside Delabar, and Honanfu with its -watching crowds faded into the dust, after a turn -in the road. -</p> - -<p> -From that time forth, Gray kept his rifle in his -hand, or slung at his shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -While they sat huddled uncomfortably on some -stores against the side of the jogging cart—nothing -is quite so responsive to the law of gravity as a -springless Chinese cart, or so uncomfortable, unless -it be the rutted surface of a Chinese imperial -highway—both were thinking. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar, to himself: "Why is it that an imperial -road in China is not one kept in order—in the -past—for the emperor, but one that can be put in order, -if the emperor announced his intention of passing -over it? My associate, the American, who thinks -only along straight lines, will never understand the -round-about working of the oriental mind. And -that will work him evil." -</p> - -<p> -Gray, aloud: "Look here, Delabar! We can -safely guess now that Wu Fang would like to hinder -our journey." -</p> - -<p> -"I have already assumed that." -</p> - -<p> -"Hm. Think it's because the Wusun actually -exist, and he wants to keep us from the Gobi?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar was aroused from his muse. -</p> - -<p> -"A Chinese official seldom acts on his own initiative," -he responded. "Wu Fang Chien has received -instructions. Yes, I think he intends to bar our -passage beyond Liangchowfu. By advancing as we -are from Honanfu, we are running blindly into -danger." -</p> - -<p> -Gray squinted back at the dusty road, nursing his -rifle across his knees. His brown face was -impassive, the skin about the eyes deeply wrinkled from -exposure. The eyes themselves were narrow and -hard. Delabar found it increasingly difficult to guess -what went on in the mind of the taciturn American. -</p> - -<p> -"I've been wondering," said Gray slowly, "wondering -for a long time about a certain question. Admitting -that the Wusun are there, in the Gobi, why -are they kept prisoners—carefully guarded like -this? It doesn't seem logical!" -</p> - -<p> -The Syrian smiled blandly, twisting his beard -with a thin hand. -</p> - -<p> -"Logic!" he cried. "Oh, the mind of the inner -Asiatic is logical; but the reasons governing it, and -the grounds for its deductions are quite different -from the motives of European psychology." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I fail to see the reason why the Wusun -people should be guarded for a good many hundred -years." -</p> - -<p> -"Simply this. Buddhism is the crux of the -oriental soul. Confucius and Taoism are secondary to -the advent of the Gautama—to the great Nirvana. -Buddhism rules inner China, Tibet, part of -Turkestan, some of India, and—under guise of -<i>Shamanism</i>, Southeastern Siberia." -</p> - -<p> -Gray made no response. He was studying the -face of Delabar—that intellectual, nervous, -unstable face. -</p> - -<p> -"Buddhism has ruled Central Asia since the time -of Sakuntala—the great Sakuntala," went on the -scientist. "And the laws of Buddha are ancient and -very binding. The Wusun are enemies of Buddhism. -They are greater enemies than the Manchus, -of Northern and Eastern China. That is because the -Wusun hold in reverence a symbol that is hateful -to the priests of the temples." -</p> - -<p> -"What is that?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar hesitated. -</p> - -<p> -"The symbol is some barbarian sign. The Wusun -cherish it, perhaps because cut off from the world, -they have no other faith than the faith of their -forefathers." The scientist's high voice rang with -strong conviction. "In the annals of the Han -dynasty, before the birth of Christ, it is related that -an army under the General Ho K'u-p'ing was sent -on plea of the Buddhists to destroy the Huing-nu—, -the 'green-eyed devils' and the Wusun—the Tall -Ones,' of the west. The military expedition failed. -But since then the Buddhists have been embittered -against the Wusun—have guarded them as prisoners." -</p> - -<p> -"Then religious fanaticism is the answer?" -</p> - -<p> -"A religious feud." -</p> - -<p> -"Because the Wusun will not adopt Buddhism?" -</p> - -<p> -"Because they cling to the absurd sign of their -faith!" -</p> - -<p> -Gray passed a gnarled hand across his chin and -frowned at his rifle. -</p> - -<p> -"Sounds queer. I'd like to see that sign." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar settled himself uneasily against the -jarring of the cart. -</p> - -<p> -"It is not likely, Captain Gray," he said, "that -either of us will see it." -</p> - -<p> -Whereupon they fell silent, each busied with his -thoughts, in this manner. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar, to himself: My companion is a physical -brute; how can he understand the high mysteries of -Asian thought? -</p> - -<p> -Gray: Either this Syrian has a grand imagination, -or he knows more than he has been telling -me—the odds being the latter is correct. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VI -<br /><br /> -MIRAI KHAN -</h3> - -<p> -Near Kia-yu-kwan, the western gate of the Great -Wall, the twin pagodas of Liangchowfu rise from -the plain. -</p> - -<p> -In former centuries Liangchowfu was the border -town, a citadel of defense against the outer -barbarians of the northern steppe and Central Asia. It -is a walled city, standing squarely athwart the -highway from China proper to the interior. Beyond -Liangchowfu are the highlands of Central Asia. -</p> - -<p> -In exactly a month after leaving Honanfu, as -Gray had promised, the wagons bearing the two -Americans passed through the town gate. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, dusty and travel-stained to his waist, but -alert and erect of carriage, walked before the two -carts. He showed no ill effects from the hard stage -of the journey they had just completed. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar lay behind the leather curtain of one of -the wagons. His spirits had suffered from the past -month. The monotonous road, with its ceaseless -mud villages had depressed him. The groups of -natives squatting in the sun before their huts, in -the never-ending search for vermin, and the throngs -of staring children that sought for horse dung in -the roads to use for fuel, had wrought on his -sensitive nerves. -</p> - -<p> -They had not seen a white man during the journey. -Gray had written to Van Schaick before they -left Honanfu, but they expected no mail until they -should return to Shanghai. -</p> - -<p> -"If we reach the coast again," Delabar had said -moodily. -</p> - -<p> -The better air of the hill country through which -they passed had not improved his spirits, as it had -Gray's. The sight of the forest clad peaks, with -their hidden pagodas, from the eaves of which the -wind bells sent their tinkle down the breeze, held -no interest for the scientist. -</p> - -<p> -Glimpses of brown, spectacled workmen who -peered at them from the rice fields, or the vision of -a tattered junk sail, passing down an estuary in the -purple quiet of evening, when the dull yellow of the -fields and the green of the hills were blended in a -soft haze did not cause Delabar to lift his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -China, vast and changeless, had taken the two -Americans to itself. And Gray knew that Delabar -was afraid. He had suspected as much in Honanfu. -Now he was certain. Delabar had taken to smoking -incessantly, and made no attempt to exercise as -Gray did. He brooded in the wagon. -</p> - -<p> -The calm of the army officer seemed to anger -Delabar. Often when two men are alone for a -long stretch of time they get on each other's nerves. -But Delabar's trouble went deeper than this. His -fears had preyed on him during the month. He had -taken to watching the dusty highway behind them. -He slept badly. -</p> - -<p> -Yet they had not been molested. They were not -watched, as far as Gray could observe. They had -heard no more from Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -The streets of Liangchowfu were crowded. It -was some kind of a feast day. Gray noted that -there were numbers of priests who stared at them -impassively as he led the mule teams to an inn on -the further side of the town, near the western wall, -and persuaded the proprietor to clear the pigs and -children from one of the guest chambers. -</p> - -<p> -"We were fools to come this far," muttered -Delabar, throwing himself down on a bamboo bench. -"Did you notice the crowds in the streets we -passed?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's a feast, or bazaar day, I expect," observed -Gray quietly, removing his mud caked shoes and -stretching his big frame on the clay bench that did -duty as a bed. -</p> - -<p> -"No." Delabar shook his head. "Gray, I tell -you, we are fools. The Chinese of Liangchowfu -knew we were coming. Those priests were Buddhist -followers. They are here for a purpose." -</p> - -<p> -"They seem harmless enough." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar laughed. -</p> - -<p> -"Did you ever know a Mongol to warn you, -before he struck? No, my friend. We are in a nice -trap here, within the walls. We are the only -Europeans in the place. Every move we make will be -watched. Do you think we can get through the -walls without the Chinese knowing it?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," admitted Gray. "But we had to come here -for food and a new relay of mules." -</p> - -<p> -"We will never leave Liangchowfu—to the west. -But we can still go back." -</p> - -<p> -"We can, but we won't." -</p> - -<p> -Gray turned on the bed where he sat and tentatively -scratched a clear space on the glazed paper -which formed the one—closed—window of the -room. Ventilation is unknown in China. -</p> - -<p> -He found that he could look out in the street. -The inn was built around three sides of a courtyard, -and their room was at the end of one wing. He -saw a steady throng of passersby—pockmarked -beggars, flaccid faced coolies trundling women along -in wheelbarrows, an astrologer who had taken up -his stand in the middle of the street with the two -tame sparrows which formed his stock-in-trade, -and a few swaggering, sheepskin clad Kirghiz from -the steppe. -</p> - -<p> -As each individual passed the inn, Gray noticed -that he shot a quick glance at it from slant eyes. -An impressive palanquin came down the street. A -fat porter in a silk tunic with a staff walked before -the bearers. Coming abreast the astrologer, the -man with the staff struck him contemptuously aside. -</p> - -<p> -As this happened, Gray saw the curtain of the -palanquin lifted, and the outline of a face peering -at the inn. -</p> - -<p> -"We seem to be the sight of the city," he told -Delabar, drawing on his shoes. "The rubberneck -bus has just passed. Look here, Professor! No -good in moping around here. You go out and rustle -the food we need. I'll inspect our baggage in the -stable." -</p> - -<p> -When Delabar had departed on his mission, Gray -left the inn leisurely. He wandered after the -scientist, glancing curiously at a crowd which had -gathered in what was evidently the center square of the -town, being surrounded by an array of booths. -</p> - -<p> -The crowd was too great for him to see what the -attraction was, but he elbowed his way through -without ceremony. Sure that something unusual -must be in progress, he was surprised to see only a -nondescript Chinese soldier in a jacket that had -once been blue with a rusty sword belted to him. -Beside the soldier was an old man with a wrinkled, -brown face from which glinted a pair of keen eyes. -</p> - -<p> -By his sheepskin coat, bandaged legs and soiled -yak-skin boots Gray identified the elder of the two -as a Kirghiz mountaineer. Both men were squatting -on their haunches, the Kirghiz smoking a pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"What is happening?" Gray asked a bystander, -pointing to the two in the cleared space. -</p> - -<p> -Readily, the accents of the border dialect came -to his tongue. The other understood. -</p> - -<p> -"It will happen soon," he explained. "That is -Mirai Khan, the hunter, who is smoking the pipe. -When he is finished the Manchu soldier will cut off -his head." -</p> - -<p> -Gray whistled softly. The crowd was staring -at him now, intent on a new sight. Even Mirai -Khan was watching him idly, apparently -unconcerned about his coming demise. -</p> - -<p> -"Why is he smoking the pipe?" Gray asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Because he wants to. The soldier is letting him -do it because Mirai Khan has promised to tell him -where his long musket is, before he dies." -</p> - -<p> -"Why must he die?" -</p> - -<p> -The man beside him coughed and spat apathetically. -"I do not know. It was ordered. Perhaps -he stole the value of ten <i>taels</i>." -</p> - -<p> -Gray knew enough of the peculiar law of China -to understand that a theft of something valued at -more than a certain sum was punishable by death. -The sight of the tranquil Kirghiz stirred his interest. -</p> - -<p> -"Ask the soldier what is the offense," he persisted, -exhibiting a coin at which the Chinaman stared -eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan, Gray was informed, had been convicted -of stealing a horse worth thirteen <i>taels</i>. The -Kirghiz had claimed that the horse was his own, -taken from him by the Liangchowfu officials who -happened to be in need of beasts of burden. -The case had been referred to the authorities at -Honanfu, and no less a personage than Wu Fang -Chien had ruled that since the hunter had denied -the charge he had given the lie to the court. -Wherefore, he must certainly be beheaded. -</p> - -<p> -Gray sympathized with Mirai Khan. He had -seen enough of Wu Fang Chien to guess that the -Kirghiz' case had not received much consideration. -Something in the mountaineer's shrewd face -attracted Gray. He pushed into the cleared space. -</p> - -<p> -"Tell the Manchu," he said sharply to the -Chinaman whom he had drawn with him, "that I know -Wu Fang Chien. Tell him that I will pay the -amount of the theft, if he will release the prisoner." -</p> - -<p> -"It may not be," objected the other indifferently. -</p> - -<p> -"Do as I say," commanded Gray sharply. -</p> - -<p> -The soldier, apparently tired of waiting, had risen -and drawn his weapon. He bent over the Kirghiz -who remained kneeling. The sight quickened -Gray's pulse—in spite of the danger he knew he -ran from interfering with the Chinese authorities. -</p> - -<p> -"Quick," he added. His companion whispered -to the soldier who glanced at the American in -surprise and hesitated. -</p> - -<p> -Gray counted out thirteen <i>taels</i>—about ten -dollars—and added five more. "I have talked with -Wu Fang Chien," he explained, "and I will buy this -man's life. If the value of the horse is paid, the -crime will be no more." -</p> - -<p> -The blue-coated Manchu said something, -evidently an objection. -</p> - -<p> -"He says," interpreted the Chinaman, who was -eyeing the money greedily, "that thirteen <i>taels</i> will -not wipe out the insult to the judge." -</p> - -<p> -"Five more will," Gray responded. "He can -keep them if he likes. And here's a <i>tael</i> for you." -</p> - -<p> -The volunteer interpreter clasped the coin in a -claw-like hand. Gray thrust the rest of the money -upon the hesitating executioner, and seized Mirai -Khan by the arm. -</p> - -<p> -Nodding to the Kirghiz, he led him through the -crowd, which was muttering uneasily. He turned -down an alley. -</p> - -<p> -"Can you get out of Liangchowfu without being -seen?" the American asked his new purchase. He -was more confident now of the tribal speech. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan understood. Later, Gray came to -know that the man was very keen witted. Also, -he had a polyglot tongue. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye, Excellency." Mirai Khan fell on his knees -and pressed his forehead to his rescuer's shoes. -"There is a hole in the western wall behind the -temple where the caravan men water their oxen -and camels." -</p> - -<p> -"Go, then, and quickly." -</p> - -<p> -"I will get me a horse," promised Mirai Khan, -"and the Chinese pigs will not see me go." -</p> - -<p> -Gray thought to himself that Mirai Khan might -be more of a horse thief than he professed to be. -</p> - -<p> -"The Excellency saved my life," muttered the -Kirghiz, glancing around craftily. "It was written -that I should die this day, and he kept me from -the sight of the angel of death. But thirteen <i>taels</i> -is a great deal of wealth. It would be well if I -found my gun, and slew the soldier. Then the -Excellency would have his thirteen <i>taels</i> again. Where -is he to be found?" -</p> - -<p> -"At the inn by the western wall. But never mind -the Manchu. Save your own skin." -</p> - -<p> -Gray strode off down the alley, for men were -coming after them. In the rear of an unsavory hut, -the Kirghiz plucked his sleeve. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye, it shall so be, Excellency," he whispered. -"Has the honorable master any tobacco?" -</p> - -<p> -Impatiently Gray sifted some tobacco from his -pouch into the hunter's scarred hand. Mirai Khan -then asked for matches. -</p> - -<p> -"I will not forget," he said importantly. "You -will see Mirai Khan again. I swear it. And I will -tell you something. Wu Fang Chien is in Liangchowfu." -</p> - -<p> -With that the man shambled off down an alley, -looking for all the world like a shaggy dog with -unusually long legs. Gray stared after him with a -smile. Then he turned back toward the inn. -</p> - -<p> -That night there was a feast in Liangchowfu. -The sound of the temple drums reached to the inn. -Lanterns appeared on the house fronts across the -street. Throngs of priests passed by in ceremonial -procession, bearing lights. In the inn courtyard a -group of musicians took their stand, producing a -hideous mockery of a tune on cymbals and -one-stringed fiddles. But the main room of the inn, -where the eating tables were set with bowls and -chop-sticks, was deserted except for a wandering -rooster. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm going out to see the show," asserted Gray, -who was weary of inaction. -</p> - -<p> -"What!" The Syrian stared at him, fingering his -beard restlessly. "With Wu Fang Chien in the -town!" -</p> - -<p> -"Certainly. There's nothing to be done here. I -may be able to pick up information which will be -useful—if we are in danger." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar tossed his cigarette away and shrugged -his shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -"We are marked men, my young friend. I saw -this afternoon that a guard has been posted at the -town gates. Those musicians yonder are spies. -The master of the inn is in the stable, with our -men." -</p> - -<p> -"Then we'll shake our escort for a while." -Gray's smile faded. "Look here, Professor. I'm -alive to the pickle we're in. We've got to get out -of this place. And I want to have a look at that -hole in the wall Mirai Khan told me about. For -one thing—to see if horses can get through it." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar accompanied him out of the courtyard, -into the street. Gray noted grimly that the -musicians ceased playing with their departure. He -beckoned Delabar to follow and turned down the alley -he had visited that afternoon. Looking over his -shoulder he saw a dark form slip into the entrance -of the alley. -</p> - -<p> -"Double time, Professor," whispered Gray. -Grasping the other by the arm he trotted through -the piles of refuse that littered the rear of the -houses, turning sharply several times until he was -satisfied they were no longer followed. As a -landmark, he had the dark bulk of the pagoda which -formed the roof of the temple. -</p> - -<p> -Toward this he made his way, dodging back into -the shadows when he sighted a group of Chinese. -He was now following the course of the wall, which -took him into a garden, evidently a part of the -temple grounds. -</p> - -<p> -He saw nothing of the opening Mirai Khan had -mentioned. But a murmur of voices from the -shuttered windows of the edifice stirred his interest. -</p> - -<p> -"It is a meeting of the Buddhists," whispered -Delabar. "I heard the temple messengers crying -the summons in the street this afternoon." -</p> - -<p> -Gray made his way close to the building. It was -a lofty structure of carved wood. The windows -were small and high overhead. Gray scanned them -speculatively. -</p> - -<p> -"We weren't invited to the reunion, Professor," -he meditated, "but I'd give something for a look -inside. Judging by what you've told me, these -Buddhist fellows are our particular enemies. And -it's rather a coincidence they held a lodge meeting -to-night." -</p> - -<p> -He felt along the wall for a space. They were -sheltered from view from the street by the garden -trees. -</p> - -<p> -"Hullo," he whispered, "here's luck. A door. -Looks like a stage entrance, with some kind of -carving over it." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar pushed forward and peered at the inscription. -The reflected light of the illumination in -the street enabled him to see fairly well. -</p> - -<p> -"This is the gate of ceremony of the temple," he -observed. "It is one of the doors built for a special -occasion—only to be used by a scholar of the town -who has won the highest honors of the Hanlin -academy, or by the emperor himself—when there -was one." -</p> - -<p> -Gray pushed at the door. It was not fastened, -but being in disuse, gave in slowly, with a creak of -iron hinges. Delabar checked him. -</p> - -<p> -"You know nothing of Chinese customs," he -hissed warningly. "It is forbidden for any one to -enter. The penalty——" -</p> - -<p> -"Beheading, I suppose," broke in Gray impatiently. -"Come along, Delabar. This is a special -occasion, and, by Jove—you're a distinguished -scholar." -</p> - -<p> -He drew the other inside with him. They stood -in a black passage filled with an odor of combined -must and incense. Gray took his pocket flashlight -from his coat and flickered its beam in front of -them. He could feel Delabar shivering. Wondering -at the state of the scientist's nerves, he made -out an opening before them in which steps appeared. -</p> - -<p> -They seemed to be in a deserted part of the -temple. Gray wanted very much to see what was -going on—and what was at the head of the stairs. -He ascended as quietly as possible, followed by the -Syrian who was muttering to himself. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap07"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VII -<br /><br /> -THE DOOR IS GUARDED -</h3> - -<p> -A subdued glow appeared above Gray's head, -as the narrow stairs twisted. The glow grew -stronger, and he caught the buzz of voices. -Cautiously he climbed to the head of the steps and -peered into the chamber from which came the -light. -</p> - -<p> -He saw a peculiar room. It was empty of all -furniture except a teakwood chair. The light came -through a large aperture in the floor. An ebony -railing, gilded and inlaid, ran around this square of -light. The voices grew louder. -</p> - -<p> -It was clear to Gray that they were in some kind -of gallery above the room where the assembly -was—for the voices seemed to be rising through the -floor. -</p> - -<p> -He walked to the chair—and stopped abruptly. -</p> - -<p> -The opening in the floor was directly above the -temple proper. Gray and Delabar could see the -shrine, with the usual bronze figure of the almond-eyed -god, the burning tapers and the incense bowls. -</p> - -<p> -On the floor by the shrine the gathering of priests -squatted. They were facing, not the image of -Buddha, but a chair which stood on a daïs at one -side. On this chair an imposing mandarin was -seated with the red button and silk robe of officialdom. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien!" whispered Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. It was their friend of Honanfu, -with his thin beard, placid face and spectacles. -</p> - -<p> -"What are they doing?" asked Gray softly. -</p> - -<p> -The murmur of voices persisted. For some time -Delabar listened. Then he pointed out a man in -beggar's dress kneeling beside the mandarin's chair. -</p> - -<p> -"It is some kind of trial," he said doubtfully. -"The priest by Wu Fang Chien is an ascetic—what -they call a <i>fakir</i> in India. But he is not the criminal." -</p> - -<p> -They moved nearer the opening, being secure -from observation from below. Gray wrinkled his -nose at the mingled scent of incense and Mongolian -sweat that floated up through the opening. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien is saying that he has come to -Liangchowfu to sit in judgment on the evildoers -who are enemies of the god," interpreted Delabar. -"He has called the priests to witness the proceedings." -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked at Delabar curiously. He had -caught a word or two of the talk. -</p> - -<p> -"Does he name the offenders?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"No. He says the priesthood has been informed -that two men plan to desecrate a holy place. He -has come to catch them red-handed." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien, Gray reflected, could not know -they were in the gallery of the temple, by the seat -reserved for a distinguished student, or the -emperor. The mandarin must have discovered their -mission, as Delabar feared. He peered over the -rail. -</p> - -<p> -Directly underneath three priests were stripped -to the waist. They held a bronze bowl of -considerable size. -</p> - -<p> -As Gray watched, a silence fell on the room below. -</p> - -<p> -"They are going to try divination," whispered -Delabar, and Gray saw that his face was strained. -"The divination of the ivory sticks and the bowl. -That is a custom of the sorcerers of the interior. -The priests believe in it implicitly. I have seen some -wonderful things——" -</p> - -<p> -He broke off as the ascetic prostrated himself -before Wu Fang Chien, holding out a sandalwood -box. Gray saw the mandarin lean forward and -draw what looked like a short white stick from the -box. -</p> - -<p> -"That is to determine the distance the criminals -are from the temple," explained Delabar. "It is a -very short stick—representing perhaps a <i>li</i> or -one-third of a mile." -</p> - -<p> -"That would include the inn," was Gray's comment. -"Hello, the bowl boys are coming into action." -</p> - -<p> -The three priests were turning slowly on their -feet, supporting the bronze bowl above their heads. -They moved in a kind of dance, and as they -revolved, came nearer to the shrine—then retreated. -Delabar watched intently. -</p> - -<p> -"They will keep up the dance for twenty-four -hours," he said, "without stopping. Meanwhile -the other priests will watch, without taking food or -drink. It induces a kind of hypnotism. They -believe that at the end of the twenty-four hours, the -god will enter the bowl." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. Wu Fang Chien had sat back and -was eyeing the dance complacently. -</p> - -<p> -"When this happens," Delabar went on, "the -priests will leave the temple, holding the bowl in -front of them. They will be followed by the townspeople -who do not doubt that the god will conduct -them to the criminals." -</p> - -<p> -"I guess we're nominated for the guilty parties." -</p> - -<p> -Gray surveyed the scene curiously, the revolving -trio of brown bodies, the silent mandarin and the -watching priests. He followed idly the smoke -fumes that eddied up from the shrine of the -bronze god. Wu Fang Chien, he mused, had decided -that it was time to strike. And the mandarin -was going about it with the patience of the Mongol, -sure of his victim, and his own power. -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien had warned them. They had -not heeded the warning. The attack in Honanfu -had been a prelude—possibly to get Gray's weapons -away from him. It had failed, but Wu Fang Chien -had formed another plan. Why else had he come to -Liangchowfu? -</p> - -<p> -Watching the whirling priests, Gray guessed at -the plan. In twenty-four hours the sorcery of the -bowl would come to a head. The three priests -would bear it to the inn—in a state of semi-hypnotism -themselves, and followed by a fanatical crowd. -They would confront Gray and Delabar. They -would search the belongings of the white men, and -find the maps of Sungan—the maps that had been -seen by the intruder at the Honanfu inn. After -that—— -</p> - -<p> -Delabar gripped his companion's arm. "Some -one is coming," he whispered. -</p> - -<p> -Gray listened, and heard a faint sound of -footsteps. It came from the stairs—the soft pad-fad -of slippered feet ascending the steps. Gray shot a -quick glance into the temple below. The scene had -not changed, except that the priest in the tattered -robe was no longer at Wu Fang Chien's side. -</p> - -<p> -"We are caught," muttered the scientist. "There -is no other door." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was aware of this. The only openings in -the chamber where they stood were the door and -the aperture in the floor. The <i>pad-pad</i> came nearer, -but more slowly. He was reasonably sure that -they had not been seen. It was abominably bad -luck that some one should visit the gallery just -then. -</p> - -<p> -"We left the temple door open," Delabar whispered, -staring at the dark stairs behind them. "One -of the priests observed it and came——" -</p> - -<p> -"Steady," Gray cautioned him. He drew the -trembling Syrian back into the shadows at one side -of the door. Here they were in semi-obscurity. -Stepping quietly to arm's reach of the head of the -stairs, Gray waited. -</p> - -<p> -He heard the steps approach, then become silent -as if the intruder was looking into the room. -</p> - -<p> -A moment passed while Gray silently cursed the -heavy breathing of Delabar who seemed possessed -by uncontrollable excitement. Then a shaven head -appeared in the doorway, followed by a naked shoulder. -A pair of slant, evil eyes flickered around the -gallery, failing to notice the two white men in the -shadow. -</p> - -<p> -Gray's hand went out and closed on the throat -of the priest. His grip tightened, choking off a -smothered gasp. The man fell heavily to his knees. -</p> - -<p> -The floor echoed dully at the impact. Gray -realized that it must have been heard by those in the -temple below. Snatching up the frail priest by -throat and leg, he lifted him easily and started down -the stairs headlong. -</p> - -<p> -"This way, Professor," he called. "Better hurry." -</p> - -<p> -Concealment being useless now, they plunged -down the steps. By the time the lower floor was -reached, Gray's grip had stilled the struggles of -the man—whom he recognized as the ascetic. -</p> - -<p> -The sound of running feet came to him as he -waited for Delabar to come up. The professor -shot through the temple door like a frightened rabbit. -</p> - -<p> -Gray tossed the unconscious priest on the doorsill, -and pushed the heavy portal nearly shut, wedging -the man's body in the opening. Then he trotted -after Delabar through the garden. -</p> - -<p> -"Let's hope you're right about the penalty for -opening the door there," he laughed. "That priest -will have his hands full explaining how he happens -to be lying on the emperor's threshold—when -he comes to. Probably he'll say that devils picked -him up." -</p> - -<p> -Looking back at the edge of the temple garden, -Gray saw a crowd with lanterns standing inside the -door, over the form of the priest. They were some -distance away by now. Following the circuit of the -city wall, Gray succeeded in gaining the alleys back -of the inn without being observed. -</p> - -<p> -Once safely in their room, Delabar threw himself -on the bed, panting. Gray took up his rifle and laid -it across his knees, placing his chair so that he could -command both door and window. -</p> - -<p> -He did not want to sleep. And he feared to trust -Delabar to watch. Throughout the remaining hours -until daylight whitened the paper of the window, he -sat in his chair. But nothing further happened. -The festivities in the streets had ended and the inn -itself was quiet, unusually so. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Daylight showed Delabar lying on the bed, -smoking innumerable cigarettes. The scientist had -maintained a moody silence since their arrival at -the inn. The sound of excited voices floated in -from the courtyard. Vehicles could be heard -passing along the street. But the ordinary -pandemonium of a Chinese hostelry at breakfast time was -subdued. -</p> - -<p> -Gray tossed his rifle on the bed, yawned and -stretched his powerful frame. He was hungry, and -said so. He brushed the dirt from his shoes, -changed to a clean shirt, looked in the pail for water. -Finding none, he picked up the pail, strode to the -door and flung it open. -</p> - -<p> -On the threshold, his back against the doorpost, -was sitting a Buddhist priest. It was an aged man, -his face wrinkled and eyes inflamed. His right -shoulder and his breast were bared. In one hand -he clasped a long knife. His eyes peered up at the -white man vindictively. -</p> - -<p> -Gray recognized the ascetic of the temple. He -could see the dark marks where his hands had -squeezed the scrawny throat. -</p> - -<p> -He reached for his automatic with his free hand. -The priest did not stir. The man was squatting on -his heels, fairly over the threshold; the knife rested -on one knee. How long he had been there, Gray -did not know. -</p> - -<p> -Priest and white man stared at each other -intently. Gray frowned. Plainly the man at the -door did not mean well; but why did the fellow -remain seated, holding the knife passively? He noted -fleetingly that the main room of the inn was vacant. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't move!" Delabar's voice came to him, shrill -with anxiety. "Don't take a step. Shut the door -and come back here." -</p> - -<p> -"Why?" Gray asked curiously. "I want to go -out for water, and I'm blessed if this chap is going -to keep me in——" -</p> - -<p> -"It's death to move!" -</p> - -<p> -"For me?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, the priest will die." Delabar clutched his -companion's arm. "You don't understand. The -priest is here on a mission. If you step through -the door, he will stab himself with the knife. And -if he commits suicide at our door, we'll have the -whole of Liangchowfu down on us." -</p> - -<p> -Gray pocketed the automatic with a laugh. "I -don't see why we are to blame if this yellow monkey -sticks himself with his own knife." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar crossed to the door and closed it on the -watching Buddhist. -</p> - -<p> -"You know very little of China, my friend," he -said gloomily. "One of the favorite methods of -revenge is to hire a priest to sit at a man's door, -like this. Then, if any one leaves the house, the -priest commits suicide. That fixes—or the -Chinese believe it fixes—a crime on the man in the -house. It's a habit of the Chinese to kill themselves -in order to obtain vengeance on an enemy." -</p> - -<p> -Gray whistled. "I've heard something of the -kind. But, look here, I could grab that fellow -before he can hurt himself." -</p> - -<p> -"It would be useless. As soon as he was free, -he'd commit suicide, and the blame would fall on -us. By now, all the Chinese in the town know that -this priest is here. If he should die, it would be a -signal for a general attack on us." -</p> - -<p> -Meditatively, Gray seated himself on the bucket -and considered the situation. -</p> - -<p> -"You know the working of the yellow mind, -Professor," he observed. "Do you suppose this fellow -has marked us out as the guilty parties who -manhandled him in the temple and left him in the sacred -door?" -</p> - -<p> -"It's more likely that Wu Fang Chien guessed we -were the intruders. We were probably watched -more closely than you knew. Then, according to -the temple law, this priest is guilty of sacrilege in -crossing the emperor's door. So Wu Fang Chien -has ordered him to guard our door, to wipe out his -own sin, and incriminate us at the same time." -</p> - -<p> -Gray grinned cheerfully. -</p> - -<p> -"The working of the Mongol mind is a revelation, -Delabar. I guess you're right. This is Wu -Fang Chien's way of keeping us quiet in here while -the boys with the bowl get their magic primed. -Also, it will help to make the townspeople hostile -to us." -</p> - -<p> -Slowly, Wu Fang Chien's plan was maturing. -Gray saw the snare of the Mongol mandarin closing -around them. It was a queer, fantastic snare. -In the United States the situation would have been -laughable. Here, it was deadly. -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien had made his preparations carefully. -The temple festival had stirred up the Buddhists; -the arrival of the bronze bowl, borne by the -priests, would implicate the two white men; the -discovery of the maps of the forbidden district of the -Gobi would do the rest. -</p> - -<p> -Gray could destroy the maps. But then he would -have no guide to the course to be followed, if they -should escape from Liangchowfu. He was not yet -willing to destroy all prospect of success. -</p> - -<p> -He sought out the maps, in one of their packs, -and pocketed them. -</p> - -<p> -"Does this hocus-pocus of the bowl in the temple -always take twenty-four hours?" he asked Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -"Always." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Wu Fang won't want to break the rules -of the game—not when he has the cards so well in -hand. Professor, we have fourteen hours to think -up a line of action. We have food enough here to -make a square meal or two. Also wine—as a -present to the city mandarins—that will keep us from -becoming too thirsty." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar shrugged his bent shoulders. He looked -ill. His hand was trembling, and it was clear to -Gray that the man was on the verge of a breakdown. -</p> - -<p> -"What can we do?" the Syrian asked plaintively. -"Except to destroy the maps, which would incriminate us." -</p> - -<p> -"We won't do that." -</p> - -<p> -There comes a time when fatigue undermines -weak vitality. Delabar complained, begged, cursed. -But Gray refused to burn the papers which meant -the success or failure of their expedition. -</p> - -<p> -"You're sick, Delabar," he said firmly. "You -seem to forget we're here on a mission. Now, pay -attention a minute. I've been getting ready, after -a fashion, for a move on Wu Fang's part. I've paid -our coolies four times what was owing them, and -promised 'em double that if they stick by us. I -think they may do it. If so, we stand a good chance -of getting clear with our necessary stores—emergency -rations, medicines, a few cooking utensils -and blankets. But we can't start anything until -it's dark. Sleep if you can. If you can't—don't -worry." -</p> - -<p> -He cast a curious glance at the scientist—a glance -of mixed good-natured contempt and anxiety. -</p> - -<p> -"This guardian of the gate trick works both -ways," he concluded. "If we can't get out, no one -will want to get in." -</p> - -<p> -He took a few, sparing swallows of the strong -wine, a mouthful of bread and rice and tilted his -chair back against the wall. The room was hot and -close, and he soon dropped off into a nap. Delabar -did not sleep. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, from habit, dozed lightly. He was -conscious of the sounds that went on in the street. -Several times he wakened, only to drop off again, -seeing that all was as it should be. Once or twice -he heard Delabar go to the door and peer out to -see if the priest was still at his post. Evidently he -was, for the Syrian maintained his brooding quiet. -</p> - -<p> -As time wore on, Gray thought he heard Delabar -laughing. He assured himself that he must have -been mistaken. Yet the echo of the laugh persisted, -harsh, and bitter. Delabar must have been laughing. -</p> - -<p> -The officer wondered drowsily what had been the -cause of the other's mirth—and sat up with a jerk. -He caught at the hand that was stealing under his -coat, and found himself looking into Delabar's -flushed face, not a foot from his own. The -scientist drew back, with a chuckle. There was no -mistaking the chuckle this time. -</p> - -<p> -Gray felt at his coat pocket and assured himself -the maps were still there. -</p> - -<p> -"So you lost your nerve, eh, Professor?" he said, -not unkindly—and broke off with a stare. "What -the devil——?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar staggered away from him, and fell on -the bed, rocking with mirth. He caught his head -in his hands and burst into the laugh that Gray had -heard before. Then he lay back full length, waving -his hands idiotically. -</p> - -<p> -Gray swore softly. He noticed the wine bottles -on the table, and caught them up. He assured -himself grimly that one was empty and another nearly -so. He himself had taken only a swallow of the -liquor. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar had drunk up approximately two quarts -of strong wine. And Gray knew that the man was -not accustomed to it. -</p> - -<p> -The scientist was drunk, blindly, hopelessly drunk. -</p> - -<p> -The room was dark. A candle, probably lighted -by Delabar on some whim, guttered on the floor. -Outside the room, the inn was very still. -</p> - -<p> -Gray regretted that his sleep had enabled Delabar -to drink up the liquor. But the harm was done. -His companion was helpless as a child. He looked -at his watch. It was after eight. As nearly as he -could remember, the proceedings at the temple had -started about ten o'clock. Not quite two hours of -quiet remained to them. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar sat up and regarded him with owl-like -wisdom. -</p> - -<p> -"Drink, my friend," he mumbled, "you are a -strong man, and it will be hard for you to die if -you are not drunk. You were a fool to come here. -You are a child before the ancient wisdom of China. -The secrets of the Mongols have been before your -God had eyes to see the earth. Why did you pry -into them?" -</p> - -<p> -A laugh followed this, and Delabar made a futile -grab at one of the bottles. -</p> - -<p> -"You think I am afraid of Wu Fang Chien?" the -mumble went on. "No, I am not afraid of him. He -is only a servant of the slave of Buddha, who is -Fate. We can not go where Fate forbids—forbids us." -</p> - -<p> -Gray surveyed him, frowning. -</p> - -<p> -"Look outside the door," chuckled Delabar. -"Look—I stepped outside the door, my friend. -And I saw——" -</p> - -<p> -Waiting for no more, Gray crossed to the door -and opened it. At his feet lay the priest. The slant -eyes stared up at him. The knife was fixed in the -man's throat, and a dark circle had gathered on the -floor behind his head. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap08"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VIII -<br /><br /> -DELABAR LEAVES -</h3> - -<p> -Gray stooped and felt the dead man's face. It -was still quite warm. The priest could not have -killed himself more than a few minutes ago. Probably -Delabar, in his drunken wandering, had put his -foot across the threshold. -</p> - -<p> -With a tightening of the lips, Gray straightened -and surveyed the inn. It was empty and dark -except for a lantern with a crimson shade that hung -over the door. Either the people of the place had -seen the dead Buddhist and fled to spread the news, -or they had given the room a wide berth since that -afternoon. -</p> - -<p> -He could not know which was actually the case. -Gray, however, could afford to waste no time in -speculation. He went back into their chamber, -fastened his rifle over his shoulder by its sling, and -jerked Delabar to his feet. -</p> - -<p> -"It's time we got out of here, Professor," he said, -"if you haven't settled our hash for good." -</p> - -<p> -The man was muttering and stumbling—hardly -able to keep his feet. He could give no assistance -to Gray. -</p> - -<p> -They crossed the main room of the inn without -hindrance, and left the building by the rear. The -stable yard was dark, and apparently empty. Gray's -flashlight disclosed only a mild-looking donkey, -nibbling at the leaves of a plane tree. -</p> - -<p> -"Guess the place isn't exactly popular just now," -thought Gray. -</p> - -<p> -Beside the stable, concealed by the manure piles, -he found his wagons and mules, hitched up as he -had ordered. A glance and a flicker of his light -showed him that the surplus supplies were loaded. -He pushed Delabar into the stable and whistled -softly. -</p> - -<p> -A coolie crept from a pile of dirty straw under -the wall against which several mules were standing -patiently. -</p> - -<p> -"Where are the others?" demanded Gray sharply. -</p> - -<p> -The other men, said the coolie, had gone. -</p> - -<p> -"Why are not the fresh mules loaded, as I commanded?" -</p> - -<p> -The man kow-towed. "I was afraid. This is an -evil place. The priests are saying that the black -mark of ill-omen has descended from Heaven——" -</p> - -<p> -"Five <i>taels</i>," broke in the white man crisply, "if -you help me to load the mules. The priests will -kill you if they find you here. If you come with me -you will live. Choose." -</p> - -<p> -From some quarter of the city came the dull -thrum of temple gongs. The coolie whined in fear, -and hastened to the mules. -</p> - -<p> -It is no easy task to strap the packs on four mules -in the dark. Gray let Delabar, who had subsided -into slumber at contact with the cool outer air, -slump on the dirt floor of the stable. He adjusted -his flashlight in the straw so its beam would help -them to see what they were about. -</p> - -<p> -He found as he expected that the other coolies -had made away with many of the stores. They -had taken, however, the things most valuable to -them, which were least necessary to Gray—such as -clothing, cooking utensils, and the heavy boxes of -Chinese money. -</p> - -<p> -These last were a grave loss, but Gray had a good -deal of gold in his money belt, and he knew that -Delabar had the same amount. -</p> - -<p> -The two men loaded the remaining boxes on the -animals—the provisions that Delabar had purchased -in San Francisco, with medicines and several -blankets that had been overlooked by the thieves. -</p> - -<p> -This done, Gray left the stable for a survey of the -field. The inn yard was still quiet. Even the street -on the further side was tranquil. Turning back, he -helped the coolie place Delabar astride a mule, and -tied the scientist's feet firmly together under the -animal's belly. Throwing a blanket over him, Gray -gave the word to start. -</p> - -<p> -The Chinaman went ahead by the first animal, for -Gray did not want to trust him out of sight. He -followed beside the mule that carried Delabar, -giving directions as to their course. -</p> - -<p> -"The loaded wagon at the inn will be a fair puzzle -to the searching party from the temple," he thought. -"We could never get free of Liangchowfu with the -carts. Here's hoping my friend Mirai Khan was -right when he said there was a hole in the city wall -behind the temple." -</p> - -<p> -It was a slender chance—to work their way -through the alleys in the darkness. But, as Gray -reasoned, it was the only thing to do. And two -things were in their favor. The inn was undoubtedly -watched, front and back. The priests' spies -would see the mules leaving, and probably decide -the coolies were making off with them—especially -as the wagons were still in the stable yard. -</p> - -<p> -Also, the attention of the Liangchowfu population—or -the most dangerous part of it—would be -centered on the temple and the divination in -progress there. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had reasoned correctly. By following the -odorous and muddy by-ways that he and Delabar -had investigated previously, he was able to gain the -wall without attracting attention. -</p> - -<p> -Here the lights were fewer, and the trees sheltered -them. The coolie, who was badly frightened, -could give Gray no information as to the location -of the break in the city wall. It was useless, of -course, to try a dash for the city gates which would -be guarded. -</p> - -<p> -Gray pushed ahead steadily at a slow trot, scanning -the bulk of the wall for signs of an aperture. -They were well behind the temple by now, at the -further side of the garden they had entered the night -before. So far they had been very lucky, but Gray's -heart sank as he sighted buildings ahead—a huddle -of thatched huts, evidently in the poorer section of -the town. Still no break in the stone barrier was -visible. -</p> - -<p> -"Keep on," he whispered to the coolie, "and don't -forget if we are discovered you'll be caught in the -act of aiding me to escape." -</p> - -<p> -The man broke into a faster trot, with a scared -glance over his shoulder. The sound of the temple -gongs was louder, swelling angrily in the wind. -Voices came from the huts ahead, and Gray fancied -that he heard shouts in the street they had left. -</p> - -<p> -He swore softly. If only they could find the -exit he was seeking! Once out on the plain -beyond Liangchowfu, their chances of escape would -be good. If only Delabar had kept sober—— -</p> - -<p> -He swung around alertly at the sound of horses' -hoofs. In the faint light a mounted man appeared -beside him. -</p> - -<p> -"That was very well done, Excellency," a voice -whispered in hoarse Chinese. "I know, for I -watched from the dung heaps by the inn stable. One -of the men who fled I caught and took the money -he carried." -</p> - -<p> -"Mirai Khan," whispered Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye," admitted the Kirghiz complacently. "I -swore that you would see me again, and it has come -to pass. I have heard talk in the town. I knew -that the priests—may they swallow their own -fire—seek you. So I waited for I had the thought you -would not easily be snared. Lo, it has happened so. -Verily my thought was a true thought. Follow -where I lead." -</p> - -<p> -He urged his pony ahead of the mules, motioning -Gray to the side of the small caravan away from -the huts. Dim faces peered from window openings -at them. But the white man was in the shadow of -the wall, and Mirai Khan appeared too familiar a -figure in this quarter of Liangchowfu to excite -comment. Probably the mules bore out the character -of the horse-thief, retiring to the plain with a load -of ill-gotten spoil. -</p> - -<p> -They passed through the huts in silence, the coolie -too frightened to speak. Delabar was muttering to -himself under the blanket, but the swaggering figure -of the Kirghiz, with his rifle over his arm, seemed -to insure them against investigation. Still, Gray -breathed a thankful oath as they dipped into a gully -through which flowed a brook. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan rode forward, apparently into the -very wall. But here the crumbling stone -divided—an opening wide enough to permit of the passage -of a pack animal with its burden, walking in the bed -of the stream. -</p> - -<p> -Once clear of the wall, the sound of the temple -gong dwindled and ceased entirely. They pressed -ahead at a quick trot, until, glancing behind, Gray -saw that the lights of Liangchowfu had disappeared. -As nearly as he could tell by the stars he -guessed that Mirai Khan was leading them north-west. -</p> - -<p> -When the sky paled behind them and the dawn -wind struck their faces, Gray made out that they -were in a nest of hillocks. No house was visible. It -was waste land, with only an occasional stunted -cedar clinging to the side of a clay bank. They had -put more than a dozen miles between them and -Liangchowfu. -</p> - -<p> -It was now light enough to discern his companions' -faces, and Gray halted the cavalcade. -</p> - -<p> -"We will let the mules breathe a bit," he informed -the Kirghiz who glanced at him inquiringly. "I -will speak with my friend." -</p> - -<p> -He led the animal the scientist was riding a few -paces to one side, and tossed off the blanket that -enveloped Delabar. The man had awakened, half -blue with cold and with retarded circulation due to -his cramped position and the effect of the liquor. -He peered at Gray from bleared eyes, sobered by -the exposure of the past night. -</p> - -<p> -The officer undid the rope that confined Delabar's -legs, then seated himself on a stone and lit his -pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"Professor," he said meditatively, "you don't -know it, but I've been thinking over things in the -last few hours. And I've come to a decision. I'll -tell you what I've been thinking, because I want -you to understand just why I'm doing this." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar was silent, peering at him inquisitively. -</p> - -<p> -"Back on the steamer," resumed Gray, "you -showed me that you had nerves—quite a few. Well, -lots of men have 'em. Under the circumstances, -I can't say I blame you. But at Honanfu your -nerves had a severe jolt. Back there"—he jerked -his head at Liangchowfu—"you had a bad case of -fright. You're all in now." -</p> - -<p> -"I am hungry," complained the scientist. "Why -did you tie me to the mule?" -</p> - -<p> -"That skirmish with Wu Fang Chien," continued -the officer, ignoring the question, "wasn't more than -a good sample of what we may have to face in the -Gobi Desert. It showed me you aren't able to go -ahead with the trip. You'd be as sick in body as you -are now in mind." -</p> - -<p> -"I am not a horse," snapped Delabar. "The -Buddhist priests——" -</p> - -<p> -"Precisely, the Buddhist priests. They've got you -scared. Badly. Let me tell you some more I've -been thinking. Intentionally or not, you have done -all you could at Liangchowfu to hinder me. Only -luck and Mirai Khan got us out of the place with -a whole skin. In the army where I served for a -while they shot men who became drunk when on -duty." -</p> - -<p> -"This is China, another world," retorted the man -moodily. -</p> - -<p> -"China or not, it's my duty to go to the Gobi -Desert and find the Wusun if I can. I promised -Van Schaick that, and drew up a contract which I -signed. I'm going ahead. You, Professor, are -going back to the coast and to the States. You -can report our progress to Van Schaick." -</p> - -<p> -Mingled relief and alarm showed in the Syrian's -keen face. -</p> - -<p> -"You can complain that I sent you back, if you -want to. I'll answer to Van Schaick for this." Gray -held up his hand as the other tried to speak. "You'll -be all right. I've been quizzing Mirai Khan. The -coolie can guide you back, to the north of -Liangchowfu, where you'll meet some missionaries. Wu -Fang Chien will be looking for us to the west, not -in the east. You'll take the money you have on -you, and two mules with half the supplies. Promise -the coolie enough gold, and he'll stick by you—as -he'll be safer going back than forward. Any questions?" -</p> - -<p> -It was a long speech for Gray to make. Delabar -studied him and shivered in the cold breeze that -swept the plain. Hardship brings out the strength -and weakness of men. In his case it was weakness. -Yet he seemed curiously alarmed at leaving Gray. -Twelve hours ago he had implored his companion -to give up the venture into the Gobi. -</p> - -<p> -"Why are you doing this?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"For two reasons. I don't want a sick man on -my hands. And—you tried to destroy the maps. -There's another reason——" Gray hesitated, and -broke off. "I don't claim to be your judge. Every -man follows his own course in life. But yours -and mine don't fit any longer. It's good-by, Professor." -</p> - -<p> -He rose, knocking the ashes from his pipe. -Delabar gave an exclamation of alarm. -</p> - -<p> -"Suppose the men of Wu Fang Chien find me?" -</p> - -<p> -"You'll be safer than here with me." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar stared into the steady eyes of his -companion, and his gaze shifted. "I can't go back. I -must go with you." -</p> - -<p> -"I've said good-by. Your coolie knows what -he's to do. Choose your two mules." -</p> - -<p> -"No. I'll be better now——" -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled slightly. -</p> - -<p> -"I doubt it. I've been watching you. Closer than -you thought. Which mules do you want?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar flushed, and turned his animal back to -the waiting group. He was muttering to himself -uncertainly. Gray walked beside him. Once he -spoke. "Buddhism, Professor, is a bad thing to -think about. As Wu Fang Chien said, it is bad to -enter forbidden ground. Well, good luck, Delabar. -It's better to part now—than later——" -</p> - -<p> -But Delabar passed out of hearing. He did not -look again at Gray, who remained talking to the -Kirghiz. Later, Gray regretted that he had not -watched Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -The Syrian wasted no time in selecting two -animals, and turned back at once. Mirai Khan -followed the cavalcade with puckered brows as they -passed out of sight among the hillocks. Gray waved -his hand once when he thought Delabar looked back. -But the man did not turn, humping himself forward -over his beast, his head between his shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -"It is a pity," said Mirai Khan, stroking his gray -beard reflectively, "to lose the two mules, and so -much money. However, what will be, will be. -Come, I know a davan nearby where we can rest -until we are ready to go forward, at night." -</p> - -<p> -He conducted Gray along a sheep track for some -miles to a ravine well into the hillocks. Here there -was a grove of cedars, and a small spring. While -Gray built a fire, Mirai Khan, acting on the white -man's instructions, unburdened the two remaining -mules. -</p> - -<p> -"We have little food, Excellency," he observed -suggestively. -</p> - -<p> -"Open one of the boxes," said Gray. -</p> - -<p> -Presently Mirai Khan appeared beside the fire, -carrying a heavy object. -</p> - -<p> -"What manner of food is this?" he asked -contemptuously. "I have tasted and the flavor is a -mingling of salt and sour wine." -</p> - -<p> -Gray stared at the object in surprise. It was one -of the boxes, with the cover removed. It was filled -with an array of long bottles. One of these had the -cork removed, and effused an acrid odor. Gray -picked it up. -</p> - -<p> -It was a bottle of a very good kind of vinegar. -</p> - -<p> -Hastily Gray went to the other boxes and opened -them, after noting that the fastenings and the seal -were intact. They were all filled with vinegar. -</p> - -<p> -Gray gave a soft whistle of bewilderment. These -were the boxes that were supposed to contain their -emergency rations, that Delabar had purchased in -San Francisco. The Syrian's name was written on -them. -</p> - -<p> -He wondered fleetingly if Wu Fang Chien had -been tampering with their baggage. But the boxes -had clearly not been opened since they were packed. -Also, the vinegar was of American make, and bore -the name of a San Francisco firm. -</p> - -<p> -Had there been a mistake in shipping the order? -It might be. Yet Delabar should have checked up -the shipment. No, the Syrian must have known -what was in the boxes. He had chosen the other -two mules—knowing these few boxes were worthless. -</p> - -<p> -"I should have looked at 'em before I let -Delabar go," thought Gray. "He is too far away now -to follow. Now why——" -</p> - -<p> -That was the question—why? Delabar, from the -first, had placed every obstacle in the way of the -expedition. Even to buying bogus supplies. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar had not wanted Gray to succeed. He had -used every means to keep the American from the -Gobi Desert. He had tried to instill into Gray the -poison of his own fear. He had attempted to -seize the maps, showing the location of Sungan, -which were of vital importance. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar had been Gray's enemy. Why? -</p> - -<p> -Gray had guessed much of this, when he ordered -the other back to the coast. But he did not know -the answer to this "why?" He puzzled over it -much in the following days, and gleaned some light -from his reasoning. -</p> - -<p> -It was long before he knew the answer to the -"why?" It did not come until he had gained the -desert, and seen the <i>liu sha</i>. Not until he had met -with Mary Hastings and seen the guards of Sungan. -Not until he had learned the explanation of much -that he as yet dimly imagined. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap09"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IX -<br /><br /> -THE <i>LIU SHA</i> -</h3> - -<p> -Mirai Khan agreed with Gray that it would be -useless to stay where they were until dark. They -had no food. In spite of the risk of discovery, they -must go forward. -</p> - -<p> -"If we sleep," the hunter agreed, "we will waken -with empty bellies and our strength will be less than -now. The time will come when we shall need -meat; and there is none here. To the west, we may -see a village or shoot a gazelle." -</p> - -<p> -Without further delay they unhitched the mules, -packing the small remainder of Gray's outfit—a -tent, and his personal kit—on one animal. The -American mounted the other, not without protest -from the beast, who scented water and forage. -</p> - -<p> -With Mirai Khan leading on his shaggy pony they -made their way westward out of the hillocks to the -plain. They were now on the Mongolian plain—a -barren tableland of brown hills and stony valleys. -No huts were to be seen. -</p> - -<p> -They had left teeming China behind, and were -entering the outskirts of Central Asia and the Gobi -Desert. A steady wind blew at their backs. The -blue sky overhead was cloudless. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had left the useless boxes of vinegar behind. -And as he went he puzzled over the riddle of -Arminius Delabar. It was a riddle. Van Schaick and -Balch had said little about the man, for they had -been in a hurry to get Gray started on his voyage. -He remembered they said Delabar was a Syrian or -Persian by birth, an inveterate traveler who had -been in most of the corners of the earth, and—the -only man in America who could speak Chinese, -Turki, Persian and Russian, the four languages a -knowledge of which might be necessary on their -expedition, and who thoroughly understood -anthropology, with the history of Central Asia. -</p> - -<p> -This being the case, Gray had taken a good deal -on himself when he sent Delabar back. But he had -done right. The vinegar boxes proved it. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had a steady, logical mind which arrived at -decisions slowly, but usually accurately. He now -reasoned out several things. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar, he guessed, had not come willingly on -the expedition. Even on the steamer he had shown -fear of the Gobi. Why? He must have known -something about the desert that he did not tell Gray. -What was that? Gray did not know. -</p> - -<p> -This led to another question. Why, if the man -was afraid, had he come at all? He might have -refused to start. Instead he had bought, purposely, -a shipment of worthless stores; he had worked on -Gray's mind to the best of his ability. -</p> - -<p> -Gray suspected that Delabar had come because -he wanted to prevent him—Gray—from reaching -the Gobi. But Delabar might have stated his -objections before they left San Francisco. Why had -he not done so? -</p> - -<p> -Possibly because, so reasoned Gray, Delabar had -thought if he prevented Gray from starting on the -mission, Van Schaick and Balch would engage -another man. -</p> - -<p> -Gray checked up the extent of his reasoning so -far. He had decided that Delabar had been bent on -preventing not him but any American from undertaking -the trip to the Gobi. And to do that the -Syrian had come along himself, although he was -afraid. -</p> - -<p> -Yes, Delabar had certainly been afraid. Of what? -Of Wu Fang Chien for one thing; also the Buddhists. -He had been on the verge of a breakdown -at the inn at Liangchowfu after their experience in -the temple. -</p> - -<p> -Gray recalled a number of things he had passed -over at the time: Delabar's pretext of purchasing -supplies at Shanghai. The scientist had been -absent from him for many hours, but had bought -nothing. Then the incident of the Chinese steward on -the river steamer of the Yang-tze. Something had -been thrown overboard which a passing junk had -picked up. Had this something been information -about Gray's route? It was more than possible. -</p> - -<p> -And the attack at Honanfu. How had the Chinese -known that Gray kept a rifle under his bed—unless -Delabar had so informed them? Delabar had been -frightened at the attack. Perhaps, because it failed. -</p> - -<p> -Lastly, at Liangchowfu Delabar had tried to steal -the all-important maps. Failing that, the man had, -literally, collapsed. And—Gray whistled softly—it -might have been Delabar who gave the information -that led to the delayal of McCann, whom Gray -needed, at Los Angeles. No one else, except Van -Schaick and Balch, had known that Gray had sent -for McCann. -</p> - -<p> -It was reasonably clear that Delabar had sought -to turn back Gray. When the American had -ordered him back, instead, the man had protested. -Obviously, he dreaded this. Yet he was safer than -here with Gray. Delabar had said, in an unguarded -moment, that he feared to be caught by Wu Fang -Chien. Why? -</p> - -<p> -What was Delabar's relation to Wu Fang Chien? -When drunk, he had said that the mandarin was -only a slave of an unknown master. Who was the -master? Obviously a man possessing great power -in Central Asia—if a man at all. -</p> - -<p> -This was what Delabar had feared, the master of -Wu Fang Chien. Was Delabar also a slave? Gray -laughed. His reasoning was going beyond the -borders of logic. But he was convinced that his late -companion had been serving not Van Schaick but -another; that he feared this other; and that his fear -had increased instead of diminished when Gray -ordered him back. -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up as Mirai Khan turned, with a -warning hiss. The Kirghiz had reined in his mount -and Gray did likewise. -</p> - -<p> -A short rise was in front of them. Over this the -hunter had evidently seen something that aroused -him. -</p> - -<p> -"Look!" he growled. "Take the windows of -long sight and look." -</p> - -<p> -It took a moment's puzzling before the American -realized that his companion referred to the -field glasses slung over his shoulder. He -dismounted and crept with Mirai Khan to the top of -the rise. Through the glasses he made out, at the -hunter's directions, a pair of gazelles moving slowly -across the plain some distance away. -</p> - -<p> -Immediately Mirai Khan became a marvel of -activity. He tethered the beasts to a stunted tamarisk, -loaded his long musket, cut himself a stick in the -form of a crotch, and struck out to one side of the -trail, beckoning the American to follow. -</p> - -<p> -The gazelles had been feeding across the trail, -and Mirai Khan trotted steadily to the leeward of -them, keeping behind sheltering hummocks. It was -a long run. -</p> - -<p> -From time to time Mirai Khan halted and peered -at the animals. Then he pressed forward. Gray -was not easily tired; but he had been long without -food and he stumbled as he ran after the hardy -Kirghiz who was afire with the spirit of the chase. -</p> - -<p> -"Allah has given us meat for our pot this night," -he whispered to Gray, "if we are clever and the -animals do not get wind of us." -</p> - -<p> -Gray understood how important their quest was. -Their shadows were lengthening swiftly on the -sand, and the sun, like a red brazier, was settling -over the horizon in front of them. If they did not -bag a gazelle, they would have no food that night, -and—both men were weakened by hunger. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan stalked his prey with the skill of -long experience, pushing ahead patiently until the -wind blew from the gazelles to them. But darkness -falls fast at the edge of the Gobi. The sky -had changed from blue to purple when Mirai Khan -threw himself in the sand and began to crawl to the -summit of a rise, pushing his crotched stick in front -of him. -</p> - -<p> -Following, Gray made out the gazelles feeding -some hundred and fifty yards in front of them. The -light brown and white bodies were barely discernible -against the brown plain, but Mirai Khan arranged -his stick, and laid the musket on it carefully. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, stretched out beside him, hazarded a guess -as to the distance. The hunter touched him warningly. -</p> - -<p> -"Let me have the shot, Excellency," he -whispered. "If I cannot slay—even at this -distance—no other man can." -</p> - -<p> -He said a brief prayer and sighted, gripping his -long weapon in a steady hand. He had removed -his sheepskin cap and his white hair and bushy -eyebrows gave him the appearance of a keen-eyed -bird of prey. -</p> - -<p> -Gray waited, watching the gazelles. As Mirai -Khan had claimed the first shot, Gray humored him, -but at the same time threw a cartridge into the -chamber of his own weapon. -</p> - -<p> -The gazelles had sighted or smelled something -alarming, for they quickened their pace away from -the hunters. Mirai Khan fired, and swore darkly. -Both animals were unhurt, and they had broken -into a swift run, gliding away into the twilight. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had laid his own sights on the game, and -when the Kirghiz missed the difficult shot, the -American pressed the trigger. -</p> - -<p> -A spurt of dust this side of the fleeing animals -told him his elevation was wrong. Calmly, he raised -his rear sight and fired again, as the gazelles -appeared in the eye of the sun on a hillock. -</p> - -<p> -The animal at which he had aimed stumbled and -sank to earth. It had been a difficult shot at three -hundred yards in a bad light, but Gray was an -expert marksman and knew his weapon. -</p> - -<p> -A wild yell broke from Mirai Khan. He flung -himself at Gray's feet and kissed his shoes. -</p> - -<p> -"A miracle, Excellency!" he chattered joyously. -"That was a shot among a thousand. Aye, I shall -tell the hunters of the desert of it, but they will not -believe. Truly, I have not seen the like. By the -beards of my fathers, I swear it! I did well when -I followed you from Liangchowfu——" -</p> - -<p> -Still babbling his exultation, he hurried to the -slain animal and whipped out his knife. -</p> - -<p> -By nightfall, the two had made camp in a gully -near the tethered animals. Mirai Khan had dug a -well, knowing that water was to be found in this -manner, and, over a brisk fire of tamarisk roots, -was cooking a gazelle steak. -</p> - -<p> -Gray stretched a blanket on the sand near the -fire, watching the flicker of the flames. The gully -concealed them from observation. He was reasonably -sure by now that they had escaped any pursuing -party Wu Fang Chien had sent from Liangchowfu—if -one had been sent. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan ate enormously of the steak. When -the hunger of the two was satisfied and the white -man's pipe was alight, he turned to the Kirghiz -thoughtfully. -</p> - -<p> -"Have you ever heard," he asked, "of the city -of Sungan?" -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan, Gray gathered, was a Mohammedan, -a fatalist, a skilled horse-thief, and a dweller -at the edge of the Gobi, where life was gleaned from -hardship. He was a man of the <i>yurts</i>, or tents, a -nomad who ranged from the mosques of Bokhara -to the outskirts of China. Somewhere, perhaps, -Mirai Khan had an <i>aul</i>, with a flock of sheep, a -dog, and even a wife and children. -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz glanced at him keenly and shook his -head. -</p> - -<p> -"I have heard the name," he responded. "It was -spoken by my father. But Sungan I have never -seen." -</p> - -<p> -"It is a city a week's ride beyond Ansichow," -persisted Gray, "in the Desert of Gobi." -</p> - -<p> -"That is in the sands," Mirai Khan reflected. -"No game is found there, Excellency. Why should -a man go to such a place?" -</p> - -<p> -"Have you been there?" -</p> - -<p> -"Does a horse go into a quicksand?" -</p> - -<p> -"Have you known others who went there?" -</p> - -<p> -"Aye, it may be." -</p> - -<p> -"What had they to say of the desert?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is an evil place." -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz nodded sleepily. Having eaten -heavily, he was ready for his blanket. -</p> - -<p> -"Why did they call it an evil place?" -</p> - -<p> -"How should I know—who have not been there?" -Mirai Khan yawned and stretched his stocky arms -and legs, as a dog stretches. "It is because of the -pale sickness, they say." -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up quickly from his inspection of -the fire. He had heard that phrase before. Delabar -had used it. -</p> - -<p> -"What is the pale sickness?" he asked patiently. -Mirai Khan ceased yawning. -</p> - -<p> -"Out in the sands, in the <i>liu sha</i>, hangs the pale -sickness. It is in the air. It is an evil sickness. It -leaves its mark on those who go too near. I have -heard of men who went too far into the <i>liu sha</i> and -did not return." -</p> - -<p> -"Why?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is forbidden." -</p> - -<p> -"By the priests of the prophet?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not so. Why should they deal with an evil -thing? Is it not the law of the Koran that a man -may not touch what is unclean? The rat priests -of China, who worship the bronze god, have warned -us from the region. I have heard the caravan -merchants say that men are brought from China -and placed out in the sands, the <i>liu sha</i>." -</p> - -<p> -Gray frowned. Mirai Khan spoke frankly, and -without intent to deceive him. But he spoke in the -manner of his kind—in parables. -</p> - -<p> -"Three times, Mirai Khan," he said, "you have -said <i>liu sha</i>. What does that mean?" -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz lifted some sand in his scarred hand, -sifting it through his fingers to the ground. -</p> - -<p> -"This is it," he explained. "We call it in my -tongue the <i>kara kum</i>—dark sands. Yet the <i>liu sha</i> -are not the sand you find elsewhere. They are the -marching sands." -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled. He was progressing, in his search -for information, from one riddle to another. -</p> - -<p> -"You mean the dust that moves with the wind," -he hazarded. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan made a decisive, guttural denial. -"Not so. It is the will of Allah that moves the -sands. Once there was a city that sinned——" -</p> - -<p> -"And a holy mullah." Gray recalled the legend -Delabar had related on the steamer. "He alone -escaped the dust that fell from the sky. It was long -ago. So that is your <i>liu sha</i>!" -</p> - -<p> -The hunter's slant eyes widened in astonishment. -"By the beard of my father! Are you a reader of -the Koran, to know such things as this? Aye, it -is so. The <i>liu sha</i> came because of a sin, and -without doubt that is why the place is still inhabited -of a plague. The Chinese priests bring men -there—men who are already in the shadow of death." -</p> - -<p> -"Then, Mirai Khan, there must be a city or an -encampment, if many men live there." -</p> - -<p> -"I have not seen it. Nor have those who talked -to me." -</p> - -<p> -"But you have not been there?" -</p> - -<p> -"How should I—seeing that the place is inhabited -of a sin? No Mohammedan will go there." -</p> - -<p> -"What manner of sickness is this—the pale plague?" -</p> - -<p> -"I know not. But for many miles, aye, the space -of a week's ride, no men will bring their <i>yurts</i> for -fear of it." -</p> - -<p> -Gray gave it up with a shrug. The Kirghiz was -speaking riddles, twisted recollections of legends, -and tales doubtless exaggerated. While Mirai Khan -snored away comfortably, the American went over -what he had said in his mind. -</p> - -<p> -The night had grown cold, and he threw the last -of the wood on the fire, tucking his blanket about -his feet. Their camp was utterly silent, except for -the occasional splutter of the flames. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan had said positively that he had seen -no city in the Gobi where Gray was bound, nor -heard of one. The American knew that if buildings -existed on the immense plain of the Gobi they -would be visible for miles around. Even if the -comrades of Mirai Khan had kept away from the place -which they considered unhealthy, they would have -sighted the buildings, at one time or another. -</p> - -<p> -Yet Brent had declared that he saw the summits -of towers. Imagination, perhaps. Although -missionaries were not as a rule inclined to fancies. -</p> - -<p> -Here was one contradiction. Then there were -the <i>liu sha</i>. Mere legend, doubtless. Central Asia -was rife with tales of former greatness. -</p> - -<p> -But one thing was clear. The Chinese priests -came to this spot in the desert. And the legend of -the plague might be framed to keep the -Mohammedans away from the place. Since the late rebellion -Mohammedan and Chinese had frequently taken up -arms against each other—they had never been on -friendly terms. Evidently the Buddhists, for some -reason, took pains to keep this part of the desert to -themselves. -</p> - -<p> -They even guarded it against intrusion—as Brent -had discovered. -</p> - -<p> -And Brent had died of sickness. What was the -pale sickness? Were men inflicted with it brought -to the Gobi—the dreariest stretch of land on the -surface of the earth? -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded sleepily. The riddles presented no -answer. He determined that he would learn the -truth for himself. Wearied with his exertions, he -was soon asleep. Silence held the camp, the brooding -silence of great spaces, the threshold of infinity -which opens before the wanderer in the Gobi. The -wind stirred the sand into tiny spirals that leaped -and danced, like dust wraiths across the gully, -powdering the blankets of the sleeping men and the -rough coats of the mules. -</p> - -<p> -Along the summit of the ridge a shadow passed -across the stars. It hesitated to leeward of the -embers of the fire, and the jackal crept on. The -crescent moon moved slowly overhead, throwing a -hazy half-light on the surface of the sand, and -picking out the bleached bones of an antelope. -</p> - -<p> -Night had claimed the Mongolian steppe. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap10"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER X -<br /><br /> -THE MEM-SAHIB SPEAKS -</h3> - -<p> -It was nearly a week later, on the border of the -Gobi, that Gray and Mirai Khan sighted the caravan. -The day was rainy. During a space when the rain -thinned, the Kirghiz pointed out a group of <i>yurts</i> -surrounded by camels and ponies a mile away. -</p> - -<p> -Gray scanned the encampment through his glasses, -and made out that the caravan numbered a good -many men, and that the <i>yurts</i> were being put up -for the night. The rain began again, and cut off -his view. -</p> - -<p> -It was then late afternoon. Both men were tired. -They had pushed ahead steadily from Liangchowfu, -killing what they needed in the way of game, and -occasionally buying goat's milk or dried fruit from -a wayside shepherd. The few villages they met -they avoided. Gray had not forgotten Wu Fang -Chien, or the fears of Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -"They are Kirghiz <i>yurts</i>," said Mirai Khan when -the American described what he had seen. "And it -is a caravan on the march, or we would have seen -sheep. Many tribes use our <i>yurts</i>. They are taken -down and put up in the time it takes a man to -smoke a pipe. But these people are not Kirghiz. -My kinsmen have not wealth to own so many -camels." -</p> - -<p> -"What do you think they are?" -</p> - -<p> -"Chinese merchants, Excellency, or perhaps -Turkestan traders from Kashgar." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan's respect for his companion had -increased with the last few days. Gray's accurate -shooting inspired his admiration, and the fortitude -of the man surprised him. -</p> - -<p> -On his part, Gray trusted the Kirghiz. If Mirai -Khan had meant to rob him, he had enjoyed plenty -of chances to do so. But the Kirghiz's code would -not permit him to steal from one who was sharing -his bread and salt. -</p> - -<p> -"If they are Chinese," meditated the American, -"it will not be wise to ride up to their camp. What -say you, Mirai Khan?" -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz puffed tranquilly at his noisome pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"This. It is the hour of sunset prayer. When -that is ended you and I will dismount, Excellency, -and stalk the encampment. By the favor of God -we will then learn if these people are Chinese or -Turkomans. If the last, we shall sleep in a dry -<i>aul</i>, which is well, for my bones like not the damp." -</p> - -<p> -Whereupon Mirai Khan removed his pipe and -kneeled in the sand, facing toward the west, where -was the holy city of his faith. So poverty-stricken -was he that he did not even own a prayer carpet. -Gray watched, after tethering the three animals. -</p> - -<p> -"Remember," he said sternly when Mirai Khan -had finished the prayer, "there must be no stealing -of beasts from the camp, whatever it may be." -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz's weakness for horseflesh was well -known to him. The hunter agreed readily and they -set out under cover of the rain. By the time they -were half way to the caravan the sudden twilight -of the Gobi concealed them. -</p> - -<p> -Guided by the occasional whinny of a horse, or -the harsh bawl of a camel, Mirai Khan crept forward, -sniffing the air like a dog. Several lights -appeared out of the mist, and Gray took the lead. -</p> - -<p> -He could make out figures that passed through -the lighted entrances of the dome-shaped felt -shelters. Drawing to one side he gained the camels -which rested in a circle, apparently without a -watcher. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan had been lost to view in the gloom -and Gray walked slowly forward among the -camels, trying to gain a clear glimpse of the men of -the caravan. The few that he saw were undoubtedly -servants, but their dress was unfamiliar. -</p> - -<p> -Gray could almost make out the interior of one -of the <i>yurts</i>, lighted by candles, with silk hangings -and an array of cushions on the floor. He rose to -his full height, to obtain a better view, and paused -as he saw one of the figures look toward him. -</p> - -<p> -The camels were moving uneasily. Gray could -have sworn he heard a muffled exclamation near -him. He turned his head, and a form uprose from -the ground and gripped him. -</p> - -<p> -Gray wrenched himself free from the man and -struck out. The newcomer slipped under his arm -and caught him about the knees. Other forms -sprang from among the camels and lean arms twined -around the American. -</p> - -<p> -"Look out, Mirai Khan!" he cried in Chinese. -"These are enemies." -</p> - -<p> -A powerful white man who can handle his fists is -a match for a round half dozen Mongolians, -unarmed—if he has a clear footing and can see where -to hit. Gray was held by at least four men; his -rifle slung to one shoulder by a sling hampered him. -He was cast to earth at once. -</p> - -<p> -His face was ground into the sand, and his arms -drawn behind his back. He heard his adversaries -chattering in a strange tongue. Cold metal touched -his wrists. He felt the click of a metal catch and -realized that handcuffs had been snapped on him. -</p> - -<p> -He wondered vaguely how handcuffs came to be -in a Central Asian caravan, as he was pulled roughly -to his feet. In the dark he could not make out the -men who held him. But they advanced toward one -of the tents—the same he had been trying to see -into. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, perforce, made no further resistance. He -was fully occupied in spitting sand from his mouth -and trying to shake it from his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -So it happened that when he stood in the lighted -<i>yurt</i>, he was nearly blind with the dust and the -sudden glare. He heard excited native gutturals, -and then—— -</p> - -<p> -"Why, it's a white man." -</p> - -<p> -It was a woman's voice, and it spoke English. -Moreover the voice was clear, even musical. It -reflected genuine surprise, a tinge of pity—inspired -perhaps by his damaged appearance—and no little -bewilderment. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, <i>chota missy</i>," echoed a man near him, "but -this, in the dark, we knew it not. And he cried out -in another tongue." -</p> - -<p> -Gray reflected that his warning to Mirai Khan -had been ill-timed. His eyes still smarted with the -sand. It was not possible for him to use his hands -to clear them, because of the handcuffs which bound -his wrists behind his back. Not for the world would -Gray have asked for assistance in his plight. -</p> - -<p> -He winked rapidly, and presently was able to -see the others in the tent clearly. The men who -had brought him hither he made out to be slender, -dark skinned fellows. By their clean dress, and -small, ornamented turbans draped over the right -shoulder he guessed them to be Indian natives—most -probably Sikhs. This surprised him, for he -had been prepared to face Dungans or Turkomans. -</p> - -<p> -A portable stove gave out a comfortable warmth, -beside a take-down table. The rough felt covering -of the <i>yurt</i> was concealed behind hangings of -striped silk. Gray stared; he little expected to find -such an interior in the nomad shelter. -</p> - -<p> -The table was covered with a clean cloth. Behind -it hung a canvas curtain, evidently meant to -divide one corner from the rest of the tent, perhaps -for sleeping purposes. In front of the partition, -behind the table, was a comfortable steamer chair. -And in the chair, watching him from wide, gray -eyes was a young woman. -</p> - -<p> -He had not seen a white woman for months. But -his first glance told him that the girl in the chair -was more than ordinarily pretty—that she would -be considered so even in Washington or Paris. She -was neatly dressed in light tan walking skirt and -white waist, a shawl over her slender shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -She was considering him silently, chin on hand, -a slight frown wrinkling her smooth brow. The -bronze hair was dressed low against the neck in a -manner that Gray liked to see—at a distance, for -he was shy in the presence of women. -</p> - -<p> -The eyes that looked into his were clear, and -seemed inclined to be friendly. Just now, they were -dubious. The small nose tilted up from a mouth -parted over even teeth. She was deeply sunburned, -even to throat and arms. Ordinarily, women take -great pains to protect their skin from exposure to -the sun. -</p> - -<p> -There was the stamp of pride in the brown face, -and the head poised erect on strong young -shoulders. Gray knew horses. And this woman -reminded him of a thoroughbred. Later, he was to -find that his estimate of her pride was accurate; -for the present, he was hardly in the mood to -make other and stronger deductions concerning the -girl. -</p> - -<p> -He flushed, hoping that it did not show under the -sand. -</p> - -<p> -"Right," he admitted with a rueful smile. "Beneath -the mud and dirt, I happen to be an Aryan." -</p> - -<p> -"An Englishman?" she asked quickly, almost -skeptically, "Or American?" -</p> - -<p> -"American," he admitted. "My name is Robert -Gray." -</p> - -<p> -Her glance flickered curiously at this. He was -not too miserable to wonder who she was. What -was a white woman doing in this stretch of the -Gobi? A white woman who was master, or rather -mistress of a large caravan, and seemed quite at -home in her surroundings? -</p> - -<p> -He wondered why he had flushed. And why he -felt so uncomfortable under her quiet gaze. To his -utter surprise the frown cleared from her brow, -and her lips parted in a quick smile which crept into -her eyes. Then she was serious again. But he -found that his pulses were throbbing in wrist and -throat. -</p> - -<p> -"Where did you find this <i>feringhi</i>, Ram Singh?" -she asked curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Among the camels, <i>mem-sahib</i>," promptly -answered the man who had spoken before. "His -servant was making off the while with our horses." -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked around. At the rear of the group, -arms pinioned to his sides and his bearded face -bearing marks of a struggle, was Mirai Khan. The -Kirghiz wore a sheepish expression and avoided -his eye. -</p> - -<p> -"The servant," explained Ram Singh in stern -disapproval, "had untethered two of the ponies. -One he had mounted when we seized him. Said -I not the plain was rife with horse thieves?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray glared at Mirai Khan. -</p> - -<p> -"Did I not warn you," he asked angrily, "that -there was to be no stealing of animals?" -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz twisted uneasily in his bonds. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye, Excellency. But the ponies seemed unguarded -and you had need of one to ride. If these -accursed Sikhs had not been watching for horse -lifters we would have gone free." -</p> - -<p> -The officer swore under his breath, beginning to -realize what an unenviable position Mirai Khan had -placed him in. Robbing a caravan was no light -offense in this country. And the horses had -belonged to the woman! -</p> - -<p> -Gray silently thrust his manacled hands further -out of sight, wishing himself anywhere but here. -Covered with the grime of a week's hike across the -plain, with a stubby beard on his chin, eyes bleared -with sand, and his hat lost, he must look the part of -a horse lifter—and Mirai Khan's appearance did -not conduce to confidence. -</p> - -<p> -"Is this true?" the girl asked. Again the elfin -spirit of amusement seemed to dance in the gray -eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"Every word of it," he said frankly. Searching -for words to explain, his shyness gripped him. -"That is, Mirai Khan was undoubtedly taking your -ponies, but I didn't know what he was up to——" -</p> - -<p> -He broke off, mentally cursing his awkwardness. -It is not easy to converse equably with a -self-possessed young lady, owner of a damaging pair of -cool, gray eyes. Especially when one is battered -and bound by suspicious and efficient servants. -</p> - -<p> -"Why didn't you come direct to the <i>yurt</i>?" she -observed tentatively. -</p> - -<p> -"Because I thought you might be—a Chinaman." -</p> - -<p> -"A Chinaman!" The small head perched -inquisitively aslant. "But I'm not, Captain Gray. -Why should I be? Why should you dislike the -Chinese?" -</p> - -<p> -Two things in her speech interested Gray. She -seemed to be an Englishwoman. And she had given -him his army rank, although he himself had not -mentioned it. Most certainly there could be -nothing in his appearance to suggest the service. -</p> - -<p> -"I have reason to dislike one Chinaman," -returned Gray. "So I was obliged to take precautions," -he blundered, and then strove to remedy -his mistake. "If I had known you were the owner -of the <i>yurt</i>, I would have come straight here." -</p> - -<p> -Too late, he realized that he had made his blunder -worse. The girl's brows went up, also her -nose—just a trifle. -</p> - -<p> -"Why should you be so cautious, Mr. Gray?" -</p> - -<p> -The civilian title was accented firmly. Yet a -minute ago she had addressed him as "captain." -"Surely"—this was plainly ironical—"the Chinese -are harmless?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray thought grimly of Liangchowfu. -</p> - -<p> -"Sometimes," he said, "they are—inquisitive." The -girl glanced at him. Surely she did not take -this as a personal dig? Gray did not understand -women. "Miss"—he hesitated—"<i>Memsahib</i>"—she -stared—"you see, I've gone beyond the limits -mentioned in my passport." He was unwilling, -placed in such circumstances, to tell the whole -truth of his mission and rank. So he compromised. -Which proved to be a mistake. "And the governor -fellow of Liangchowfu is anxious to head me off." -</p> - -<p> -"Really? Perhaps the official," and she glanced -fleetingly at Mirai Khan, "thinks you do not keep -good company. Will you show me your passport? -You don't have to, you know." -</p> - -<p> -No, he did not have to. But in his present plight -he felt that a refusal would be a mistake. He -moved to reach the papers in his breast pocket, and -was checked by the handcuffs. He glanced at Ram -Singh angrily. The native looked at him -complacently. It was an awkward moment. -</p> - -<p> -"Ram Singh!" The girl spoke sharply. "Have -you bound the white man's hands?" -</p> - -<p> -The Sikh grunted non-committally. She pointed -at Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"Undo his hands. Is a white man to be tied like -a horse-stealing Kirghiz?" -</p> - -<p> -Reluctantly, Ram Singh obeyed, and stood near -vigilantly. Gray felt in his pocket with stiffened -fingers and produced his passport. This the girl -scanned curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"I want to apologize," ventured Gray, "for Mirai -Khan's attempt on your horses. He was acting -contrary to orders. But I take the blame for what -he did." -</p> - -<p> -He spoke formally, even stiffly. The woman in -the chair glanced at him swiftly, studying him from -under level brows. He felt a great wish that he -should be absolved from the stigma of guilt before -her. And, man-like, he pinned his trust in formal -explanation. -</p> - -<p> -She seemed not to heed his words. She returned -his papers, biting her lip thoughtfully. He would -have given much to know what she was thinking -about, but the girl's bright face was unreadable. -</p> - -<p> -"Ram Singh," she ordered absently, "the <i>Sahib's</i> -rifle must be filled with sand. See that it is cleaned. -Take him to the store tent where he can wash the -sand from his eyes. Will you come back here, -Captain Gray? I would like ever so much to talk -to you." -</p> - -<p> -While Gray washed gratefully, and while the -natives brushed his coat and shoes, his mind was on -the girl of the <i>yurt</i>. He told himself savagely that -he did not desire to be sympathized with. Like a -woman, he thought, she had taken pity on his -discomfort. Of course, she had to treat him decently, -before the natives. -</p> - -<p> -In this, he was more right than wrong. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap11"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XI -<br /><br /> -SIR LIONEL -</h3> - -<p> -When Gray returned to the <i>yurt</i>, he found the -table set with silver and china containing a substantial -amount of curried rice, mutton and tea. This -reminded him that he was ravenous, since he had not -eaten for twenty-four hours. He did not notice -that the girl's hair appeared adjusted more to a -nicety, or that she had exchanged the shawl for the -jacket of her dress. -</p> - -<p> -"You like your tea strong?" she asked politely. -</p> - -<p> -In spite of his hunger, Gray felt awkward as he -ate sparingly of the food under her cool gaze. She -was non-committally attentive to his wants. He -wished that she would say something more or that -Ram Singh would cease glaring at the back of his -neck like a hawk ready to pounce on its prey. -</p> - -<p> -The food, however, refreshed him. His curiosity -concerning his hostess grew. He had seen no other -white man in the camp. It was hardly possible -that the Englishwoman had come alone to the Gobi. -Whither was she bound? And why did she reside -in a Kirghiz <i>yurt</i> when the caravan was outfitted -with European luxuries? -</p> - -<p> -When the natives had removed the plates, he -took out his pipe from force of habit, and felt for -matches. Then he reflected that he should not -smoke in the woman's tent. -</p> - -<p> -He would have liked to thank her for her hospitality, -to assure her of his regret for the tactics -of Mirai Khan, to ask her some of the questions -that were in his mind. Especially, if she were really -alone in the desert. But while he fumbled for -words, she spoke quickly. -</p> - -<p> -"I've never taken a prisoner before, Captain -Gray. A white man, that is. I believe the correct -thing to do is to question you. That fits in most -nicely, because I am unusually curious by nature." -</p> - -<p> -He had pulled out a match which he struck absently, -then extinguished it. She noted the action -silently. -</p> - -<p> -"You are an army officer?" -</p> - -<p> -"In the reserve. Acting independently, now, of -course." -</p> - -<p> -"Acting?" She smiled lightly and held out something -to him. "So you are a big game hunter? I -did not know this was good country for that sort of -thing." -</p> - -<p> -"It isn't," he acknowledged bluntly. "That is—not -in the ordinary sense. But I have already some -trophies bagged. Mirai Khan is my guide——" -</p> - -<p> -"Please do smoke," she said, and he saw that -what she offered him was a box of matches. One -of the servants struck a light. -</p> - -<p> -"I am quite used to it. My uncle, Sir Lionel, -smokes much worse tobacco than yours." -</p> - -<p> -Gray considered her over his pipe. -</p> - -<p> -"Would you mind telling me," he asked gravely, -"Miss Niece of Sir Lionel, what you are going to -do with me? I'm fairly your prisoner. Your patrol -under Ram Singh captured me within your lines." -</p> - -<p> -The girl nodded thoughtfully. Gray wondered -if he had caught a glint of laughter in the demure -eyes. He decided he was mistaken. -</p> - -<p> -"You are an officer, Captain Gray. You know all -prisoners are questioned closely. I still have two -more questions, before I decide your case. Are -you really alone? And where are you bound?" -</p> - -<p> -"I am," stated Gray methodically. "Ansichow." -</p> - -<p> -"Really? I am going there. I should introduce -you, as my prisoner, to Sir Lionel, but he is tired -out and asleep, leaving me with Ram Singh." -</p> - -<p> -"Who is an excellent guardian, Miss Niece——" -</p> - -<p> -"Mary Hastings," said the girl quickly. "I have -no reason to conceal my name." Gray thought she -emphasized the <i>I</i>. "My uncle, Sir Lionel Hastings, -is head of the British Asiatic Society in India. He -is bound for the Gobi." -</p> - -<p> -Gray stared at her. The British Asiatic Society! -Then this must be the expedition in search of the -Wusun. Van Schaick had said that it was starting -from India. -</p> - -<p> -"I begged Sir Lionel to take me," continued Mary -Hastings calmly, "and he finds me very useful. I -record his observations, you know, keep the journal -of the expedition, and draw the maps. That gives -him time for more important work." -</p> - -<p> -"But the desert——" Gray broke off. -</p> - -<p> -"The desert is no place for a woman. I suppose -that is what you meant. But I am not an ordinary -woman, I warn you, Captain Gray. Sir Lionel is -my only relative, and we have traveled together for -years. He did say that he anticipated some -opposition from the Chinese authorities. But I -refused to be left behind." The rounded chin lifted -stubbornly. "This is the most important work my -uncle has undertaken, and he is always visited with -fever about this time of year." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was secretly envious of Sir Lionel. What -an ally this girl would make! Yet, in their present -positions, she was apt to be his most ardent foe. -He glanced up, measuring her, and met her look. -For a long moment the slate-green eyes of the man -searched hers. They reminded him of the surface -of water, sometimes quiet to an infinite depth and -then tumultuous. -</p> - -<p> -For a discerning man, Gray was at a sad loss to -fathom Mary Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -"To avoid attention from the Chinese," she -continued, looking down, "we came up from Burma, -along the Tibetan border. Rather a boring trip. -But by going around the main towns at the -Yang-tze headwaters, and by using these serviceable -native huts—which can be taken down and put up -quickly—we escape questioning." -</p> - -<p> -So that was the explanation of the clumsy <i>yurts</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"You were not quite so fortunate, Captain Gray? -Curious, that, isn't it—when you are only a big -game hunter?" -</p> - -<p> -It was on the tip of his tongue to make a clean -breast of it, and say that he, also, was seeking -Sungan. But it seemed absurd to confess to her -that the sole member of the American expedition -had been found among the camels of the Hastings -caravan. Perhaps he was unconsciously influenced -by his desire to be on friendly terms—even such as -at present with Mary Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -Every moment of their talk was a keen pleasure -to him—more so than he was aware. He reflected -how lucky it was that he had run into the other -expedition. It was not altogether strange, since -they had both started at the same time, and -Ansichow was the mutual hopping-off place into the -Gobi. -</p> - -<p> -"Will you tell me," he evaded, "how you came -to call me Captain Gray before you saw my -papers?" -</p> - -<p> -Mary Hastings smiled pleasantly. -</p> - -<p> -"It was an excellent guess, wasn't it? But now -I'm quite through my questions." She paused, her -brow wrinkled in portentous thought. "I think -I shall not burden myself with a prisoner. You are -quite free, Captain Gray. You and Mirai Khan. -Doubtless you wish to return to your caravan." -</p> - -<p> -Gray thought of the two waiting mules and the -rain-soaked blanket that constituted his outfit, and -laughingly mentioned it to her. -</p> - -<p> -"You are very kind," he said, rising. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray," she said impulsively, "it's -raining again. If you would care to spend the night -with us, I am sure Ram Singh can spare you a cot -and blanket. Mirai Khan can fetch your outfit in -the morning, and you can go on with us to Ansichow. -It's only a day's trek." -</p> - -<p> -Gray hesitated, then accepted her offer thankfully. -</p> - -<p> -"You will find your rifle on your cot. Ram Singh -cleaned it himself. It needed it. He said it was a -30-30 model, but then you are probably using it for -big game because you are accustomed to it." She -held out her hand with a quizzical smile. Gray -took it in his firm clasp, awkwardly, and released -her fingers quickly, lest he should hold them too -long. She nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"Good night, Captain Gray." -</p> - -<p> -Not until he was without the tent did he reflect -that he had admitted that he was bound for -Ansichow. And Ansichow meant the Gobi. -</p> - -<p> -For a space after his departure Mary Hastings -remained in her tent. She had dismissed the native -servant. She was thinking, and it seemed to please -her. But thought, with the girl, required -companionship and conversation. -</p> - -<p> -Abruptly she left her chair and stepped through -the door of the tent. It was still drizzling without; -still, there was a break in the heavy clouds to the -west. Mary noted this, and skipped to the entrance -of the <i>yurt</i> nearest her. -</p> - -<p> -"It's me, Uncle Singh," she called, not quite -grammatically. "Can I come in?" -</p> - -<p> -"Of course," a kindly voice answered at once. -"Anything wrong?" -</p> - -<p> -A man sat up on the cot, snapping on an electric -torch by the head of the bed and glancing at a small -clock. He was a tall, spare individual, with the -frame of an athlete, polo shoulders, and the high -brow of a scholar. -</p> - -<p> -He was well past middle age, yellow-brown as to -face, deep hollows under the cheek bones, his scanty -hair matching his face, except where it was streaked -with white. -</p> - -<p> -The girl installed herself snugly on the foot of -the bed, sitting cross-legged. -</p> - -<p> -"You've been sleeping heavily, <i>Sher Singh</i>," she -observed reproachfully, giving the man his native -surname, "and that means you aren't well. I have -news." She paused triumphantly, then bubbled -spontaneously into speech. -</p> - -<p> -"Such news. <i>Aie</i>. Captain Robert Gray is here, -in Ram Singh's tent. He is alone, with a servant. -He is a big man, not ill-looking, but awkward—very. -He stands so much on his dignity. Really, -it was quite ridiculous"—she laughed agreeably—"and -I was very nicely entertained. He was -brought in by the Sikhs, after trying to steal our -ponies——" -</p> - -<p> -"Lifting our horses!" Sir Lionel sat bolt upright -and flushed. "Why, the scoundrel——" -</p> - -<p> -"I mean his servant was. Captain Gray was -innocent, but I was not inclined to let him off -easily——" -</p> - -<p> -Mary's conception of important news did not -satisfy the explorer's desire for facts. A peculiarly -jealous expression crept into the man's open face. -</p> - -<p> -"Has he a well-equipped caravan?" -</p> - -<p> -"Two mules, a gun and a blanket." -</p> - -<p> -"How extraordinary!" Sir Lionel stared at his -niece. "No camels?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not one." Mary yawned, and, with a glance at -the clock, began to unbind her heavy hair. It was -very late. Her fingers worked dexterously, while -Sir Lionel weighed her words. Unlike his niece, he -was an individual of slow mental process, perhaps -too much schooled by routine. -</p> - -<p> -"Mary! How did you—ah—behave to Captain -Gray?" -</p> - -<p> -"I took him prisoner." The girl smiled mischievously. -"He was so humiliated, Uncle Singh." -</p> - -<p> -"I hope," observed Sir Lionel severely, "you -warned him of our identity." -</p> - -<p> -"Rather. But he implied he was after big game." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel reached to the light stand and secured -a cigarette, which he lit. His eyes hardened -purposefully. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll <i>trek</i> for Ansichow, at once. I must buy up -all the available camels. If you will retire to your -tent, and send my <i>syce</i>——" -</p> - -<p> -"Indeed, no." She frowned worriedly. "You -haven't had your sleep yet." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel caught her hand in his. -</p> - -<p> -"No, Mary. You must be aware what this expedition -means to me. I must be first in Ansichow, -and into the Gobi. Failure is not to be thought of. -Dear girl, I have thrown my reputation into the dice -bowl——" -</p> - -<p> -"I know." She patted his hand lightly, and her -eyes were serious. "Only I wish you would let me -help a little more." She shook free the coils of -her bronze hair and placed a small hand firmly -over his lips. "I know what you want to say—that -you are being ever so kind and indulging to let me -come at all. As if I could be left at Simla when -you went on your biggest hunt, Uncle Singh. Well," -she sighed, "if you must go buy camels, you will. -But"—she brightened—"please leave the wandering -American to me. I saw him first." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel removed the hand that restricted his -speech, and frowned portentously. Mary beamed, -twining her hair into twin plaits. -</p> - -<p> -"Mary!" he said gravely, "please do not annoy -Captain—ah—Gray. We must be perfectly fair -with him, you know." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course," she assured him virtuously. -"Haven't I been? He may not think so when he -learns how you've gone camel buying when I offered -him sleeping quarters. He'll forever fear the -Greeks bearing gifts——" -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Oolu ka butcha!</i>" (Child of an owl!) -</p> - -<p> -"But he shouldn't try to deceive me, should he, -Uncle? I fancy he'll have a rather wretched time -of it. He seems somewhat out of his environment -here." -</p> - -<p> -She nodded decisively. -</p> - -<p> -"It's his own fault altogether for coming where -he has no business to be and wanting to deprive my -<i>Sher Singh</i> of what you worked a lifetime for." -</p> - -<p> -"Merely his duty, Mary." -</p> - -<p> -"But he shall not hinder you in yours." -</p> - -<p> -She fell silent, no longer smiling. There was a -great tenderness in the glance she cast at the gaunt -Englishman. Sir Lionel was her hero, and, lacking -father and mother, all the warmth of the girl's -affection had been bestowed on the explorer. -</p> - -<p> -She said good-night softly and slipped from the -tent. That night she slept lightly, and was afoot -with the first streak of crimson in the east. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap12"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XII -<br /><br /> -A MESSAGE FROM THE CENTURIES -</h3> - -<p> -In his snug quarters Gray slept well for the first -time in many nights, feeling the reaction from the -constant watchfulness he and Mirai Khan had been -forced to exercise. When he turned out in the -morning the sun was well up, and the men were -breaking camp under the direction of Ram Singh -who greeted him coldly. -</p> - -<p> -When he inquired for Miss Hastings he found -that she had gone on to join her uncle, on a camel -with a single attendant. He was forced to ride with -the caravan, after sending Mirai Khan back for the -animals. Ram Singh proved an uncommunicative -companion and Gray was glad when the flat roofs -of the town showed over the sand ridges in the late -afternoon. -</p> - -<p> -The caravan halted at the edge of the town, where -the Englishman had prepared his encampment. The -place was a lonely settlement, populated by stolid -Dungans and a few Chinese who ministered to the -wants of merchants passing from Liangchowfu to -Kashgar and the cities of Turkestan. Gray failed -to see either the girl or her uncle and learned that -they had gone to pay a visit of ceremony to the -<i>amban</i>—the governor—of Ansichow. -</p> - -<p> -He went to seek out Mirai Khan. The meeting -with the Hastings had put him in a delicate -situation. In spite of his own plight, he determined to -confess his mission to the Englishman, having -decided that was the only fair thing to do. He could -not accept aid from the people who were bound to -be his rivals in the quest for the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -He reflected ruefully that Van Schaick had urged -him to reach the spot in the Gobi before the -expedition from India. Van Schaick and Balch were -counting on him to do that—not knowing that -Delabar had been working against him. -</p> - -<p> -As it stood, both parties had gained the town on -the Gobi edge at the same time. But the Hastings -possessed an ample outfit, well chosen for the -purpose and ready to go ahead on the instant. Gray -had only Mirai Khan and two mules. He would -need to hire camels, and bearers, to stock up with -what provisions were available, and to obtain a -guide. -</p> - -<p> -This would take time, and much of his small store -of money. Moreover, if he made clear his purpose -to Sir Lionel, it was probable the Englishman -would start at once, thus gaining four or five days -on him. Gray knew by experience the uselessness -of trying to hurry Chinese through a transaction. -And he was not sure if Mirai Khan would go into -the desert. -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz had served him faithfully, to the -best of his ability so far. But Mirai Khan had said -that the tribesmen shunned this part of the desert. -Then there was the <i>amban</i>. It was more than -possible that Wu Fang Chien had sent word to -Ansichow to head off Gray. -</p> - -<p> -It was a difficult situation, and Gray was -pondering it moodily when he came upon Mirai Khan in -the bazaar street of the town. The Kirghiz, who -seemed to be excited over something, beckoned him -into one of the stalls, after glancing up and down -the street cautiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Hearken, Excellency," he whispered. "Here I -have found a man who knows what will interest -you. He has been much into the desert and has -dug up writings and valuable things which he will -sell—at a good price. His name is Muhammed Bai." -</p> - -<p> -Gray glanced into the stall, and saw a bent figure -kneeling on the rugs. It was an old Turkoman, -wearing spectacles and a stained turban. Muhammed -Bai salaamed and motioned his visitor to be seated. -Gray scanned him with some interest. It was quite -possible the man had some valuable information. -Mirai Khan had a way of finding out things readily. -</p> - -<p> -"Will the Excellency rest at ease," chattered the -Turkoman, peering at him benevolently, "while his -servant shows him certain priceless treasures which -he has dug from the sand among the ruins. Mirai -Khan has said the Excellency seeks the ruins." -</p> - -<p> -"You have been there?" Gray asked cautiously. -He knew the penchant of the Central Asian for -exaggeration. -</p> - -<p> -"Without doubt. Far, far to the west I have -been. To the ruins in the sand. Other Excellencies -have asked concerning them from time to time -but none have been there except myself, Muhammed Bai." -</p> - -<p> -"What are the ruins like?" -</p> - -<p> -The merchant waved a thin hand eloquently. -"Towers of stone, great and high, standing forth -like guide posts. My father knew of them. One -of the sultans of his tribe dug for treasure there. -He found gold. Aye, he told me the place. I, -also, went and dug. Look——" -</p> - -<p> -With the gesture of a <i>connoisseur</i> displaying a -masterpiece, the Turkoman drew some objects from -under a silk rug. Gray stared at them. They were -odd bits of wrought silver and enamel ware, stained -with age. These Muhammed Bai spread before him. -</p> - -<p> -"They came from the ruins. The Excellency is -undoubtedly a man of wisdom. I need not tell him -how old these things are. There is no telling their -value. But I will sell the lot for a very few -<i>taels</i>—a ten <i>taels</i>." -</p> - -<p> -The American fingered the fragments curiously. -They meant nothing to him. They might be the -relics of an ancient civilization. Muhammed Bai -watched him keenly, and pushed a piece of -parchment under his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"Here is a greater treasure. The Excellency will -see the worth of this at a glance. Other foreign -merchants have asked to buy this. But I told them -that a high price must be paid. Who would sell a -sacred object to a dog? See, the strange writing——" -</p> - -<p> -Gray held up the parchment to the light. It was -a small sheet, much soiled. It was covered with a -fine writing in characters unknown to him. He -wished that Delabar might be here to tell him its -meaning. If it had come from that section of the -Gobi, it was possible that it shed some light on the -Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -"Mirai Khan, who is my friend, said that the -Excellency sought tidings of the ancient people. -Here is such a scroll as may not be found -elsewhere. Perhaps it is priceless. I know not." -</p> - -<p> -"Can you read it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Can a servant such as I read ancient wisdom?" -Muhammed Bai elevated his hands eloquently. -"But I will sell——" -</p> - -<p> -He looked up as a shadow fell across the stall. -Gray saw that Mary Hastings was standing in the -entrance. Beside her was a tall man, well dressed. -He rose. -</p> - -<p> -"This is my uncle, Major Hastings, Captain -Gray," she smiled. "We heard that you were in the -bazaar. Are you buying curios to take back with -your trophies?" -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel returned the American's bow politely, -glancing from Muhammed Bai to him curiously. -Then his eye fell on the parchment. He leaned -forward and uttered a sharp exclamation of interest. -</p> - -<p> -"Whence came this?" he asked Muhammed Bai, -in the dialect of Western Shensi. -</p> - -<p> -The Turkoman peered up at him from tufted -brows, looking like an aged, gray hen guarding one -of its brood. "From the desert yonder. I, -Muhammed Bai——" -</p> - -<p> -"What language is the writing?" -</p> - -<p> -"How should I know, Excellency?" -</p> - -<p> -"It would be hard to tell." Sir Lionel frowned -thoughtfully. "The characters on the parchment -are certainly not the cuneiform of Behistun; -equally, they are no dialect of the older -Kashgaria, or Chinese. These two languages are the -only ones we would expect to find here, except -possibly——" -</p> - -<p> -He broke off, glancing curiously at Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"Have you a claim to this manuscript, sir? Are -you planning to purchase it?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray hesitated, feeling the cool gaze of the girl -on him. Should he buy the parchment it would be -useless to him, as he could not interpret the -writing. On the other hand, if he let Sir Lionel have -it, the parchment might prove an aid to the English -expedition. This, naturally, he was bound to prevent. -</p> - -<p> -"I will buy it," he concluded, and added quickly, -"as a curio." -</p> - -<p> -"To add to your big game trophies?" asked Mary -Hastings calmly. -</p> - -<p> -While he tried to think of an answer, Sir Lionel -handed him the parchment. -</p> - -<p> -"It might serve as a curio, Captain Gray. But, -in all fairness, I must warn you. The writing is a -counterfeit, cleverly done. You see, it is my life's -business to know the ancient languages of Central -Asia. This is adapted from some inscription which -Muhammed Bai has doubtless seen. The parchment -is skillfully colored to appear aged. But the -black ink is freshly laid on." -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled grimly, while the Turkoman stared -at the white men, endeavoring to guess what they -were saying. -</p> - -<p> -"And these bits of silver?" The American motioned -to the relics that lay on the rug. -</p> - -<p> -"Are worthless, except—as curios. Being a -hunter, Captain Gray, I presume the authenticity of -the objects will not affect your desire to purchase -them." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel spoke dryly, and the girl scrutinized -him with frank amusement. -</p> - -<p> -"My uncle has heard of Muhammed Bai," she -volunteered. "He is an old impostor who makes a -living selling false manuscripts to travelers in -Khotan and Kashgar. Perhaps he had heard we -were coming to Ansichow. I rather think your -precious Kirghiz is in league with Muhammed Bai." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan caught the drift of what she said—having -a slight knowledge of English, and retired -discreetly to the bazaar alley. Gray reflected on -the curious ethics of Central Asia which permitted -a servant to take money from his master by trickery, -while he still served him faithfully. It was -one of the riddles of Asian ethics—which he had -encountered before. He knew that the girl was -probably right. -</p> - -<p> -He tossed down the money for the parchment -and pocketed it, as he had said that he would buy -it. Sir Lionel checked him, as he rose. -</p> - -<p> -"That manuscript is—interesting," he observed -thoughtfully. "Because Muhammed Bai must have -had a model to copy this writing from. The -characters resemble Sanscrit slightly, but they suggest -Tokharian, with which this man can not be -acquainted." He turned on the blinking merchant -sharply. "Tell me, writer of false missives," he -said in Turki, "from what did you copy these letters?" -</p> - -<p> -There was something eager and threatening in -the face of the tall Englishman that choked off -Muhammed Bai's denial. -</p> - -<p> -"It is as I said, Excellency. The writings were -found in the desert." -</p> - -<p> -"Where?" -</p> - -<p> -"A week's ride from here, to the west." -</p> - -<p> -"Near Sungan—eh? How did you find them?" -</p> - -<p> -The Turkoman was sullenly silent. Sir Lionel -dropped a coin on the rug. It was gold. -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, the Excellency is generous as a prince of -the royal household!" cried Muhammed Bai. "It -was on a stone—a boundary stone at the place I -said—that I found the writings. See, here is the -stone." -</p> - -<p> -He scrambled to his feet, bowing, and hastened -to the rear of the stall. He cast off some rugs from -the top of a pile, disclosing a piece of brown -sandstone some three feet high and a foot in thickness. -On the surface of the stone Gray saw characters -engraved, characters that were strange to him. -</p> - -<p> -But not to Sir Lionel. The Englishman dropped -to his knees with an exclamation, whipping out his -eyeglasses. He ran his finger over the writing on -the sandstone. -</p> - -<p> -"A form of Sanscrit!" he cried. "By Jove—three -centuries old, at least. Four, I should judge. -And here is the character corresponding to the -Chinese word Wusun, the Tall Ones.' Remarkable! -This evidently was one of the boundary -marks of the Wusun land." -</p> - -<p> -He peered at the inscription intently, forgetting -the American in his enthusiasm. -</p> - -<p> -"Hm—it was erected by one of the khans of the -Tall People. <i>By a slave of the Chinese Emperor</i>. -It speaks of the captive race of the Wusun. Plainly -they were even then under the <i>kang</i> of the Chinese -priests. 'In the city of Sungan are the captive -people ... greatly fallen since the age when they -were conquerors ... they cling to their hearths -and towers ... in the sand. There they will -always be——'" -</p> - -<p> -He broke off his reading and glanced up at Gray. -"Splendid! I must take a rubbing of this." -</p> - -<p> -He ordered Muhammed Bai to bring charcoal and -a clean sheet of paper. The charcoal he rubbed -over the stone. Then he pressed the paper firmly -against it, beating the sheet with his fists until the -outline of the inscription was imprinted on the -paper. This he surveyed triumphantly. -</p> - -<p> -"Excellent! Captain Gray, I am indebted for -your"—he smiled—"involuntary assistance. Will -you dine with us? Mary will be glad of company, -I am sure. I must place this where it will -be safe." -</p> - -<p> -He hurried off, followed by the girl and Gray. -Neither spoke during the walk to the outskirts of -Ansichow. The American was regretting the bad -fortune that had concealed the truth of his mission -from the Hastings. He was in the position of a -culprit obtaining valuable information from his -rivals, without intending to do so. This -information he was in duty bound to use to his own -advantage. -</p> - -<p> -He had determined to set matters right by revealing -to his host his purpose in seeking the Gobi. -And the dinner would afford him an opportunity to -do so. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The camp of the Hastings was located in a -garden which surrounded a spring near the -caravanserai of Ansichow. Sir Lionel, disliking the -filth of the caravanserai which bore evidence of -much use by not over-fastidious Chinese travelers, -had pitched his tents in the garden, making his own -<i>dak</i> bungalow, as he called it. -</p> - -<p> -It was late evening, and the table had been set -under the fly of the main tent, used by the girl. It -was the quiet hour of evening prayer. Sheep boys -were driving their flocks homeward for the night -along the road a short distance away. There was -a slight breeze—enough to clear the air of the -ever-present dust—which barely shook the sides of the -tent. Two Indian servants laid an appetizing meal -before their masters. -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel, elated by his discovery, talked of the -city of Sungan. Once or twice he checked himself, -as if he feared he was saying too much. But -his eagerness was not to be restrained. -</p> - -<p> -"The stone proves the existence of Sungan, and -gives us a rough idea of its location. Judging from -the inscription, the Wusun have clung to their heritage. -I think we shall find some survivors in Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -"I thought you said the inscription was a form -of Sanscrit," objected Gray. "And the Wusun are -Chinese——" -</p> - -<p> -"Ah, that is just the point." Sir Lionel reared -his blond head, like a setter at scent of game. -"Sanscrit is an Aryan language. The white race buried -here in the Gobi called themselves the Tall People. -Wusun is the Chinese translation of that term. -Their own written tongue is probably the dialect -we saw on the boundary stone, which is Aryan. -A clear chain of proof, Captain Gray." -</p> - -<p> -"But," the American objected honestly, "my -follower, Mirai Khan, has hunted the borderland of -the Gobi and he says positively no city is to be -seen. The stone is four centuries or more old——" -</p> - -<p> -"Mirai Khan," said the girl quickly, "can not see -under the sand, can he? He seems to be bent -chiefly on stealing horses." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel, however, was not to be turned from -the discussion which filled his mind. "You forget -the sand that Mary mentions, Captain Gray," he -retorted warmly. "This is, literally, a sea of sand. -And the waves are rising. We are sure that -certain towns in the foothills of the Thian Shan have -been buried by these waves. You see, the prevailing -winds here are from the east. They drive the sand -dunes before them. I have noted that the dunes -march westward——" -</p> - -<p> -"Before you go on, Sir Lionel——" protested the -American, remembering his intention to make a -clean breast of things. -</p> - -<p> -"Not a word, sir. Not another word. Be quiet, -Mary"—as the girl started to speak—"I will not be -contradicted. It is a scientific fact that the sands -march. During the <i>kara burans</i> or black -wind-storms they will progress many feet a day. -Sungan was built on the great caravan route from -China to Samarcand and Persia, many centuries -ago. Marco Polo followed this route when he -visited the court of Kubla Khan." -</p> - -<p> -"But," Gray broke in, "I want——" -</p> - -<p> -"I say, it is a fact, sir. Prove the contrary. -You can't!" Sir Lionel glared at him hostilely. "I -am right. Without doubt, I am correct. Sungan -has been buried by the marching sands. Only the -towers remain." -</p> - -<p> -Gray thought of the tale Delabar had mentioned—of -the sand that came down on the city of the -Gobi, as retribution for some sin against the -religions of Asia. Also, Mirai Khan had said no city -was to be seen. And Brent had claimed to see some -isolated towers. -</p> - -<p> -"These towers," he started to explain what was -in his mind. -</p> - -<p> -"Are the summits of the palaces of Sungan, sir. -In them I shall find the white race of Asia, the -captive people of the Wusun." -</p> - -<p> -"But, Uncle," protested the girl, "the stone was -erected four hundred years ago. If the Chinese had -wanted to, they might have killed off the remaining -Wusun since that time." -</p> - -<p> -"The ancient Chinese annals," observed Sir -Lionel tolerantly, "state that the Wusun, the 'Tall -Ones,' were formidable fighters. The Sacae or -Scythians from whom they are descended were one -of the conquering races of the world. It is this -heritage of strength which has preserved the -remnant of the Wusun—for us to find." -</p> - -<p> -Gray faced the Englishman across the table. Sir -Lionel had changed to a neat suit of clean duck for -the meal. Mary was fastidiously dressed in white, -a light shawl over her slender shoulders. He felt -keenly his own untidy attire. Moreover, the girl -seemed bent on making fun of him. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray is a hunter, you know, Uncle," she -remarked, glancing coolly at the uncomfortable -American. "Really, your talk about the Wusun -must bore him. He has come to shoot antelope. -Or is it wild camels, Captain Gray?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray met her glance steadily. He saw that she -was heart and soul with Sir Lionel in the latter's -quest, and guessed that his own confession must -terminate any possibility of friendship between -them. -</p> - -<p> -"Neither," he said gravely. "I have meant to -tell you before this. But at first I was so surprised -at finding——" -</p> - -<p> -"That we guarded our ponies, Captain Gray?" The -girl's eyes twinkled and she bit her lip. -</p> - -<p> -"A white woman instead of a Chinaman—I didn't -confess, as I should have done." -</p> - -<p> -"But Mirai Khan confessed." -</p> - -<p> -Gray flushed. "I was sent to the desert, Sir -Lionel, to find the Wusun. I am employed by the -American Exploration Society. And I am going -to do my best to get to Sungan—ahead of you, if -possible." -</p> - -<p> -The effect of his words was curious. The girl -studied him silently. Sir Lionel stroked his blond -mustache, plainly ill at ease. Neither seemed -surprised. -</p> - -<p> -"So you see," Gray made the statement as blunt -as possible, "I am your rival. I meant to tell you -before. Naturally, it is my duty to use the -information you have given me. But I want to make my -position clear before we go any further." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel's first words were not what Gray expected. -</p> - -<p> -"You are not a scientist, sir?" -</p> - -<p> -"I am not. Professor Delabar, who was to have -come with me, was forced to turn back at Liangchowfu." -</p> - -<p> -"Then you are alone? Without a caravan?" -</p> - -<p> -"For the present. I'm going to do my best to -outfit at Ansichow and get ahead of you, Sir -Lionel." Gray rose. "I suppose I'm not exactly -welcome here, after what I've told you——" -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman waved his brown hand tolerantly. -</p> - -<p> -"I like your frankness, Captain Gray. Pray be -seated. We are rivals, not enemies, you know. -But"—the zeal of the enthusiast shone from his -mild eyes—"I shall never permit you to reach -Sungan ahead of me. I have studied the Wusun for -years. I persuaded the British Asiatic Society to -send me here. It is the crowning venture of my -life, sir." -</p> - -<p> -The girl looked up proudly. -</p> - -<p> -"Indeed, that is true, Captain Gray. My uncle -has spent our money on the trip. His reputation is -at stake. Because few of the directors of the Asiatic -Society believe the Wusun are to be found——" -</p> - -<p> -"They are mistaken, Mary," Sir Lionel assured -her. "I know that I am right. The fact that Captain -Gray was sent here is proof of it. I shall reach -Sungan—the first white man to penetrate the -forbidden region of the Gobi. The boundary stone has -indicated our course, and I will not yield the right -of way to Captain Gray, or any one. Any one, I -repeat, sir!" -</p> - -<p> -He struck the table forcibly and rose, mastering -his emotion in a moment. -</p> - -<p> -"I pray, sir," he said with the fine courtesy of -the English gentleman, "if we are to be rivals, you -will not deny us the pleasure of your company while -we are at Ansichow. After that, you know, it is -each man for himself. Now, I will go to read over -my rubbing——" -</p> - -<p> -He bowed stiffly and walked into the adjoining -tent. Gray found that the girl was watching him -curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"So Delabar went back," she said musingly. "I -wondered why he was not with you when you came -to my <i>yurt</i> after Ram Singh——" -</p> - -<p> -She colored slightly. Gray noticed how the fading -sunlight glinted on her copper hair, and set off -the fine lines of her slender figure. A thoroughbred, -he thought—like her uncle. -</p> - -<p> -"Ram Singh did exactly right," he admitted. -"But how——" -</p> - -<p> -"Did I expect Delabar?" She hesitated. "Well, -I have a confession, too, Captain Gray. I knew all -along—or rather suspected—what you were. At -Calcutta Sir Lionel received this letter." -</p> - -<p> -She felt in her belt and drew out a square of -folded paper. This she handed silently to Gray. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="letter"> -Captain Gray, an American army officer, and Professor -Delabar are on their way to the Gobi. It will be useless -for you to attempt the expedition, as they will be there -before you. Do not waste your time by going into China. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -This was the letter. It was written in a neat -hand and unsigned. -</p> - -<p> -"Did the envelope have a postmark?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, San Francisco." -</p> - -<p> -He handed it back to her. The writing he recognized -as Delabar's. The Syrian, then, had tried -to prevent the Hastings from setting out. As he -had done his best to keep Gray from reaching the -Gobi. Why? -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap13"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIII -<br /><br /> -THE DESERT -</h3> - -<p> -The next day Gray dispatched Mirai Khan to -the <i>amban's</i> yamen to try to hire the necessary -camels. He thought it better not to go himself. -Without the consent of the Chinese official -nothing could be done, as the <i>amban</i> would expect a -liberal commission on every transaction in Ansichow. -Also the official had a dozen ill-armed and -ill-minded soldiery in the town barracks—enough -to enforce his authority on Gray, although the -Hastings' party was numerous enough to be -independent of the Chinese. -</p> - -<p> -Gray himself wandered moodily through the few -streets of the village. Since the conversation of the -evening before he had been restless. He had slept -badly. Although he would not admit it to himself, -the thought of Mary Hastings had preyed on him. -</p> - -<p> -So it happened that his wandering took him to -the camp of the Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -He found Mary seated under the fly of the stores -tent, inspecting and tallying a stock of provisions -that Ram Singh had purchased. She looked up -and nodded coolly at his approach. -</p> - -<p> -"You are busy, Miss Hastings," he observed. -"But I want to ask a favor. A half hour of your -time." -</p> - -<p> -The girl poised a pencil over her accounts -doubtfully. Ram Singh scowled. -</p> - -<p> -"We can talk here, Captain Gray," she compromised, -"while I work. Sir Lionel wants these -stores——" -</p> - -<p> -"We can't talk here very well," objected Gray. -"What I have to say is important. Last night your -uncle gave me some valuable information. I want -to give you return value for it." -</p> - -<p> -"Where?" -</p> - -<p> -Mary Hastings had the brisk manner of one -accustomed to transacting business. Gray learned -later—after the disaster that came upon them in the -Gobi—that she handled the routine work of her -uncle's expeditions, and very capably, too. -</p> - -<p> -"Outside here, in the garden," he suggested. She -hesitated; then rose, reaching for her sun helmet. -A dilapidated wall encircled the camp, and a few -aloes struggled for existence by the tumble-down -stones. -</p> - -<p> -Mary climbed the stones, refusing assistance -from the American, until she perched on the -summit of the garden wall. Here she could overlook -the activity in the camp as she listened. -</p> - -<p> -A haze hung in the air—born of the incessant -flurries of fine sand that burden the atmosphere in -the Gobi. But from their small elevation, beyond -the low buildings of Ansichow, Gray could see the -plain of dunes that marked the desert. A dull -brown they were, stretching to the long line of the -horizon in the west. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was silent, admiring the girl's profile. -There was something slender and boyish about -her. Her dress was plain, and excessively neat. -Under the crown of her helmet a few strands of -copper hair curled against her tanned cheek. -</p> - -<p> -Mary glanced at the watch on her wrist significantly. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm afraid you are very lazy, Captain Gray," -she said frankly. "I warn you that we are going to -lose no time in starting from Ansichow." -</p> - -<p> -"I am lazy," he agreed. "But I don't want you -to start at all." -</p> - -<p> -She looked at him calmly. "Why?" -</p> - -<p> -"That's what I wanted to tell your uncle. I'm -going to be as frank with you as I intended to be -with Sir Lionel. Miss Hastings, the Gobi Desert—" -</p> - -<p> -"Is not safe for a woman, I presume?" -</p> - -<p> -"Exactly. If Sir Lionel knew all that I do, he -would not want you to go with him. He'll have -to go, of course. So will I. But you can stay here -with Ram Singh until we get back. The Sikh is a -good watchman. Sir Lionel can join you when he -returns." -</p> - -<p> -Mary rested her chin on her hands and -scrutinized the aloes with friendly interest. "Why do -you think it is dangerous for me to go to—Sungan?" -</p> - -<p> -"I have a good reason for my warning, Miss -Hastings. Two reasons. One—Sungan seems to -be guarded by the Chinese priests. You have -avoided them by coming up through Burma into -Mongolia. I've had a taste of their kindly -disposition." -</p> - -<p> -He told her briefly of the opposition of Wu Fang -Chien, the episode of the inn at Liangchowfu, and -the fears of Delabar. -</p> - -<p> -"So your companion turned back because he was -afraid?" She smiled curiously. "What is your -other reason, Captain Gray?" -</p> - -<p> -"Sickness. That was what Delabar chiefly dreaded, -I think. Brent, a missionary, went past the -Gobi border here—and died of sickness. I don't -say he was killed. He died." -</p> - -<p> -"We are equipped to deal with that. I have -means to purify the water we may have to use in -the oases." -</p> - -<p> -"It's not a question of water, in this case. Brent -had his own. You may think I'm running to fancy -a bit, Miss Hastings. But there's Mirai Khan. -I've sounded him thoroughly. He is clearly -afraid of the Sungan region, and of the pale -sickness. I don't know what it is—don't even know -that it exists. Still, the fact remains that Mirai -Khan, who is a fearless sort of rascal, says his -countrymen avoided this part of the Gobi on -account of the plague—whatever it may be." -</p> - -<p> -"All Kirghiz are liars by birth and environment. -Really, you know, Captain Gray, the Buddhist -priests invent such stories to keep visitors from -their shrines. The coming of foreigners weakens -their power." -</p> - -<p> -"That may be true." Gray felt he was stating his -case badly. "But you haven't established contact -yet with the amiable Wu Fang Chien. Having a -woman along would handicap Sir Lionel." -</p> - -<p> -Her brows arched quizzically. -</p> - -<p> -"Really? The <i>amban</i> of Ansichow and his men -do not seem to be trying to prevent us from going -ahead." -</p> - -<p> -"Because they couldn't very well if they wanted -to. But, did it strike you that you have already -come so far that the Chinese are not worrying about -you? That, if you go into the Gobi, they will count -you lost. I've gathered as much, and Mirai Khan -has listened in the bazaars. Won't you stay at -Ansichow, Miss Hastings?" -</p> - -<p> -His blunt appeal had a note of wistfulness in it. -The possible danger to the girl had haunted him all -that day. It would be useless he felt, to appeal to -Sir Lionel. Mary Hastings was not in the habit -of obeying her uncle's commands in matters -affecting her own comfort or safety. -</p> - -<p> -"And leave Sir Lionel to go alone into the Gobi?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes. He's bound to take the risk. You are -not. I'm afraid your uncle is too wrapped up in his -researches to pay much heed to possible danger. I -don't think a white woman should take the risk." -</p> - -<p> -Mary Hastings smiled slowly. She had a way -of looking directly at a man—unlike most women—that -disturbed Gray. He felt that he was blundering. -</p> - -<p> -"Sir Lionel," she replied, "has set his heart on -being the first white man in Sungan. He has staked -his reputation as a scientist on this expedition. You -do not know how much it means to him. If he -finds the Sungan ruins and the descendants of the -Wusun, he will have vindicated his judgment. If -he fails it will be his last expedition. It is hard -for a man of his age to fail. He has many rivals, -at home and—in America." -</p> - -<p> -"But you——" -</p> - -<p> -"Sir Lionel needs me. I attend to the management -of the caravan. And he can not spare Ram -Singh." -</p> - -<p> -She tossed her small head. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you think, Captain Gray, you've tried -enough to spoil our chances of success? Isn't it -rather mean of you to try to frighten me into -leaving <i>Sher Singh</i>?" Mary Hastings was suddenly -growing angry. Gray was committing the unpardonable -sin of endeavoring—so she assured herself—to -separate uncle and niece. -</p> - -<p> -She wanted to be angrier than she was. But the -wall perch was a bad strategic position for a display -of temper, which she considered he had earned. -</p> - -<p> -"You know that it would weaken our chances of -success to divide our caravan!" she accused, feeling -for foothold on the stones beneath. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was unable to account for the swift change -in mood. What had he said to offend her? He -had meant it only for her good. -</p> - -<p> -"No, Miss Hastings," he flushed. "I simply -wanted to warn you of real danger." -</p> - -<p> -The girl slid down the rocks to the earth. She -stamped a neatly shod foot disdainfully. Gray was -oblivious of the fact that the maneuver had been -planned for this purpose. She was plainly very -angry. He wondered why, miserably. -</p> - -<p> -"I thought you were a sportsman, Captain Gray—even -if you were not a big game hunter as you -pretended. I find I am mistaken. Good afternoon." -</p> - -<p> -"Good Lord!" Gray watched her slight figure -return to the tent and set his teeth. "Good -Lord!" He smiled ruefully. "Horse thief—schemer—I -wonder if there's anything else that she thinks I -am. Guess there's nothing else bad enough." -</p> - -<p> -He climbed down from his rocks and left the -encampment, avoiding Ram Singh who was ushering -in a line of coolies as he did so. The Sikh -strode by with a scowl. -</p> - -<p> -So easily are quarrels made. And a woman, so -fate has ordained, has the first voice in their -making. But it is doubtful if Mary Hastings herself -could have explained why she treated Gray as she -did. Divinely is it decreed that a woman may not -be asked to explain to a man. -</p> - -<p> -Gray hesitated, half minded to seek out Sir Lionel -and ask that the girl be kept in Ansichow. Realizing -that this would be useless, he returned to his -tent on the further side of the town. Mirai Khan -was not there. -</p> - -<p> -It was a good three hours before the Kirghiz -appeared. Three hours in which Gray smoked -moodily. Mirai Khan had news. -</p> - -<p> -"Come, Excellency," he observed importantly. -"Yonder is a sight you should see. Verily, it is a -fine sight." -</p> - -<p> -Gray took his hat and followed his companion to -a knoll, where the Kirghiz pointed out to the plain. -</p> - -<p> -Half a mile away a caravan of a dozen camels -in single file was making its way into the sand -dunes, leaving a dense haze of dust in its wake. He -could see through his glasses Sir Lionel and Ram -Singh on the leading beasts. -</p> - -<p> -Near the end of the caravan he saw Mary Hastings. -He thought that she turned and looked back -at him. He could not be sure. He watched the -slight figure with its veil about the sun helmet pass -from view in the dust. -</p> - -<p> -Then he walked back silently to the tent, -beckoning Mirai Khan to follow. -</p> - -<p> -"Have you the camels?" he asked when they were -seated on the tattered rug that formed the tent floor. -</p> - -<p> -"No, Excellency. The camels may not be hired." -</p> - -<p> -"Then buy them." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan yawned and regarded his master with -the benevolent scrutiny of the fatalist. -</p> - -<p> -"It may not be. There were but eight two-hump -camels in Ansichow, and these the Englishman -bartered when he first came, in exchange for his tired -beasts. He paid well." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, buy the camels he left." -</p> - -<p> -"That would be folly. A week must pass before -these eight can bear burdens. They are nearly dead -with hard use. The Englishman did not spare -them." -</p> - -<p> -Gray frowned meditatively. He must have beasts -of burden, to carry at least ten days' stock of water, -with necessary food. The Gobi was a barren land. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you think a trader's caravan may visit -Ansichow, Mirai Khan?" -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps. In another moon, or possibly three or -four. Why should they come to this dung-heap in -the sand?" -</p> - -<p> -"Coolies might carry our supplies—if we paid -them enough." Gray knew that this would be risky; -but he was not in a position to choose. Time was -pressing. Mirai Khan smiled, showing yellow, -serried teeth. -</p> - -<p> -"No, Excellency. An ounce of gold apiece will -not bribe these Chinese to come into the Gobi." -</p> - -<p> -"The Kirghiz?" -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan squinted thoughtfully at the glare of -sunlight without the tent. "Is the Excellency -determined to go into the Gobi?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes." -</p> - -<p> -"What God wills, will come to pass. I, Mirai -Khan, have helped you to safety. For the space of -ten days I have eaten the food you have killed. -Because of this, I shall go a part of the way into -the Gobi. Also, a tribe of Kirghiz should be here -within four days, from the northern steppe. It -may so happen that some of these will come with -us. I know not." -</p> - -<p> -"Four days!" Gray groaned. -</p> - -<p> -"Likewise, the men of this tribe will not be -carriers of burdens. It is not their custom." -</p> - -<p> -"Mirai Khan: why is it that you fear the city of -Sungan? I thought you were a brave man." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's purposeful taunt failed of its effect. Mirai -Khan stared at him and spat out into the sand. -</p> - -<p> -"The region of Sungan is unclean. It is the law -of the Prophet that no one shall touch what is -unclean." -</p> - -<p> -"But you do not know that," cried the exasperated -white man. "You are running from a shadow." -</p> - -<p> -"A shadow may betoken evil. My father said -it, and it is so." -</p> - -<p> -Gray sighed. "Then buy a half dozen mules. -They can carry our stores. Watch for the coming -of the tribe you spoke of. When they are here let -me know. Meanwhile, purchase water jars, flour, -rice and tea sufficient for six men for three weeks." -</p> - -<p> -The Kirghiz blinked understandingly. -</p> - -<p> -"It is written that a white man shall go into the -desert from here," he assented. "What is written -will come to pass. It is also said by our priests -that a white man's grave is waiting in the Gobi. -If this thing also comes to pass, I and my -comrades will bury you, so the kites will not make a -meal of your eyes—for once you saved my life." -</p> - -<p> -Whereupon the hunter turned over on his side -and went to sleep, leaving Gray to his own thoughts. -They were not cheerful. -</p> - -<p> -The Hastings had left for Sungan. They had -camels and would make good time. With luck, if -they escaped the black sand-storms, they should be -at their destination in seven or eight days. No -wonder, he thought, Sir Lionel had spoken frankly -to him about the inscription, when he had all the -camels bought. -</p> - -<p> -Camels could move faster than mules, over the -bad footing. Gray would make his start four -days—three if the Kirghiz arrived promptly—later than -Sir Lionel. And he would fall behind steadily. -</p> - -<p> -If it had been possible, he would have gone alone. -But he could not carry the necessary food and -water for ten days. For a moment he pondered the -advisability of pushing on alone as soon as the mules -could be bought. -</p> - -<p> -This plan he dismissed as useless. Mirai Khan -had assured him that it would take at least two -days to get the animals and the needed supplies. -Also, he would be without a guide—for Mirai Khan -would not start until the tribesmen arrived. -</p> - -<p> -It would be tempting providence for one man to -venture with a string of mules into the Gobi. Even -so, Gray might have attempted it if he had a guide. -</p> - -<p> -There was nothing for it but to wait. And Gray -passed the time as best he could, overhauling his -rifle and small stock of ammunition, and packing -with the help of Mirai Khan the food the latter -bought for him. -</p> - -<p> -Fate moves in strange ways. If Gray had started -before the four days were up, the events that took -place in the Gobi would have shaped themselves -differently. For one thing, he would not have seen -the tracks of the wild camel in the sand. -</p> - -<p> -Nor would he have heard the story of the pale -sickness. -</p> - -<p> -As Mirai Khan had assured him, the Kirghiz -tribe appeared at Ansichow the evening of the third -day. The hunter took Gray to their <i>aul</i> near where -Sir Lionel's encampment had been. -</p> - -<p> -Acting as interpreter, he harangued the newcomers. -Moreover, as he informed the American later, -he did not translate what Gray said literally. If -he had done so, he asserted, they would not have -gone into the Gobi. -</p> - -<p> -The reason that Mirai Khan set forth seemed -sufficient, for after long debate, the elder of the -tribe and two evil looking hunters consented to -accompany Gray. They agreed to go on foot. -Somewhat to the American's surprise nothing was said -about turning back. -</p> - -<p> -He broke camp at dawn, and the cavalcade of -mules passed out of Ansichow with Mirai Khan -leading. By the time the sun had broken through -the mist they were well into the sand dunes. -</p> - -<p> -There had been no wind-storm since the Hastings -passed that way and Mirai Khan was content to -follow the camel tracks. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap14"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIV -<br /><br /> -TRACES IN THE SAND -</h3> - -<p> -It was monotonous work climbing the dunes that -rose to meet them out of the ocean of sand. Added -to this was the feeling of isolation, which is never -so great as in the wastes of Central Asia. There -were no birds or game to be met with. Only once -did they hit on water. This was at their third camp, -and the camel tracks showed that the Hastings had -visited the oasis. -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the high altitude, the exertion affected -Gray; but he made the best of this necessary evil -and pressed ahead. On the fourth day they lost -the trail of the other caravan and Gray shaped his -course by compass. He knew that Sir Lionel had -planned to strike due west. -</p> - -<p> -It was that night they discovered the tracks of -the wild camel. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had turned out from his blankets at sun-up -and was warming his stiff limbs over the fire the -others had kindled—for the autumn chill was making -itself felt in the nights. He found Mirai Khan -and the Kirghiz excited. -</p> - -<p> -They had seen tracks about the encampment. -</p> - -<p> -The hunters showed them to Gray, who thought -at first the imprints were left by the Hastings' -caravan. Mirai Khan, however, assured him that -the tracks had not been there the evening before. -Also, the hoof marks were smaller than those of the -domestic camel, and not quite as deep in the sand. -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan showed him where the tracks appeared, -and passed around the camp twice, then led -away over the dunes. -</p> - -<p> -"It is the mark of a wild camel, Excellency," he -said. "Of one that has come to look at us." -</p> - -<p> -"And why should this not happen?" -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan scratched his thin beard, plainly uneasy. -</p> - -<p> -"It is a good omen," continued Gray, perceiving -this. "For by this wild camel we may have meat." -</p> - -<p> -He had heard that these animals, although rare, -were sometimes seen in the southern Gobi. Beyond -wishing that this particular camel had waited until -the light was good enough for a shot, Gray thought -little of the matter. Not so the Kirghiz. The -hunters conferred earnestly with Mirai Khan and -appeared reluctant to go on. -</p> - -<p> -"If you see the beast," he added, impatient at -the delay, "we shall try a stalk. We need meat." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan grunted and spat stolidly. -</p> - -<p> -"Never have I shot a wild camel, Excellency. -My father has said that when we sighted the tracks -of one, it is well to return quickly." -</p> - -<p> -Inwardly, Gray consigned the spirit of Mirai -Khan's ancestor to another region. Approaching -the tether of the leading mule, he motioned to the -Kirghiz to set out. They obeyed reluctantly. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you men or children?" he asked. "You will -have no pay until we sight the ruins of Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -He wondered, as he trudged forward, whether -this speech had been a mistake. The Kirghiz were -clearly sulky. Mirai Khan was more silent than -usual. Gray noticed that whenever they topped a -rise he scanned the plain intently. The behavior of -his guides at this point mystified him. The Kirghiz -were naturally far from being cowards. Certainly -they had neither fear nor respect for the Chinese -of Ansichow. Being Mohammedans they were -indifferent to the Buddhist priests. -</p> - -<p> -Yet the glimpse of wild camel tracks had set -these men—hunters by birth—into a half panic. -</p> - -<p> -Gray gave it up. He was walking moodily by the -leading mule, pondering his failure—for he could -no longer conceal from himself the fact that he -must reach Sungan a good week after the Hastings—when -he saw Mirai Khan pause on the top of a -dune. The hunter's figure stiffened alertly, like a -trained dog at gaze. -</p> - -<p> -Gray scrambled up the slope to the man's side. -At first he saw only the brown waste of the dunes. -Then he located what Mirai Khan had seen. He -raised and focussed his glasses. -</p> - -<p> -Some distance ahead a man was moving toward -them. It was a white man, on foot and walking -very slowly. Gray recognized Sir Lionel Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -Followed by the Kirghiz, he approached the -Englishman. Sir Lionel did not look up until they -were a few paces away. Then he halted, swaying -from the weariness of one who has been walking -for a long time. -</p> - -<p> -He was without coat, rifle, or sun helmet. His -lean face was lined with fatigue. The hand that -fumbled for his eyeglasses trembled. His boots -and puttees were dust stained. -</p> - -<p> -"Is that you, Captain Gray?" he asked uncertainly. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, Sir Lionel. What's up? Where's the -caravan?" Gray had been about to ask for Mary, but -checked himself. "You'll want a drink. Here——" -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman shook his head. Gray observed -that his bald forehead was reddened with the sun; -that his usually well-kept yellow hair was turned -a drab with the dust. -</p> - -<p> -"I had water, thanks. Back there, by the tamarisk -tree. The caravan camped there for the night, -two—or three days ago. I don't remember which." He -wheeled slowly in his tracks. "Come." -</p> - -<p> -A moment's walk took them to the few bushes -and the tamarisk. There a well had been dug. Sir -Lionel refused to mount one of the mules, although -he was plainly far gone with exhaustion. At the -time Gray was too preoccupied to notice it, but the -Kirghiz—as he recalled later—were talking together -earnestly, looking frequently in their direction. -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman moved, as he spoke, automatically. -He walked by dint of will power. When -Gray, knowing the strength of the sun, placed his -own hat on the man's head Sir Lionel thanked him -mechanically. -</p> - -<p> -It was this quiet of the man that disturbed Gray -profoundly. There was something aimless and -despairing in his dull movements. Gray, seeing how -ill he was, refrained from asking further questions -until they were seated in the small patch of shadow. -The Kirghiz retired to a neighboring knoll with -their rifles. -</p> - -<p> -"It was near here we discovered camel tracks—wild -camel tracks." -</p> - -<p> -The words startled Gray, coming on top of the -dispute with Mirai Khan that morning. -</p> - -<p> -"Did you lose the caravan?" he exclaimed. "Good -Lord, man! Where is Mary?" -</p> - -<p> -"I've lost the caravan," said Sir Lionel. "And -Mary as well." -</p> - -<p> -Sudden dread tugged at Gray's heart. -</p> - -<p> -"At Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel looked up at the American, and Gray -saw the pain mirrored in his inflamed eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"Was she with Ram Singh?" -</p> - -<p> -"Ram Singh is dead." -</p> - -<p> -"The others?" -</p> - -<p> -"Killed. I do not think that Mary was killed." -</p> - -<p> -Gray drew a deep breath and was silent. From -the knoll the hunters watched intently. -</p> - -<p> -"I will tell you what happened." Sir Lionel drew -his hand across his eyes. "The sun—I'm rather -badly done up. No food for two days. No——" as -Gray started to rise. "I'm not hungry." -</p> - -<p> -He lay back on the sand with closed eyes. His -face was strained with the effort he made to speak. -Yet what he said was uttered clearly, with military -brevity. -</p> - -<p> -"The night after we sighted the camel tracks we -were attacked in force. I think that was four -nights ago. There was a crescent moon. Of course -I had stationed sentries. They gave the alarm. -There was a brisk action." -</p> - -<p> -"Who attacked you?" -</p> - -<p> -"Ram Singh said they might have been a party of -wandering Kirghiz. We did not see them clearly -in the bad light. Peculiar thing. They seemed to -be afoot. When they beat a retreat, after exchanging -shots, we looked over the ground. No footprints. -Only camel tracks. And they carried off -their wounded." -</p> - -<p> -Gray wondered briefly if Sir Lionel's mind had -been affected by the sun. But the Englishman -spoke rationally. Moreover, Mirai Khan had been -alarmed when they first sighted the imprints in the -earth. -</p> - -<p> -"Our guides—Dungans, you know—said attackers -were guards of Sungan. We did not see them -again. Late the next afternoon a <i>kara buran</i> passed -our way. We pitched tents when the wind became -bad, inside the circle of our beasts. When the storm -cleared off, I made out through my glasses the -towers of Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel looked up with a faint flash of triumph. -</p> - -<p> -"I was right. Sungan is a ruined city, buried in -the sand. Only the towers are visible from a -distance. We were about a half mile from the nearest -ruins." -</p> - -<p> -He sighed, knitting his brows. He spoke calmly. -Gray was familiar with the state of exhaustion -which breeds lassitude, when long exposure to -danger, or the rush of sudden events, dulls the -nerves. -</p> - -<p> -"It was twilight when Mary and I started to walk -to the towers, with two servants. I was eager to -set foot in the ruins. And I did actually reach the -first piles of debris. You won't forget that, will -you, old man? I was the first white man in Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. He felt again the zeal that had -drawn Sir Lionel blindly to the heart of the Gobi. -And had perhaps sacrificed Mary to the pride of -the scientist. But he could not accuse the wearied -man before him of a past mistake. -</p> - -<p> -"Go on," he said grimly. -</p> - -<p> -"It was late twilight. I forgot to add that our -Dungans deserted after the first skirmish. -Frightened, I expect. Well, Mary and I almost ran to -the ruins. She was as happy as I at our success—what -we thought was our success. So far, we had -seen no human beings in the ruins. There were -any number of tracks, however, and vegetation that -pointed to the presence of wells." -</p> - -<p> -"Then Mary and I discovered the Wusun." Sir -Lionel laughed suddenly, harshly. He gained -control of himself at once. "They came—these -inhabitants of Sungan—from behind the stone heaps and -out of what seemed to be holes in the ground. As -I said, it was late evening, and I could not see their -faces well. Still, I saw——" -</p> - -<p> -He checked himself, and fell silent, as if -pondering. Gray guessed that he thought better of -what he was going to say. -</p> - -<p> -"They were unarmed, Captain Gray, but in -considerable force. They ran forward with a lumbering -gait, like animals. They were dressed in filthy -strips of sheepskin, which gave out a foul smell. -I had my revolver. Still, I hesitated to shoot down -these unarmed beggars. They did not answer my -hail which was given in Persian, then in Turki. -</p> - -<p> -"Seeing that they were plainly hostile, I began -to shoot. They came on doggedly, apparently -without fear of hurt. And my two men ran. One was -a brave boy, Captain Gray—a syce who had been -with me for several years. Yet he threw away his -rifle and ran. I saw two of the men of Sungan -pull him down." -</p> - -<p> -Gray shivered involuntarily, thinking of the girl -that Sir Lionel had brought to this place. -</p> - -<p> -"I do not understand why it happened," the -Englishman observed plaintively. "We had given these -men no cause to attack us. I believe they were not -the same fellows who rushed us the night before. -For one thing, these had no arms. There were -women among them. They gave me the impression -of dogs, hunting in a pack. They must have been -waiting for us in cover." -</p> - -<p> -"What happened to the caravan?" -</p> - -<p> -"Rushed. The Sungan people got to it before -Mary and I could gain the camp. Our boys were -surprised. Only a few shots were fired. The -camels took fright and ran through the tents. I saw -Ram Singh and another try to get out to me with -spare rifles. The Sikh, who had the rank of -Rifleman, shot very accurately. But the Sunganis came -between us, and I saw him go down fighting under -a pack of men. Mary and I turned aside and tried -to escape into the sand dunes." -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel raised himself unsteadily on an elbow. -</p> - -<p> -"Do not think, Captain Gray, that I abandoned -Mary of my own will. It was dark by then. We -could hear the men hunting us through the dunes. -A party of them descended on me from a slope. -My revolver was emptied by then. I knocked one -or two of them down and called out for Mary. She -did not answer. They had taken her away. If they -had killed her, I would have come on her body. But -she was gone." -</p> - -<p> -"Did you hear her call to you?" Gray asked from -between set lips. -</p> - -<p> -"No. She is a plucky girl. In my search for her, -I passed out of sight of the men who were tracking -me. I could not remain there, for they were -tracing out my footprints. They have an uncanny -knack at that, Captain Gray. As I said, they -reminded me of dogs." -</p> - -<p> -He looked at his companion, despair mirrored in -his tired eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"I had two alternatives after that—to stay near -Sungan, unarmed, or to return, in the hope of -meeting you. I knew you would be likely to follow our -tracks as far as you could. Possibly you would -sight this brush. I made my way back here. A -little while ago I sighted the dust of your caravan." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was silent, breaking little twigs from the -bush under which they sat and throwing them from -him as he thought. Sir Lionel's story was worse -than he had expected. Mary Hastings was in the -Sungan ruins. She might even now be dead. He -put the thought from him by an effort of will. -</p> - -<p> -The full force of his feeling for the girl flooded -in on him. From the night when her servants had -seized him in the <i>aul</i> she had been in his thoughts. -It was this feeling—the binding love that sometimes -falls to the lot of a man of solitary habits, whose -character does not permit him to show it—that had -led him to warn her against going into the Gobi. -And it was this that had urged him after her with -all possible haste. -</p> - -<p> -Now the Hastings' caravan had been wiped out -and Mary was in the hands of the men of Sungan. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll start at once," he said quietly. "That is, -if you feel up to it." -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman roused with an effort and tried -to smile. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm pretty well done up, I'm afraid, Captain -Gray. But put me on a mule, you know. I'll -manage well enough." Gray knew that he was lying, -and warmed to the pluck of the man. "I must not -delay you." -</p> - -<p> -"We should be at the ruins in thirty-six hours." -</p> - -<p> -"Right! Where's the mule——" he broke off as -Mirai Khan appeared beside them. -</p> - -<p> -"Excellency!" The Kirghiz's eyes were wide -with excitement. "I have seen men with rifles -approaching on two sides." -</p> - -<p> -"Bring your mules into the brush, Captain Gray," -said Sir Lionel quickly. "And place your men -behind the boxes of stores. You will pardon my -giving orders? These are undoubtedly the same -fellows who exchanged shots with us a little further -on. If you can spare a rifle——" -</p> - -<p> -The American handed him the piece slung to his -shoulder, with the bandolier of cartridges. The -Kirghiz hunters were already leading the mules to -the brush. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap15"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XV -<br /><br /> -A LAST CAMP -</h3> - -<p> -Gray had no means of knowing who the -newcomers were, but experience had taught him the -value of an armed front when dealing with an -unknown element. And Sir Lionel's story had excited -his gravest fears. -</p> - -<p> -Under the American's brisk directions the -Mohammedans unloaded the animals and tied them -near the well. The stores they carried to the outer -bushes. Mirai Khan primed his breechloader -resignedly. -</p> - -<p> -"Said I not the wild camel tracks were a warning?" -he muttered in his beard. "Likewise it is -written that the grave of a white man shall be dug -here in the Gobi. What is written, you may not -escape. You could have turned back, but you -would not." -</p> - -<p> -"Take one man," ordered Gray sharply, "and -watch the eastern side of the brush." -</p> - -<p> -"A good idea," approved the Englishman, who -had persuaded one of the hunters to place the roll -of the tent in front of him. He laid the rifle across -the bundle of canvas coolly. "We must beat off -these chaps before we can go ahead." He nodded -at Gray, calmly. -</p> - -<p> -Gray left one of the hunters with Sir Lionel, well -knowing the value of the presence of a white man -among the Kirghiz. He himself took the further -side of the triangle to the north. The knoll was on -a ridge that ran roughly due east and west. The -nearest sand ridges were some two hundred yards -away. Behind them he could see an occasional -rifle barrel or sheepskin cap. -</p> - -<p> -By this arrangement, at least three rifles could be -brought to bear in any quarter where a rush might -be started; likewise, they could watch all menaced -points. But their adversaries seemed little inclined -to try tactics of that sort. They remained concealed -behind the dunes, keeping up a scattering fire badly -aimed into the knot of men in the brush. -</p> - -<p> -This did small damage. The Kirghiz, once the -matter was put to an issue, proved excellent marksmen, -and gave back as good as they received. Gray, -watching from his post under a bush, fancied that -two or three of Mirai Khan's shots took effect. He -himself did not shoot. An automatic is designed -for rapid fire at close range, not for delicate sniping. -</p> - -<p> -But Sir Lionel was at home with a rifle. Glancing -back under the tamarisk Gray saw him adjust -his eyeglass calmly, lay his sights on a target, and -press the trigger, then peer over his shelter to see -if his effort had been successful. The Englishman -evidently had seen action before—many times, Gray -guessed, judging the man. -</p> - -<p> -"A reconnoissance in force, I should call it, old -man," the Englishman called back at him. "I think -we are safe here. But the delay is dangerous." -</p> - -<p> -He paused to try a snap shot at the dune -opposite. Gray scanned the ground in front of him, -frowning. He knew that Sir Lionel was as impatient -as he to start for Sungan. There was no help -for it, unless the attacking party could be driven off. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had been pondering the matter. Their -adversaries appeared to be a small party, and they -had suffered at least three or four casualties in the -first hour. Gray's force was still intact. -</p> - -<p> -As nearly as he could make out the men behind -the dunes were Chinese—border Chinese, and ill -armed. Why they attacked him, he did not know. -Mirai Khan had taken it for granted. -</p> - -<p> -"Any one who enters this part of the Gobi seems -to be marked for execution," he thought grimly. -"If that's the case, two can play at it. And we've -got to start before nightfall." -</p> - -<p> -Cautiously he wormed his way back into the -bushes to the side held by Mirai Khan. To this -individual he confided what was in his mind. The -Kirghiz objected flatly at first. But when Gray -assured him that unless they did as he planned, night -would catch them on the knoll, and they would be -unable to fight off a rush, he yielded. -</p> - -<p> -"If God wills," he muttered, "we may do it. -And I do not think I shall die here." -</p> - -<p> -Blessing the fatalism of his guide for once, Gray -summoned one of the hunters. He removed a -spare clip of cartridges from his belt and took it in -his left hand. This done, he nodded to the two -Kirghiz, straightened and ran out along the ridge, -on the side away from Sir Lionel. -</p> - -<p> -The maneuver took their enemies by surprise. -One or two shots were fired at the three as they -raced along the dune and gained the summit behind -which the Chinese had taken shelter. Gray saw -four or five men rise hastily and start to flee. -</p> - -<p> -He worked the trigger of his automatic four -times, keeping count carefully. Accurate shooting -is more a matter of coolness than of skill. Two of -the Chinese fell to earth; another staggered and -ran, limping. The survivors picked up the two -wounded and disappeared among the dunes. -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Hai!</i>" grunted Mirai Khan in delight, "there -speaks the little gun of many tongues. Truly, never -have I seen——" -</p> - -<p> -"Follow these men," commanded Gray sternly. -"See that they continue to flee." Motioning to the -other Kirghiz, he trotted back across the ridge to -the further side. Here he was met with a -scattering fire which kicked up some dust, but caused no -damage. -</p> - -<p> -The Chinese on this side of the white men's -stronghold had learned the fate of their fellows and -did not await the coming of the "gun of many -tongues." -</p> - -<p> -Gray saw a half dozen figures melting into the -dunes, and emptied the automatic at them, firing at -a venture. He thought at least one of his shots had -taken effect. Pressing forward, he and the Kirghiz -—who had gained enormous confidence from the -display of the automatic—drove their assailants for -some distance. When the Chinese had passed out -of sight, Gray hurried back to the knoll. -</p> - -<p> -There he found Sir Lionel seated with his back -against the roll of canvas with the excited Kirghiz. -</p> - -<p> -"The coast seems to be clear," observed Gray. -"We can set out——" -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman coughed, and tried to smile. "I -stay here, I'm afraid," he objected. "It's my rotten -luck, Captain Gray. One of the beggars potted me -in that last volley. A chance shot." -</p> - -<p> -He motioned to his chest, where he had opened -the shirt. The cloth was torn by the bullet. -"Touched the lung, you know"—again he -coughed, and spat blood—"badly." -</p> - -<p> -Gray made a hasty examination of the wound. -It was bleeding little outwardly; but internal -bleeding had set in. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll have to get you back to Ansichow," he -said with forced cheerfulness. "A mule litter and -one of the Kirghiz will do the trick." -</p> - -<p> -"No, it won't, old man." Sir Lionel shook his -head. "I'd never get there. One day's travel would -do me up. I'll stick—here." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan, who had rejoined the party, drew -his companions aside and talked with them earnestly. -Gray did what he could to make the Englishman -comfortable. Assisted by the hunters, who -worked reluctantly, he had the tent pitched, and laid -the wounded man on a blanket, where he was -protected by the canvas from the sun. -</p> - -<p> -This done, he filled and lighted his pipe and sat -beside his friend, smoking moodily. -</p> - -<p> -"You'll find a cigarette in my shirt pocket," said -Sir Lionel quietly. "Will you light it for me? I've -enough lung—to smoke, and——" he cleared his -throat with difficulty. "Thanks a lot. I've -something to say to you. Won't take—a minute. -Fever's set in. Must talk. Last message, you -know." -</p> - -<p> -He smiled with strained lips. -</p> - -<p> -"Strange," he added. "Thought it only -happened—in books." -</p> - -<p> -Gray watched the shadows crawling across the -knoll, and frowned. Sir Lionel, he knew, could -not survive another day. With the death of his -friend, he would be alone. And he must find Mary -Hastings. He wondered what the Englishman -wished to tell him. -</p> - -<p> -"You know," began the other, seizing a moment -when his throat was clear, "I said I'd seen the faces -of the men of Sungan. They had their hands on -me, and I saw them close. I did not tell you at first -what I deduced from that." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded, thinking how the explorer had -broken off in the middle of a sentence in his story -of two hours ago. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't forget, Captain Gray——" a flash of -eagerness passed over the tanned face—"I was the first -in Sungan. I want the men who sent me to know -that. Well, the faces I saw were white—in spots." -</p> - -<p> -Gray whistled softly, recalling the words of -Brent. The missionary had said that the man he -saw in the Gobi was partially white. Also, Mirai -Khan had said the same. -</p> - -<p> -"Those men, Captain Gray, were not white men. -They were afflicted with a disease. I've seen it too -often—to be mistaken. It is leprosy." -</p> - -<p> -Mechanically, Gray fingered his pipe. Leprosy! -This sickness, he knew, caused the flesh of the face -to decay and turn white in the process. And -leprosy was common in China. -</p> - -<p> -"I've been thinking," continued the Englishman, -"while I was waiting to sight your caravan. There -are lepers in the ruins of Sungan. That may be -why the spot is isolated. The Chinese have leper -colonies." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes," assented Gray. Neither man voiced the -thought that was uppermost in his mind, that Mary -had been seized by these men. "Mirai Khan told -me that Sungan was an unclean place. The -Kirghiz—who are fairly free from the disease—avoid -Sungan. Delabar, my companion, feared it, I think." -</p> - -<p> -"This explains the myth of the white race in the -Gobi—perhaps. And the guards." -</p> - -<p> -"Mirai Khan said that men were brought from -China, from the coast, to the sands of Sungan," -added Gray grimly. "God—why didn't they warn us?" -</p> - -<p> -"You were warned, Captain Gray. Our caravan -traveled as secretly as possible. I—I paid no -attention to what the Chinese said. They have their -secrets. I should have been more cautious. I made -the mistake of my race. Overconfidence in dealing -with natives. I wanted to be the first white man in -Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -He paused, reaching for a cup of water that -Gray had filled for him. The American watched -him blankly. So the talk of the pale sickness had -proved to be more than legend. And he had -discovered the root of Delabar's dread of the Gobi. -Why had not the scientist said in so many words -that Sungan was a leper colony? Doubtless Delabar -had known that Gray would not turn back until -he had seen the truth of the matter for himself. -</p> - -<p> -Had Wu Fang Chien reasoned along similar -lines? It was natural that the Chinese authorities -had not wanted the American to visit one of the -isolated leper colonies. Wu Fang Chien had -discovered Gray's mission. And the mandarin had -been willing to kill Gray in order to keep him from -Sungan. The Asiatic had tried to keep the white -man from probing into one of the hidden, infected -spots of Mongolia. Was this the truth? Gray, -heart-sick from what Hastings had told him, -believed so. Later, he came to understand more fully -the motives that had actuated Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -"Remember," continued Sir Lionel wearily, "we -learned that the Wusun were captives. The stone -itself—the boundary stone we found at -Ansichow—said as much." -</p> - -<p> -"But the stone referred to the Wusun as -conquerors." -</p> - -<p> -"Some legend of a former century. Another of -the riddles—of Asia. I'm afraid, Captain Gray, -we've failed in our mission. And it has -cost—much." He coughed, and raised his eyes to Gray. -"We have found the lepers of Sungan. And we -have let them take Mary. I'm out of the game, -rather. And I'd prefer to die here than in a mule -litter. You've done all for me you can." -</p> - -<p> -Gray made a gesture of denial. The pluck of -the Englishman, facing inevitable death, stirred his -admiration. Lack of vitality, more than the wound, -made it impossible to get Hastings out of the Gobi -alive. Knowing this, Sir Lionel treated his own -situation as indifferently as he might have disposed -of a routine question of drill. -</p> - -<p> -"I didn't tell you about the lepers at first," he -continued, "because I was afraid you might lack -the nerve to go on. I wouldn't blame you. But -I've seen you under fire—and I know better." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm going after Mary," said Gray grimly. -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"Of course. Not much of a chance; but—I'm -glad." He coughed and wiped his lips. "You were -right, Captain Gray. She—she told me what you -said at Ansichow. I regret that she—offended you. -I have spoiled her, you know. A dear girl——" His -cough silenced him. -</p> - -<p> -Gray sought for words, and was silent. Neither -man liked to reveal his feelings. -</p> - -<p> -"My heedlessness brought Mary to Sungan, -Captain Gray. Now I'm asking you to make good my -mistake, if possible——" -</p> - -<p> -"Excellency!" The shaggy head of Mirai Khan -appeared between the tent flaps. "I must speak -with you." -</p> - -<p> -Gray went outside, to find the Kirghiz scowling -and ill at ease. In their faces the sun was vanishing -over the plain of the Gobi, dyeing the bare, yellow -hillocks with deep crimson. A brown lizard trailed -its body away from the two men, leaving the mark -of its passage in the sand. -</p> - -<p> -"Excellency, the hour of our parting is at hand. -I go no further. The debt I owed you for saving -my life I still owe, but—you will not turn back from -Sungan. Hearken, hunter of the mighty little gun. -I and my comrades followed the tracks of our -enemies. They were camel tracks." -</p> - -<p> -"Nonsense," growled Gray. "Those were men -with guns. You saw them." -</p> - -<p> -"And I saw the prints in the sands. They were -not the tracks of men, but of camels. It is an evil -thing when men are like to animals. My comrades -were filled with a great fear. They have departed -back to Sungan, taking the mules, for their -pay——" -</p> - -<p> -Gray glanced quickly about the encampment. It -was empty, except for the tent. -</p> - -<p> -"What is written may not be changed," uttered -the Kirghiz sententiously. "The others are gone, -and I will follow. God has forbidden that we -remain in this evil spot. Because of my love for -you, I have left you the rifle, standing against the -wall of the cloth house, with its strap. If it is your -will, you may shoot me with the little gun of many -tongues, because I am leaving you. But I think -you will not. I could have gone without your -knowing." -</p> - -<p> -Gray surveyed the hunter moodily. Mirai Khan -smiled affectionately. -</p> - -<p> -"Even if you had threatened to shoot us, Excellency, -we would not have taken another pace nearer -Sungan. The spot is unclean. And why should -you shoot us—for saving our lives? My comrades -said that soon you will be dead, and would not need -the mules, so they took the animals. I do not know -if you will die, or not. You have the quick wits of -a mountain sheep, and the courage of a tiger. But -I fear greatly for you. He who is inside——" -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan pointed to the tent. -</p> - -<p> -"He who is inside will die here. Did I not -foretell a white man would die? But you will go on, -for the men of Sungan have taken the white woman -who warmed your heart. I have eyes, and I have -seen your love for the woman." -</p> - -<p> -Gray walked to the rifle and inspected it. The -chamber was empty, and the cartridges had gone -from the bandolier. Sir Lionel had used up the -small supply in the belt. Gray had no reserve -ammunition. Wu Fang Chien had taken that. He -handed the weapon to Mirai Khan. -</p> - -<p> -"I have no more bullets for it," he said briefly. -"Take it. Also, send word to the nearest white -missionary behind Ansichow. Tell him what has -passed here, and that I set out to-night for Sungan. -Ask him to send the message back to my country, -to this man." -</p> - -<p> -On a sheet of paper torn from a corner of the -maps he still carried, Gray wrote down Van -Schaick's name and address. -</p> - -<p> -"It shall be done as you say," acknowledged the -hunter, placing the paper in his belt. "The gun is -a fine gun. But the little one of many tongues is -better. Remember, we could have fallen upon you -in the house of cloth and taken all you had. My -comrades wished to do it, but I would not, for we -have eaten salt together." -</p> - -<p> -Mirai Khan lifted his hand in farewell, caught -up the precious rifle, and hurried away, calling over -his shoulder, "I must come up with the hunters -before dark, or they will take the mule that is mine -and leave me. As you have said, your message shall -be sent." -</p> - -<p> -He vanished in the dunes to the east, his -cloth-wrapped feet moving soundlessly over the sand. -Gray watched him go. He could not force the -Kirghiz to continue on to Sungan. Even if he tried -to do so, he had seen enough to know that from -this point on Mirai Khan would be useless to him. -</p> - -<p> -Before returning to Sir Lionel he made a circuit -of the ridge and inspected the footprints where their -enemies of the afternoon had passed. He saw a -network of curious prints, marks of broad, splay -hoofs. Occasionally, there was a blood stain. -</p> - -<p> -He had been too far from the attacking party to -notice their feet—and too busy to think about any -such matter. But, undeniably, as Mirai Khan had -said, here were camel tracks and nothing else. -</p> - -<p> -"The devil!" he swore. "I certainly saw those -Chinese—and they were men. Probably a trick—it -certainly worked well enough to scare my guides." -</p> - -<p> -He dismissed the matter with a shrug and made -his way back to the tent. -</p> - -<p> -"Anything gone wrong?" asked the Englishman. -</p> - -<p> -"Nothing new," Gray evaded, unwilling to -distress Sir Lionel with the truth. -</p> - -<p> -"Then you'll be setting out, I fancy." He spoke -with an effort. "I'll do nicely here—if you'll fill my -water jar, and light the candle I see beside it. Don't -leave me food—can't eat, you know. Deuced -hemorrhage——" -</p> - -<p> -Gray left him coughing, and filled the jar at the -well. Also his own canteen which was slung at his -belt. He lit the candle and placed it in the sand by -the Englishman. Sir Lionel counted the cigarettes -that lay beside the candle. -</p> - -<p> -"They'll last—long enough," he whispered. -"Close the tent, please, when you go out." -</p> - -<p> -As if a giant hand had blotted out the light, the -tent became darker. Sir Lionel looked up. "Sunset," -he muttered, "no parade. I'll keep to my -barracks." -</p> - -<p> -Gray turned away. He could see that the man -was nerving himself to be alone, and mustering his -strength for the coming ordeal. The Englishman -was utterly brave. -</p> - -<p> -The American adjusted the blankets, and placed -the remaining food—some flour cakes—in his shirt. -Sir Lionel forced a smile. -</p> - -<p> -"Right!" he whispered. "Strike due west—moonlight -will show you compass bearings. Watch -out for the ruins. Know you'll get Mary out, if -it can be done. Good-by and good luck!" -</p> - -<p> -"You're game!" exclaimed Gray involuntarily. -"Good-by." -</p> - -<p> -The Englishman adjusted his eyeglass as they -shook hands. "Remember—due west." -</p> - -<p> -Gray glanced back as he closed the curtains of -the tent and tied the flap cords. Sir Lionel was -lighting himself a cigarette at the candle. -</p> - -<p> -That was the last he saw of Major Hastings. -Sir Lionel died without complaint, a brave man -doing his duty as best he could. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap16"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVI -<br /><br /> -GRAY CARRIES ON -</h3> - -<p> -As his friend had predicted, Gray was able to -watch his compass by moonlight, within an hour. -It was a clear night. The stars were out in force -with a trace of the white wisp clouds that hang -above a dry, elevated plateau. -</p> - -<p> -Sir Lionel was out of the game, and with him the -Kirghiz hunters. Gray was alone for the first time -since his visit to Van Schaick the evening that he -had contracted to find the Wusun. He smiled -grimly as he thought how matters had changed. -</p> - -<p> -Here he was at the gate of the Wusun, the captive -race. But Sir Lionel had found them hardly -what Gray expected. A leper's colony is not a -pleasant thing to visit. And this one was unusually -well guarded. Behind these guards, in the ruins -of Sungan, was Mary Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -This thought had gnawed at the American's heart -for the past twelve hours. The girl he loved—he -could no more conceal that fact from himself than -he could lose sight of the Gobi—was among the -lepers. Was she alive? He did not know. The -guards of Sungan did not seem overmerciful. But -why should they kill her? -</p> - -<p> -No, he reasoned, she was alive. She must be -alive. And she was waiting for help to come. She -might have discovered that her uncle had escaped -in the fight before the ruins. And she knew that -Gray was coming to Sungan in their tracks. -</p> - -<p> -What Gray was going to do after he found the -girl, he did not know. He had long ago discovered -that a multitude of difficulties confuse and baffle -a man. He had trained himself to tackle only one -thing at a time; not only that, but to think of only -one thing. If he found Mary, there would be time -to consider what would come next. -</p> - -<p> -The thought of the girl urged him on, so that it -was hard to keep an even pace. But he was aware -of the uselessness of blind haste. He struck a -steady gait which he could keep up for hours, a -swift walk that left the dunes behind rapidly. -</p> - -<p> -These dunes, he noticed, were not as high as at -first. The desert was becoming more level, the -soil harder. At some points the clay surface -appeared between the sand ridges. -</p> - -<p> -Gray did not try to eat. Nor did he drink, knowing -the folly of that at the beginning of a march. -In time he would do both, not now. -</p> - -<p> -The man's powerful frame enabled him to keep -up the pace he had set without fatigue or loss of -breath. This was the secret of Gray's success as -an explorer—his careful husbanding of his great -vitality, and his refusal to worry over problems -that lay in the future. -</p> - -<p> -When the vision of Mary flashed on him as he -watched the summits of the dunes, silvered by the -cold moonlight, he put it aside resolutely. The -last sight of the girl—the slender figure perched -jauntily on the camel as she rode away after their -quarrel—tormented him from time to time. In -spite of himself an elfin chord of memory visioned -the friendly gray eyes, and the delicate face of Mary -Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -Gray set himself to considering his situation, -realizing that he had desperate need of all his wits -if he was to face Sungan and its people. -</p> - -<p> -First there was the puzzle of the camel tracks -that had frightened Mirai Khan. These tracks had -been left by the party that had attacked Sir Lionel -and himself. They had been sighted the day before. -</p> - -<p> -It was possible that the first prints they had seen -were those of one of their enemies, and that this -man had carried the news of their coming to his -companions. It would have been easy for the men -of the camel feet—as Gray thought of them—to -trail his party without being seen among the dunes. -Or else, they might have been following Sir Lionel. -</p> - -<p> -Gray decided that this was what had happened. -The men of the camel feet had been tracking the -Englishman. -</p> - -<p> -This deduction led to another. The Hastings -party had been attacked. Failing to turn them back, -their assailants might have sent word of their -approach to Sungan. -</p> - -<p> -"Let's see what I know," mused Gray methodically. -"Camel feet armed with guns beaten off by -Hastings' caravan—send news to Sungan. -Ambuscade prepared at Sungan ruins for Sir Lionel. -He walks into it. After attack by lepers, camel -feet take up pursuit of him, tracking him back to -well, where they engage us." -</p> - -<p> -Then the camel feet constituted a kind of outer -guard of Sungan. They were poor fighters and -seemed to have no heart for their work. The men -who had wiped out the caravan were another kind. -Sir Lionel had distinctly said they were not armed. -They were lepers. -</p> - -<p> -There was then an outer and an inner guard of -Sungan. The outer—composed of an indifferent -soldiery—had been seen by the missionary Brent. -The captive these guards had been pursuing had -undoubtedly been a leper, escaped from the colony. -</p> - -<p> -Had Brent been done to death by the Chinese who -knew what he had seen? If so, then Mary—— -</p> - -<p> -Gray groaned at the thought and the muscles of -his jaw tightened. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm through the outer guards," he forced himself -to reason. "But there's one thing that calls for an -answer. Why do the Chinese force the lepers to -drive off intruders? The poor devils are not good -fighters. No better than the driven dogs Sir Lionel -pictured them. They must have a hard master." -</p> - -<p> -It was possible, of course, that the Chinese priests -who were masters of Sungan had forced the lepers -to attack the caravan as a last resource, after Sir -Lionel's men had driven off the outer guards. In -China human life has a low value, and that of a -leper is a small matter. Such a proceeding would -be in keeping with the cruelty of the priests—who -saw their own power and the prestige of ancient -Buddha waning with the inroads of civilization. -</p> - -<p> -He was growing physically tired by now, to some -extent. This growing weariness took toll of his -thoughts, and brought the image of Mary before his -memory. -</p> - -<p> -He pictured her as he had first seen her—a slender -figure in the bright tent, mistress of well-trained -servants. Gray had loved her from the first. It -seemed to him it had been a long time. As nearly -as he had ever worshiped anything, he worshiped -the girl. -</p> - -<p> -There had been no other women in his life. He -smiled ruefully, reflecting upon his blundering -effort to help the girl. And she was now far removed -from his help. It appalled him—how little he might -be able to aid her. -</p> - -<p> -With another man, this fear might have turned -into reckless haste, or blind cursing against the -fate that had befallen Mary Hastings. Gray -pressed on silently, unhurried, the flame of his love -burning fiercely. -</p> - -<p> -In this manner he would go on until he had found -her, or those who had taken her. There was no -alternative. Mirai Khan would have said that Gray -was a fatalist, but Mirai Khan did not know the soul -of a white man. -</p> - -<p> -"If only I am not too late," he thought. "I must -not be too late. That could not happen." -</p> - -<p> -Gray had no words to frame a prayer. But, lacking -words, he nevertheless prayed silently as he -walked. -</p> - -<p> -The stars faded. The moon had disappeared over -the plain in front of the American. The dunes -turned from black to gray and to brown, as the -sunrise climbed behind him. -</p> - -<p> -Gray sat down on a hillock, and drew out his -flour cakes. These—some of them—he chewed, -washing them down with water from his canteen. -</p> - -<p> -Had Sir Lionel lived to see that day? Gray -thought not. Mirai Khan's prophecy had born -fruit. -</p> - -<p> -A few feet away an animal's skull—a gazelle, by -the horns—peered from the sand. Gray watched -it quietly until the sun gleamed on the whitened -bone. Then he rose, stretching his tired limbs, and -pressed on. -</p> - -<p> -Late that afternoon he sighted the towers of -Sungan slightly to the north of his course. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Working his way forward, Gray scanned the -place through his glasses. He was on the summit -of a ridge about a half mile from the nearest -towers. The ruins lay in the center of a wide plain -which seemed to be clay rather than sand. -</p> - -<p> -At intervals over the plain sand drifts had -formed. Gray wondered if it was from behind these -that the lepers had advanced on the Hastings' caravan. -In the center of the plain trees and stunted -tamarisks grew, indicating the presence of water. -</p> - -<p> -Throughout this scattered vegetation the ruins -pushed through the sand. Sir Lionel had been -correct in his guess that the desert sand had -overwhelmed the city. Gray could see that only the tops -of the tumble-down walls were visible—those and -the towers which presumably had been part of the -palaces and temples of ancient Sungan. Even the -towers were in a ruined state. -</p> - -<p> -They seemed to be formed of a dark red sandstone, -which Gray knew was found in the foothills -of the Thian Shan country, to the north. He -judged that the structures were at least five or six -centuries old. He saw some portions of walls -which were surmounted by battlements. And the -towers—through the glasses—showed narrow -embrasures instead of modern windows. -</p> - -<p> -The sight stirred his pulse. Before him was the -ancient city of the Gobi that had been the abode -of a powerful race before it was invaded by the -advancing sands. Past these walls the caravan of -Marco Polo had journeyed. The great Venetian -had spoken of a city here, where no modern -explorers had found one. He had called it Pe-im. -</p> - -<p> -And in the ruins Mary Hastings might be still -living, in desperate need of him. -</p> - -<p> -What interested Gray chiefly were the people of -the place. He was too far to make them out clearly, -and only a few were visible. This puzzled him, -for Sir Lionel had mentioned a "pack of lepers." -</p> - -<p> -He was able to see that the people were of two -kinds. One was robed in a light yellow or brown -garment. Several of these men were standing or -sitting on ridges outside the ruins. Gray guessed -that they were sentinels. -</p> - -<p> -Furthermore, he believed them to be priests. The -other kind wore darker dress and appeared from -time to time among the ruins. They were—or -seemed to be, at that distance—both men and -women. -</p> - -<p> -The thought of the girl urged Gray to action. It -would be the part of wisdom to wait until nightfall -before entering the city. But he could not -bring himself to delay. -</p> - -<p> -He was reasonably sure, from the conduct of the -men acting as sentinels, that he had not been seen -as yet. He had planned no course of action. What -he wanted to do, now that he had an idea of the lay -of the land, was to get hold of one of the men of -Sungan, leper or priest, and question him about the -white woman who had been taken prisoner. -</p> - -<p> -Mary had been in Sungan at least three days and -nights. Surely the people of the place must know -of her. Once Gray had an idea where she was -kept, he would be able to proceed. -</p> - -<p> -The venture appeared almost hopeless. How -could he enter the ruins, find the girl, and bring her -out safely? What would they do then? How was -he to deal with the lepers, whose touch meant -possible contagion? -</p> - -<p> -But he was hungry for sight of Mary—to know -if she was still alive. He could not wait until night -to learn this. He marked the position of the nearest -men in his mind, returned the glasses to their -case, loosened his automatic in its sheath, and -slipped down from his lookout behind the ridge. -</p> - -<p> -"I've cut out sentries," he mused grimly, "but not -this kind. They don't seem to be armed." -</p> - -<p> -In fact, the men of Sungan were not armed—with -modern weapons. But they had a deadly -means of defense in the disease which bore a -miserable death in its touch. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, for once, blessed the continuous dunes of -the Gobi. He went forward cautiously, keeping -behind the ridges and edging his way from gully -to gully, crawling at times and not daring to lift his -head for another look at the sentinels he had located. -</p> - -<p> -His sense of direction was good. He had crawled -for the last half hour and the sun was well past -mid-day when he heard voices a short distance -ahead. -</p> - -<p> -Removing his hat, Gray peered over the sand -vigilantly. He found that he had come almost in -the line he had planned. A hundred yards away -two figures were seated on a rise. They wore the -yellow robes he had first noticed. -</p> - -<p> -As he watched, one rose and walked away leisurely -toward the ruins. The other remained seated, -head bent on his clasped arms which rested on his -knees. There was something resigned, almost -hopeless, in the man's attitude. -</p> - -<p> -Gray waited until the first priest had had time -to walk some distance. Then he wriggled forward -alertly. -</p> - -<p> -He had no means of knowing that others were not -on the further side of the ridge where the sentry -sat. But he heard no further voices, and he had -ascertained carefully before he set out that these -two were isolated. -</p> - -<p> -Reasonably certain of his prey, Gray pulled -himself from stone to stone, from depression to -depression. Once the man looked up,—perhaps at a -slight sound. Then his head fell on his arms again. -Gray rose to his feet and leaped toward the ridge -silently. -</p> - -<p> -Eyes bent on the still figure of the priest, he -gained the foot of the dune. The man stiffened -and raised his head, as if he had sensed danger. -Gray was beneath him by now, and stretched out -a powerful arm. -</p> - -<p> -His hand closed on a sandaled foot and he pulled -the priest down from his perch. Gray's other hand -clamped on the man's mouth, preventing outcry. -They were sheltered from view from Sungan by the -ridge, and the American believed no one would -notice the disappearance of the priest. -</p> - -<p> -"If you cry out, you will die," he said in Chinese, -kneeling over the other. Cautiously he removed his -hand from the priest's mouth. -</p> - -<p> -"Tell me—" he began. Then—"It's a white man!" -</p> - -<p> -He peered at the dark, sunburned face, and the -newly shaven skull. -</p> - -<p> -"Delabar," he said slowly. "Professor Arminius -Delabar, minus a beard. No mistaking your eyes, -Professor. Now what, by all that's unholy, are -you doing here in this monkey rig?" -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap17"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVII -<br /><br /> -THE YELLOW ROBE -</h3> - -<p> -The man on the sand was silent, staring up at -Gray in blank amazement. It was Delabar, thinner -and more careworn than before. Shaven, all the -lines of his face stood out, giving him the appearance -of a skull over which yellow skin was stretched -taut—a skull set with two smoldering, haggard -eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"Speak up, man," growled Gray. "And remember -what I said about giving the alarm. I don't -know if this costume is a masquerade or not, -but—I can't afford to take chances this time." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar did not meet his gaze. He lay back on -the sand, fingers plucking at his thin lips. -</p> - -<p> -"I can't speak," he responded hoarsely. -</p> - -<p> -"You can. And you will. You'll tell me what I -want to know—this time. You lied to me before. -Now you'll deal a straight hand. This is not an -idle threat. I must have information." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar glanced at him fleetingly. Then looked -around. No one was in sight, as they lay in a pocket -in the sand. -</p> - -<p> -"What do you want to know?" -</p> - -<p> -"A whole lot. First—how did you get here? I -thought all white men were barred." -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien," said Delabar moodily. "He -caught me the day after I left you. He shot the -coolie and had me brought here." -</p> - -<p> -"What's the meaning of that?" Gray nodded -contemptuously at the yellow robe. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien punished me. He forced me to -join the Buddhist priests who act as guards of -Sungan. He did not want me to escape from China. -Here, I was safe under his men." -</p> - -<p> -"Hm. He trusts you enough to post you as one -of the sentries." -</p> - -<p> -"With another man. The other left to attend a -council of the priests. My watch is over at sunset. -In two hours." -</p> - -<p> -Gray scanned his erstwhile companion from -narrowed eyes. He decided the man was telling the -truth, so far. -</p> - -<p> -"Will these Buddhist dogs come to relieve you at -sunset, Delabar?" -</p> - -<p> -"No. The priests do not watch after nightfall. -Some of the lepers we—Wu Fang Chien can trust -make the rounds." -</p> - -<p> -"Is Wu Fang Chien in control here—governor -of Sungan?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar licked his lips nervously. Perspiration -showed on his bare forehead. "Yes. That is, the -mandarin is responsible to the Chinese authorities. -He has orders to keep all intruders from Sungan—on -account of the lepers." -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled without merriment. -</p> - -<p> -"You say the priests stand guard. Are they armed?" -</p> - -<p> -"No. Not with guns. Any one who tries to -escape from here is followed and brought back by -the outer guards—if he doesn't die in the desert." -</p> - -<p> -"I see." Gray gripped the shoulder of the man -on the sand. "Did you hear me say I wanted the -truth, not lies? Well, you may have been telling me -the letter of the truth. But not the whole. Once -you said 'we' instead of Wu Fang Chien. Likewise, -I know enough of Chinese methods to be sure Wu -wouldn't punish a white man by elevating him to -the caste of priest. You're holding something back, -Delabar. What is your real relation to Wu?" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar was silent for a long time. Staring -overhead, his eyes marked and followed the -movements of a wheeling vulture. His thin fingers -plucked ceaselessly at the yellow robe. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien," he said at length, "is my -master. He is the emissary of the Buddhists in -China. He has the power of life and death over -those who break the laws of Buddha. I am one of -his servants." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar raised himself on one elbow. -</p> - -<p> -"A decade ago, in India, I became a Buddhist, -Captain Gray. Remember, I am a Syrian born. I -spent most of my youth in Bokhara, and in Kashgar, -where I came under the influence of the philosophers -of the yellow robe. I acknowledged the tenets -of the Buddha; I bowed before the teachings of the -ancient Kashiapmadunga and the wisdom that is -like a lamp in the night—that burned before your -Christ. And I gave up my life to 'the world of -golden effulgence.'" -</p> - -<p> -A note of tensity crept into his eager words. The -dark eyes reflected a deeper fire. -</p> - -<p> -"Earthly lusts I forswore, for the celestial life -that is born by ceaseless meditation, and contemplation -of the <i>Maha-yana</i>. I was ordained in the first -orders of the priesthood. That was the time when -foreign missionaries began to enter China in force, -in spite of the Boxer uprising and the revolt of -the Tai-pings. The heads of the priesthood wanted -information about this foreign faith, and the peoples -of Europe. They wanted to know why the white -men sought to disturb the ancient soul of China." -</p> - -<p> -Gray whistled softly, as Delabar's character -became clear. -</p> - -<p> -"I was sent to Europe. At first I kept in touch -with the priesthood through Wu Fang Chien. Then -came the overthrow of the Manchus, and the -republic in China. But you can not cast down the -religion of eight hundred million souls by a <i>coup -d'état</i>. The priesthood still holds its power. And -it is still inviolate from the touch of the foreigner." -</p> - -<p> -Gray knew that this was true. The scattered -foreigners who had entered the coast cities of China, -and the missionaries who claimed a few converts -in the middle kingdom were only a handful in the -great mass of the Mongolians. In the interior, and -throughout Central Asia and India, as in Japan, -the shrines of Buddha, of Vishnu, and the temple of -the Dalai Lama were undisturbed. And here, not -on the coast, was the heart of Mongolia. Delabar -continued, almost triumphantly. -</p> - -<p> -"Word was sent to me from Wu Fang Chien—who -had heard the news from a Chinese servant of -the American Museum of Natural History—that an -expedition was being fitted out to explore Central -Mongolia. I was ordered to volunteer to accompany it." -</p> - -<p> -"And you did your best to wreck the expedition," -assented Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"I liked you, Captain Gray. I tried to persuade -you to turn back. At Liangchowfu it was too late. -When you escaped from Wu Fang Chien there, he -held me responsible for the failure. The priesthood -never trusted me fully." -</p> - -<p> -"In my religion," said Gray grimly, "there is a -saying that a man can not serve two masters and -save his own soul." -</p> - -<p> -Delabar shivered. -</p> - -<p> -"The priesthood," he muttered, "will not forgive -failure. Wu Fang Chien is watching me. You -can do nothing here. Go back, before we are seen -together. Sungan is nothing but a leper colony. -You were a fool to think otherwise." -</p> - -<p> -"And the Wusun?" -</p> - -<p> -"Lepers! They are the only ones here except -the priests." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's eyes hardened. -</p> - -<p> -"A lie, Delabar. Why should Wu Fang Chien -kill a dozen men to keep the English caravan and -myself from Sungan?" He caught and held Delabar's -startled gaze. "Where is Mary Hastings?" -</p> - -<p> -"I—who is she?" -</p> - -<p> -"You know, Delabar. The girl who came with -the caravan. She was taken prisoner. Where is -she?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know." -</p> - -<p> -Gray touched his automatic significantly. -</p> - -<p> -"I want to know," he said quietly. "And you -can tell me. It is more important than my life or -your miserable existence. <i>Where is Mary Hastings?</i>" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar cowered before the deadly purpose in the -white man's eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know, Captain Gray. Wu Fang Chien -ordered that when the caravan was attacked, she -should be brought to him. Not killed, but taken to -him. Some of the priests seized her and took her -to one of the inner courts of the city. At the time, -Wu Fang Chien was directing the attack on the -caravan. I have not seen her since." -</p> - -<p> -"Where is this inner court?" -</p> - -<p> -"You are a fool. You could not possibly get into -the ruins without being seen. Wu Fang Chien -would be glad to see you. I heard him say if the -girl was spared, you would come here after her. -He knew all that happened at Ansichow——" -</p> - -<p> -"Then she is alive!" Gray's pulses leaped. "So -my friend Wu is keeping the girl as bait for my -coming. A clever man, Wu Fang Chien. But how -did he know Sir Lionel had told me what happened -at Sungan?" -</p> - -<p> -"The Englishman was followed, back to where -he met you. If he had been killed in the fighting -here, I think Wu Fang Chien planned to send me to -bring you here——" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, he is clever." Gray studied the matter with -knitted brows. "So Wu wants to kill me off, now -that I have come this far—as he did the men of the -caravan? Look here! Does he know I'm near -Sungan? Were you put here as—bait?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," Delabar shook his head. "The men who -were sent to attack you—the Chinese soldiers hired -by Wu Fang Chien—lost track of you. Wu Fang -Chien does not know where you are—yet. If he -should find you here talking to me, it would be my -death. I—I have learned too much of the fate of -the Hastings. Oh, they were fools. Why should -your people want to pry into what is hidden from -them? Go back! You can do nothing for the girl." -</p> - -<p> -Gray stared at the Buddhist curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"You haven't learned much decency from your -religion, Delabar. So the outer guards failed to -make good, eh? By the way, how is it that they -leave camel tracks in the sand?" -</p> - -<p> -"They wear camels' hoofs instead of shoes. -Hoofs cut from dead wild camels that the Chinese -hunters kill for our food—for the lepers. It helps -them to walk on the sand, and mystifies the wandering -Kirghiz. Why do you want to throw your life -away——?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't." Gray sat down and produced some of -his flour cakes. "I want to get out of Sungan with -a whole skin, and with Mary Hastings." He -munched the cakes calmly, washing down the -mouthfuls with water from his canteen. "And I'm -going to get into the inner courts of Sungan. You're -going to guide me. If we're discovered, remember -you'll be the first man to die. Now, Delabar, I want -a good description of Sungan, its general plan, and -the habits of your Buddhist friends." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap18"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVIII -<br /><br /> -BASSALOR DANEK -</h3> - -<p> -Nightfall comes quickly after sunset on the -Gobi plain. Waiting until the shadows concealed -their movements, Gray and Delabar started toward -the city of Sungan. -</p> - -<p> -The moon was not yet up. By keeping within the -bushes that grew thickly hereabouts, Delabar was -able to escape observation from a chance passerby. -The man was plainly frightened; but Gray allowed -him no opportunity to bolt. -</p> - -<p> -"You'll stay with me until I see Mary Hastings," -he whispered warningly. -</p> - -<p> -A plan was forming in the American's mind—a -plan based on what Delabar had told him of the -arrangement of the buildings of Sungan. The -lepers, he knew, lived in the outer ruins, where he -had seen them that afternoon. In the center of the -Sungan plain, Delabar said, was a depression of -considerable extent. Here were the temples and -palaces, the towers of which he had seen. -</p> - -<p> -This, the old city, was surrounded by a wall. -Delabar said it was occupied by the priests. And -in this place Mary Hastings might be found. It -was a guess; but a guess was better than nothing. -</p> - -<p> -When they came to the first stone heaps, Gray -halted his guide. -</p> - -<p> -"You told me once," he whispered, "that Sungan -had a series of underground passages. Take me -down into these." -</p> - -<p> -"Through the lepers' dwellings?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded silently. Delabar was shivering—an -old trick of his, when nervous. -</p> - -<p> -"It is madness, Captain Gray!" he chattered. -"You do not know——" -</p> - -<p> -"I know what you told me. Likewise that you -don't want me to get into these temples. Step -out!" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar glanced around in despair and led the -way through the bushes. Once the American -caught the gleam of a fire and saw a group of lepers -squatting about a blaze in which they were toasting -meat. At the edge of the firelight starved dogs -crouched. -</p> - -<p> -They came to an excavation in the ground, lined -with stone. Delabar pointed to steps leading -downward into darkness. -</p> - -<p> -"An old well," he whispered. "It is dry, now. -A passage runs from it to the inner buildings." -</p> - -<p> -He seemed familiar with the way, and Gray -followed closely. The steps wound down for some -distance, the air becoming cooler. They halted on -what seemed to be a stone platform. -</p> - -<p> -"Here is the entrance to the passage," Delabar -muttered. "It was used to carry water to the -temple." -</p> - -<p> -Gray put his hand on the man's shoulder and -urged him forward, making sure at the same time -that the other did not seize the opportunity to make -his escape. He did not trust Delabar. He was -convinced that the Buddhist had not made a clean -breast of matters. For one thing, he was curious -as to why the priests should take such elaborate -precautions to guard the lepers. Elsewhere in -China there were no such colonies as Sungan. -</p> - -<p> -Why were armed guards stationed around Sungan? -Why were the lepers barred from the inner -walled city? Where was Wu Fang Chien? -</p> - -<p> -The answer to these questions lay in the temple -toward which they were headed. -</p> - -<p> -They went forward slowly. Complete silence -reigned in the passage. Occasionally Gray stumbled -over a loose stone. Then he heard for the first -time the chant. -</p> - -<p> -It came from a great distance. It was echoed by -the stone corridor, swelling and dying as the gust -of air quickened or failed. A deep-throated chant -that seemed to have the cadence of a hymn. -</p> - -<p> -"What is that?" he whispered. -</p> - -<p> -"The sunset hymn," Delabar informed him. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, who had forgotten the council of the -priests—which must be nearby—wondered why the man -shivered. -</p> - -<p> -"Does this passage lead direct to the council?" he -demanded. -</p> - -<p> -Delabar hesitated. -</p> - -<p> -"It leads to a cellar where two other corridors -join it," he muttered. "The chant is carried by the -echoes—the council is still far off." He moved -forward. "Come." -</p> - -<p> -This time he advanced quickly. The song -diminished to a low murmur, confused by distance. -Gray reflected that there must be many singers. If -all the priests were at the council, the corridors -might be clear. Wu Fang Chien would be with the -Buddhists. -</p> - -<p> -A glimmer of light showed ahead. It strengthened -as they drew nearer. Delabar broke into a half -trot, peering ahead. By the glow, Gray saw that -the passage they were in was a vaulted corridor of -sandstone carved in places with inscriptions which -seemed to be very old. -</p> - -<p> -The chant swelled louder as they reached the end -of the passage. Before them was a square chamber -resembling a vault. Two large candles stood in -front of another exit. Gray thought he noticed a -movement in the shadows behind the candles. His -first glance showed him that the only other opening -was a flight of stone steps, across from them. -</p> - -<p> -He reached out to check Delabar. But the man -slipped from his grasp and ran forward into the -room. Gray swore under his breath and leaped -after him. -</p> - -<p> -"Aid!" screamed Delabar. "Aid, for a follower -of Buddha! A white man has come into the passages——" -</p> - -<p> -He flung himself on his knees before the candles, -knocking his shaven head against the floor. Gray -halted in his tracks, peering into the shadows -behind the candles. -</p> - -<p> -"Help me to seize the white man!" chattered the -traitor. "I am a faithful servant of Buddha. I -have come to give warning. The white man forced -me to lead him." -</p> - -<p> -One after another three Buddhist priests slipped -from the shadows and stared at Delabar and Gray. -The former was in a paroxysm of fear, his knees -shaking, his hands plucking at his face. Gray, -silently cursing the trick the other had played, -watched the three priests. They had drawn long -knives from their robes and paused by Delabar, as -if waiting for orders. -</p> - -<p> -The alarm had been given. Footsteps could be -heard coming along the hall behind the candles. -Gray was caught. In the brief silence he heard -the deep-throated chant, echoing from a quarter he -could not place. -</p> - -<p> -Still the priests waited, the candlelight gleaming -from their white eyeballs. Gray cast a calculating -glance about the chamber. Two exits were available. -The stairs, and the passage down which he -had come. Which to take, he did not know. But -he was not minded to be run down at the well in -the dark. -</p> - -<p> -A broad, bland face looked out from the corridor -by the candles. He saw the silk robe and -luminous, slant eyes of Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -"So Captain Gray has come to Sungan," the mandarin -said calmly, in English. "I have been expecting -him——" -</p> - -<p> -"I did not bring him," chattered Delabar. "I -gave the alarm——" -</p> - -<p> -Terror was in his broken words. Wu Fang Chien -scrutinized the kneeling figure and his eyes -hardened. -</p> - -<p> -"Who can trust the word of a mongrel?" he -smiled, speaking in Chinese. "Slay the dog!" -</p> - -<p> -Delabar screamed, and tried to struggle to his -feet. Two of the Buddhists stepped to his side and -buried their weapons in his body. The scream -ended in a choking gasp. Again the priests struck -him with reddened knives. -</p> - -<p> -He sank to the floor, his arms moving weakly in -a widening pool of his own blood. Wu Fang Chien -had not ceased to smile. -</p> - -<p> -Gray jerked out his automatic. He fired at the -priests, the reports echoing thunderously in the -confined space. Two of the Buddhists sank down upon -the body of Delabar; the third wheeled wildly, -coughing as he did so. -</p> - -<p> -Gray laid the sights of his automatic coolly on -Wu Fang Chien. The mandarin reached out swiftly. -His wide sleeves swept against the candles, -extinguishing them. Gray pressed the trigger and -caught a glimpse of his foe's triumphant face by -the flash that followed. Again he pulled the trigger. -</p> - -<p> -A click was the only answer. The chamber of -the weapon had been emptied. And Gray had no -more cartridges. He threw the useless automatic -at the spot where Wu Fang Chien had been and -heard it strike against the stone. -</p> - -<p> -He had no means of knowing if he had hit the -mandarin with his last shot. He suspected that -the trick of Wu Fang Chien had saved the latter's -life. For a moment silence held the vault, a silence -broken by the groans of the injured priests. The -distant chant had ceased. -</p> - -<p> -Gray turned and sought the stairs behind him. -He had made up his mind to go forward, not back. -He would not try to leave Sungan without Mary -Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -He had marked the position of the steps, and -stumbled full upon them in the dark. Up the stairs -he scrambled, feeling his way. What lay before -him he did not know. -</p> - -<p> -A light appeared behind him. He heard footsteps -echo in the vault. The glow showed him that he was -at the top of the stairs. Into a passage he ran. It -resembled the one that led from the well. -</p> - -<p> -By the sounds behind him he guessed that the -priests were following him. Either Wu Fang Chien -had decided that Gray had taken to the stairs, or the -mandarin was sending parties down both exits. -</p> - -<p> -The feel of the air as well as the continued -coolness told Gray that he was still underground. He -ran forward at a venture. The passage gave into -another vaulted room in which a fire gleamed in a -brazier. The place was empty, but skins scattered -around the brazier showed that it had been -occupied not long since. -</p> - -<p> -Gray took the first opening that offered and ran -on. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the -Buddhists emerge into the room. He quickened his -pace. -</p> - -<p> -His pursuers had gained on him. Gray was picking -his way blindly through the labyrinth of -passages. He blundered into a wall heavily, felt his -way around a corner and was blinded by a sudden -glare of lights. -</p> - -<p> -Gray found himself standing in a lofty hall in -which a multitude of men were seated. -</p> - -<p> -His first impression was that he had come into -the council of the Buddhist priests. His second -was one of sheer surprise. -</p> - -<p> -The hall had evidently been a temple at one time. -A stone gallery ran around it, supported by heavy -pillars. The embrasures that had once served as -windows were blocked with timbers, through which -sand had sifted in and lay in heaps on the floor. -</p> - -<p> -The temple was underground. Openings in the -vaults of the ceiling let in a current of air which -caused the candles around the walls to flicker. -Directly in front of Gray was a daïs. Around this, -on ebony benches, an array of men were seated. -</p> - -<p> -The floor between him and the daïs was covered -with seated forms. All were looking at him. On -the platform was, not the figure of a god, but a -massive chair of carved sandalwood. In this chair -was seated an old man. A majestic form, clothed -in a robe of lamb's wool which vied in whiteness -with the beard that descended to the man's waist. -Each sleeve of the robe was bound above the elbow -by a broad circlet of gold. A chain of the same -metal was about the man's throat. -</p> - -<p> -What struck Gray was the splendid physique of -the elder in the chair. A fine head topped broad -shoulders. A pair of dark eyes peered at him under -tufted brows. High cheek bones stood out prominently -in the pale skin. The figure and face were -suggestive of power; yet the fire in the eyes bespoke -unrest, even melancholy. The man addressed Gray -at once, in a full voice that echoed through the hall. -</p> - -<p> -"Who comes," the voice said in broken Chinese, -"to the assembly of the Wusun?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray started. He glanced from the figure in the -chair to the others. There were several hundred -men in the room. All were dressed in sheepskin, -and nankeen, with boots of horsehide or red -morocco. The majority were bearded, but all showed -the same light skin and well-shaped heads. They -appeared spellbound at his coming. -</p> - -<p> -Footsteps behind him told him that his pursuers -were nearing the hall. Gray advanced through the -seated throng to the foot of the daïs. They made -way for him readily. -</p> - -<p> -Mechanically Gray raised his hand in greeting to -the man on the throne. -</p> - -<p> -"A white man," he answered. -</p> - -<p> -At that moment several of the Buddhist priests -entered the hall. He saw Wu Fang Chien appear. -At the sight there was a murmur from the throng. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was still breathing heavily from his run. -He stared at the majestic form on the daïs. The -Wusun! That was the word the other had used. -The word that Van Schaick had said came from the -captive race itself. -</p> - -<p> -He glanced at Wu Fang Chien. The Chinaman -was different from these men—broader of face, with -slant eyes and black hair. The eyes of the man in -the chair were level, and his mustache and beard -were full, even curling. He resembled the type -of Mirai Khan, the Kirghiz, more than Wu Fang -Chien. -</p> - -<p> -So this was the secret of Sungan. Gray smiled -grimly, thinking of how Delabar had tried to -conceal the truth from him—how the Buddhist had -chosen to betray him rather than run the risk of -his seeing the Wusun. And this explained the -guards. The Wusun were, actually, a captive race. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was quick of wit, and this passed through -his mind instantly. He noticed another thing. Wu -Fang Chien had left the other priests at the -entrance and was coming forward alone. The -mandarin folded his arms in his sleeves and bowed -gravely. For the first time he spoke the dialect of -the West. -</p> - -<p> -"Greetings, Bassalor Danek, Gur-Khan of the -Wusun," he said gravely. "It was not my wish to -disturb the assembly of the Wusun during the hour -of the sunset prayer, in the festival of the new -moon. I came in pursuit of an enemy—of one -who has slain within the walls of Sungan. You -know, O Gur-Khan, that it is forbidden to slay -here. When I have taken this man, I will leave -in peace." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek stroked the arms of the chair -gently and considered the mandarin. -</p> - -<p> -"Within the space of twelve moons, O Wu Fang -Chien, the foot of a Buddhist priest has not been -set within the boundary of my people. Here, I am -master, not you. That was agreed in the covenant -of my fathers and their fathers before them. You -have not forgotten the covenant?" -</p> - -<p> -"I have not forgotten," returned the mandarin -calmly. "It is to ask for the person of this -murderer that I come now. When I have him, I will -go." -</p> - -<p> -"Whom has he slain?" -</p> - -<p> -"Two of my men who watched at one of the passages." -</p> - -<p> -"Have the Wusun asked that guards be placed in -the passages?" -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien scowled, then smiled blandly. -</p> - -<p> -"We were waiting to seize this man—a foreign -devil. An enemy of your people as well as mine." -</p> - -<p> -Gray watched the two keenly. He had observed -that many of the Wusun near Bassalor Danek were -armed, after a fashion. They carried bows, and -others had swords at their hips. The followers of -Wu Fang Chien seemed ill at ease. Moreover, their -presence in the hall appeared to anger the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -Thrust suddenly into a totally strange environment, -Gray had only his wits to rely upon. He was -unaware of the true situation of the Wusun, as of -their character. But certain things were clear. -</p> - -<p> -They were not overfond of Wu Fang Chien. -And they were bolder in bearing than the Chinese. -Bassalor Danek, who had the title of Gur-Khan, -had spoken of a covenant which seemed to be more -of a treaty between enemies than an agreement -among friends. -</p> - -<p> -On the other hand, Wu Fang Chien spoke with -an assurance which suggested a knowledge of his -own power, and a certainty that he held the upper -hand of the situation. -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun had risen to their feet and were -pressing closer. They waited for their leader to -speak. The Gur-Khan hesitated as if weighing the -situation. -</p> - -<p> -"This man," Wu Fang Chien pointed to Gray, -"has come to Sungan with lies in his mouth. He -has pulled a veil over his true purpose. And he is -an enemy of Mongolia. You will do well to give -him up." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek turned his thoughtful gaze on -Gray. -</p> - -<p> -"You have heard what Wu Fang Chien has said," -he observed. "You speak his tongue. Tell me -why you have come through the walls of Sungan. -In the lifetime of ten men no stranger has come -to Sungan before this." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's head lifted decisively. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien," he responded slowly, "has -said that I killed his men. Is this a crime in one -man, when it is not such in another? Just a little -while ago the soldiers of the Chinese surprised and -destroyed a caravan of my people without warning -and without cause." -</p> - -<p> -"They had no right to come where they did," -asserted the mandarin blandly. -</p> - -<p> -"They were coming to Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien smiled and waved his brown -hand, as if brushing aside the protest of a child. -</p> - -<p> -"Foreign devils without a god. You were warned -to keep away." -</p> - -<p> -The white man's eyes narrowed dangerously. -</p> - -<p> -"I came to find a woman of my people that you -seized. She is here in Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek looked up quickly. "When did -she come to Sungan?" -</p> - -<p> -"Several days ago. And Wu Fang Chien kept -her. He planned to bring me here, in order to -kill me." Gray met the gaze of the old man -squarely. "This woman and I, Bassalor Khan, are -descended from the same fathers as your race. We -were coming to Sungan to seek you. And this man -has tried to prevent that. A score of men have -lost their lives because of it." -</p> - -<p> -The mandarin would have spoken, but the Gur-Khan -raised his hand. -</p> - -<p> -"This is a matter, Wu Fang Chien," he said with -dignity, "that cannot be decided in a wind's breath. -I will keep this stranger. I will hear his story! -At this time to-morrow, after sunset, come alone -to the hall and I will announce my decision. Until -then I will think." -</p> - -<p> -Wu Fang Chien frowned, but accepted the -verdict with the calmness that was the mark of his -character. -</p> - -<p> -"Remember, Bassalor Danek," he warned, "that -these people are devils from the outer world. And -remember the covenant which spares your people -their lives. Sungan is in the hollow of the hand -of Buddha. And Buddha is lord of Mongolia." -</p> - -<p> -The Gur-Khan seemed not to hear him. -</p> - -<p> -"Truly it is strange," he mused. "Twice in one -moon strangers have come before me, with the same -tale on their lips. This man, and the woman that -my young men took from your priests because she -had the face and form of one of our race. She, -also, is in my dwelling." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap19"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIX -<br /><br /> -CONCERNING A CITY -</h3> - -<p> -Contrary to general belief, a man does not sleep -heavily after two days and nights of wakefulness. -Gray had been without sleep for that time, but he -was alert, although very tired. Continuous activity -of the nervous system is not stilled at once. -</p> - -<p> -As soon as Wu Fang Chien left the hall of the -Wusun, the American had asked to be permitted -to see Mary Hastings. -</p> - -<p> -His request was refused by Bassalor Danek. The -woman, said the Gur-Khan, was under his protection -and could not be seen until daylight. Gray was -forced to acquiesce in this. He felt that Mary -would be safe in the hands of the elder, who seemed -to enjoy complete authority in the gathering. This -belief proved to be correct. -</p> - -<p> -The knowledge that the girl was near him and -reasonably protected from harm brought a flood -of relief, and eased the tension which had gripped -him for the past forty hours. He was exhilarated -by the first good news in many hours. -</p> - -<p> -As a consequence, he now became acutely hungry. -Bassalor Danek directed that he be taken from the -hall and fed. Two of the younger men with the -bows conducted him through a new series of -corridors, up several flights of winding steps and into -a small, stone compartment which, judging by the -fresh air that came through the embrasures, was -above the level of the sand. -</p> - -<p> -Here they supplied him with goat's milk, a kind -of cheese made from curdled mare's milk and some -dried meat which was palatable. Gray fell asleep -quickly on a pile of camel skins, while the -men—Bassalor Danek had referred to them as -<i>tumani</i>[<a id="chap19fn1text"></a><a href="#chap19fn1">1</a>]—watched curiously. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -<a id="chap19fn1"></a> -[<a href="#chap19fn1text">1</a>] Possibly derived from the Tatar word <i>tuman</i>, a -squadron of warriors, hunters. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Gray awakened with the first light that came into -the embrasures. He found that he was very stiff, -and somewhat chilled. At his first movement the -<i>tumani</i> were up. One of them, a broad-shouldered -youth who said his name was Garluk, spoke broken -Chinese, of a dialect almost unknown to Gray. -</p> - -<p> -He explained that they were in one of the towers -of the temple which projected well above the sand. -Gray, for the first time, had a fair view of Sungan -from the embrasures. -</p> - -<p> -It was a clear day. The sky to the east was -crimson over the brown plain of the Gobi. The -sun shot level shafts of light against the ruins. -Gray saw the wall of the old city—the abode of -the Wusun. Later in the day he wrote down some -notes of what he observed on the reverse side of the -maps he carried. They were roughly as follows: -</p> - -<p> -The old city had been built in an oasis, apparently -four or five centuries ago. Willows, poplars and -tamarisks lined narrow canals which had been -constructed through the ruins from the wells. By -walling these canals with stone, the Wusun had kept -them intact from the encroaching sand. There was -even grass near the canals, and several flocks of -sheep. The trees afforded shade—although the sun -is never unendurable in the Gobi, owing to the altitude. -</p> - -<p> -The buildings of the city had been more than -half enveloped by the moving sand which was swept -into the walled area—so Garluk said—with each -<i>kara buran</i>. Owing perhaps to the protection of -the wall, the sand ridges around the inner city were -higher than the ground within. So it was difficult -to obtain a good view of the city from the -surrounding country. -</p> - -<p> -Gray reflected that this must be why the Kirghiz -had reported seeing only the summits of some -towers; also, why he himself had taken the foliage -that he made out through his glasses for bushes. -</p> - -<p> -The buildings of Sungan were ancient, and -fashioned of solid sandstone so that although -partially covered with sand, their interiors—after -the embrasures had been sealed—were reasonably -comfortable and warm dwellings. Delabar had -been correct in quoting the legend that there were -extensive vaults and cellars in Sungan. The -underground passages communicated from vault to -vault—a system that was most useful in this region -where the black sand-storms occur every day in the -spring, early summer and throughout the winter. -</p> - -<p> -"Mighty good dugouts, these," thought Gray. -"The Wusun have certainly dug themselves in on -their ancestral hearths. Wonder how they manage -for food?" -</p> - -<p> -He asked Garluk this question. The Wusun -responded that he and certain of his companions—the -<i>tumani</i>—were allowed to go out on the plain -through the lines of lepers and hunt the wild camels -and gazelles of the plain. Also, the Buddhists -maintained several shepherd settlements near the -River Tarim, a journey of three or four days to the -west. -</p> - -<p> -Some citrons, melons and date trees grew by the -canals of Sungan. At times a caravan would -come to Sungan from China bringing other food. -</p> - -<p> -Through his glasses Gray made out the figures of -lepers outside the wall. Garluk explained that these -were "the evil fate of the Wusun." They were put -there to keep the Wusun within the wall. For -centuries he and his people had been pent up. They -were diminishing in numbers, due to the captivity. -Occasionally some adventurous man would escape -through the lepers and the Chinese soldiers, cross -the desert to Khotan or Kashgar. These never -returned. Death was the penalty for trying to escape. -</p> - -<p> -Gray scanned the ruins through his glasses. -Women were cooking and washing near the canals. -Men appeared from the underground chambers and -went patiently about the business of the day. They -seemed an orderly throng, and Gray guessed that -Bassalor Danek ruled his captive people firmly. -Which was well. -</p> - -<p> -He noticed pigeons in the trees. It was not an -ugly scene. But on every side stretched the barren -Gobi, encroaching on and enveloping the stronghold -of the Wusun, the "Tall Men." The same resignation -and patience that he had noted in the eyes -of Bassalor Danek were stamped in the faces of -Garluk and his companions. They were olive faces, -stolid and expressionless. Gray had seen the same -traits in some Southern Siberian tribes, isolated -from their fellows, and in the Eskimos. -</p> - -<p> -Among the notes, he afterwards jotted down some -references for Van Schaick—on the chance that he -would be able to get the data into the hands of his -employers. Gray had a rigid sense of duty. His -observations were fragmentary, for he lacked the -extended knowledge of racial history and -characteristics that Delabar was to have supplied. -</p> - -<p> -In spite of their confined life, the "Tall Ones" -were above the stature of the average Mongol. -Their foreheads did not slope back from the eyes -as much as in the Tartar of the steppe, and the -eyes themselves were larger, especially among the -young women, who were often attractive in face. -</p> - -<p> -Language: the Wusun had all the hard gutturals, -and the forcible "t" and "k" of the Mongol tongue; -but their words were syllabic—even poetically -expressive. Many myths appeared in their -songs—references to Genghis Khan, as the "Mighty -Man-slayer" and to Prester John, by his native -name—Awang Khan of the Keraits. -</p> - -<p> -Intelligence: on a par with that of the middle-class -Chinese, superior to that of the Kirghiz and -Dungans of the steppe. Their characteristics were -kindly and hospitable; their ideas simple, owing to -the narrow range of objects within their vision. Of -history and the progress of the world, they were -totally ignorant, being kept so in accordance with -the favorite practice of the Buddhists. -</p> - -<p> -Arms and implements: limited to the bow, and -the iron sword with tempered point. They had -seen firearms in the possession of the Chinese -guards, but were not allowed to own them. For -cultivation, they dragged a rude, wooden harrow -by hand, and used a sharply pointed hoe of iron. -As to cooking—this was done with rudimentary -utensils, such as copper pots purchased from the -Chinese, makeshift ovens in the sand, and spits over -an open fire. -</p> - -<p> -As to religion, Gray was destined to make a curious -discovery, as surprising as it was unexpected, -but one which was beyond his limited knowledge to -explain. -</p> - -<p> -Such were the Wusun, as Gray saw them. -</p> - -<p> -Garluk broke in on his thoughts with a guttural -exclamation. -</p> - -<p> -"How can you see so far," he demanded, "when -we can not see?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled and was about to hand the Wusun -his glasses when he checked himself. The binoculars -might prove useful later, he thought. As it -happened, they did. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile, Gray's mind had reverted to the -thought that was last with him when he had gone -to sleep the night before and was first to come to -him with awakening. He had neither washed nor -eaten, but he would not delay. -</p> - -<p> -"Take me to the white woman," he ordered. -</p> - -<p> -Still staring at him in bewilderment, the two -hunters led him down the stairs, through a postern -door, and out on the sand. After a brief word -with some older Wusun who were squatted by the -tower, Garluk struck off through the ruins, waving -back the throngs that came to gaze at Gray. -</p> - -<p> -The American noticed that there were few -children. Some of the women carried water jars. -They were not veiled. They wore a loose robe of -clean cotton—he learned that they worked their own -looms, of ancient pattern—bound by a silk girdle, -and covered by a flowing <i>khalat</i>. All were barefoot. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was conducted to a doorway outside which -a <i>tumani</i> stood, sword in hand. After a brief -conference with his guides, the guard permitted them -to enter. Throughout his stay in Sungan, Gray was -watched, quietly, but effectively. -</p> - -<p> -His heart was beating fiercely by now, and he -wanted to cry out the name of the girl. He walked -down into semi-darkness. A smell of musk and -dried rose leaves pervaded the place. A woman -rose from the floor and disappeared into the -shadows. Presently Garluk drew aside a curtain. -Gray entered what seemed to be a sleeping chamber -and found Mary Hastings standing before him. -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray!" she cried softly, reaching out -both hands. "Last night they told me you were -here. Oh, I'm so glad!" -</p> - -<p> -He gripped the slim hands tightly, afraid to say -what came into his mind at sight of the girl. She -was thinner and there were circles under the fine -eyes that fastened on him eagerly. -</p> - -<p> -He could see her clearly by the glow from a -crimson lamp that hung overhead. The room was -comfortably fitted with rugs and cushions. A jar -of water and some dates stood near them. -</p> - -<p> -"How did you get here?" she echoed. "Where is -Sir Lionel?" A shadow passed over her expressive -face. "I saw the attack on the caravan. Did -he——" -</p> - -<p> -"Sir Lionel made his way back to me," said Gray, -his voice gruff and tense. "He was the only -survivor of the caravan." -</p> - -<p> -"Then he is dead," she responded slowly. "Or -he would have come with you." She bit her lip, -bending her head, so that Gray should not see the -tears in her eyes. "Oh, I have feared it. The -Buddhist priests said that their guards would find -and kill him. An old man of the Wusun who -speaks Turki repeated it to me." -</p> - -<p> -Gray was glad that Mary was prepared, in a -measure, for the death of her uncle. He had found -the sight of her distress hard to bear. He turned -away. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes. Sir Lionel died—bravely." -</p> - -<p> -She released his hands, and fumbled with a torn, -little square of linen that had once been a -handkerchief. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh!" -</p> - -<p> -Fearing that she would break down and weep, -Gray would have left the room, but she checked -him with a gesture. She looked up quietly, although -the tears were still glistening on her eyelids. -</p> - -<p> -"Please, Captain Gray! I've been so—lonely. -You won't go away, just for a while?" -</p> - -<p> -For a while? He would have remained at her -side until dragged away, if she wished it so. He -saw that she had changed. Some of the life and -vivacity had been driven from her delicate face, -leaving a wistful tenderness. -</p> - -<p> -He himself showed little sign of the hardships -of the last two days, except a firmer set to the wide -mouth, and deeper lines about the eyes. He was -unshaven, as he had been for some time, and the -clothing on his rugged figure was rather more than -usually the worse for wear. -</p> - -<p> -The girl noticed a new light in his eyes—somber, -even dogged. There was something savage in the -determination of the hard face, born—although she -did not know it—of his knowledge that the life -and safety of Mary Hastings was now his undivided -responsibility. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap20"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XX -<br /><br /> -THE TALISMAN -</h3> - -<p> -"Poor Uncle Lionel," she said sadly, "he never -knew that—the Wusun were here, as he had thought -they would be." -</p> - -<p> -"He will have full credit for his achievement -when you and I get back home, out of Sungan, Miss -Hastings." -</p> - -<p> -She looked at him, dumbly grateful. Gone was -all the petulance, the spirit of mockery now. But -her native heritage of resolution had not forsaken -her. -</p> - -<p> -"Thank you for that, Captain Gray. I—I was -foolish in disregarding your warning. I was -unjust—because I wanted Uncle Singh to be first in -Sungan." She sighed, then tried to smile. "Will -you sit down? On a cushion. Perhaps you haven't -breakfasted yet. I have only light refreshments to -offer——" -</p> - -<p> -A fresh miracle was taking place before Gray's -eyes. He did not know the courage of the English -girls whose men protectors live always in the -unsettled places that are the outskirts of civilization. -</p> - -<p> -His nearness to the girl stirred him. Her pluck -acted as a spur to his own spirits. In spite of -himself, his gaze wandered hungrily to the straying, -bronze hair, and the fresh, troubled face. -</p> - -<p> -Unconsciously, she reached up and deftly adjusted -a vagrant bit of hair. He wanted to pat her on -the back and tell her she was splendid. But he -feared his own awkwardness. Mary Hastings -seemed to him to be a fragile, precious charge that -had come into his life. -</p> - -<p> -He drew a quick breath. "I am hungry," he lied. -</p> - -<p> -She busied herself at once, setting out dates and -some cakes. While he ate, she barely nibbled at -the food. -</p> - -<p> -"Now," he began cheerfully, having planned -what he was to say, "I'm indebted to you for -breakfast. And I'm going to question you." -</p> - -<p> -He realized that he must take her mind from the -death of her uncle. -</p> - -<p> -"How have our new allies, the Wusun, been -treating you, Miss Hastings?" -</p> - -<p> -"Very nicely, really. But not the priests. They -took all my belongings except a little gold cross -under my jacket. You see, the priests came with -the—the lepers who attacked us." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. -</p> - -<p> -"And the Buddhists seized me, not the poor, sick -men. They carried me off after gagging me so I -couldn't call out." -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang's orders." -</p> - -<p> -"They took me down into some kind of a tunnel -and kept me there until the shooting had ceased. -They were escorting me along the passages when -we met a party of Wusun, armed with bows. They -talked to the priests, then they seemed to become -angry, and the Buddhists gave me up. I don't know -why the Wusun wanted me." -</p> - -<p> -Glancing at the beautiful girl, Gray thought that -the reason was not hard to guess. He did not then -understand, however, the full significance that the -woman held for the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps they recognized you as a white -woman—one of their own kind," he hazarded. -</p> - -<p> -She shook her head dubiously. -</p> - -<p> -"I thought the Wusun did not know any other -white people existed, Captain Gray. One of -them—I heard them call him Gela, the Kha Khan—was a -young man, as big as you, and not bad looking. He -was angriest of all—with the priests, that is, not -with me." -</p> - -<p> -Gray frowned. -</p> - -<p> -"Gela led me to the council hall of the 'Tall -Ones,'" she continued, looking at him in some -surprise, for the frown had not escaped her. "There -I found old Bassalor Danek. I could not speak -their language, but Uncle Singh taught me quite a -bit of the northern Turki. Bassalor Danek was -really a fine old chap, but I like Timur better." -</p> - -<p> -"Timur?" he asked. "One of the <i>tumani</i>?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't see why you don't like them. They -helped me. No, Timur seems to be a kind of councilor. -He's white haired, and limps. But he speaks -broken Turki, which I understand. So—I have -been well treated, except that they will not let me -out of this building, which belongs to Bassalor -Danek." -</p> - -<p> -"What did the Turki-speaking fellow have to say -for himself?" -</p> - -<p> -"He asked my name. Of course he could not -pronounce it, so he christened me something that -sounds like Kha Rakcha. I think Kha—it's a -Kirghiz word, too—means 'white' in their tongue." -</p> - -<p> -"Rakcha is western Chinese for some kind of -spirit," assented Gray, interested. "So they've -named you the White Spirit—or, in another sense, -the White Woman-Queen. Your coming seems to -have been an event in the affairs of the Wusun——" -</p> - -<p> -"That is what Timur said." She nodded brightly. -"He is one of the elders of the <i>kurultai</i>—council. -I hope I made a good impression on him. He -seemed to be friendly." -</p> - -<p> -"I think," pondered Gray seriously, "that you -have made a better impression than you think. -That helps a lot, because——" he was about to say -that his own standing with the Wusun was none too -good, thanks to Wu Fang Chien's enmity, but broke -off. He did not want to alarm her. "Because -they've let me come to see you," he amended awkwardly. -</p> - -<p> -The girl's vigilant wits were not to be hoodwinked. -</p> - -<p> -"That's not what you meant to say, Captain -Gray," she reproached him. -</p> - -<p> -"It's true—" he was more successful this time—"that -your coming probably earned me a respite." -</p> - -<p> -"A respite?" -</p> - -<p> -When is a woman deceived by a man's clumsy -assurance? Or when does she fail to understand -when something is kept back? -</p> - -<p> -"Captain Gray, you know something you won't -tell me! Did the Wusun threaten you?" -</p> - -<p> -"No. They shielded me——" -</p> - -<p> -"Then you were in danger. I thought so. Now -what did you mean by—respite?" -</p> - -<p> -Instead, Gray told her how he had found his way -into Sungan, omitting the details of the fighting, or -his own achievement. Mary considered him -gravely, chin on hand. -</p> - -<p> -"I prayed that you would follow our caravan," -she said. "I wished for you when every one was -fighting so. Somehow, I was sure that you would -reach Sungan. You see, you made me feel you -were the kind of man who went where he wanted -to go." -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up, and she shook her head reproachfully. -</p> - -<p> -"You're just like Uncle Singh. You won't tell -if there's any danger. Will not the Wusun protect -us from the priests?" She stretched out a slim -hand appealingly. "There's just the two of us -left. Shouldn't you be quite frank with me? Now -tell me what you meant by 'respite'!" -</p> - -<p> -He cordially regretted his unfortunate choice of -the word. Perforce, he told her of Wu Fang -Chien, and the dispute in the council. -</p> - -<p> -"So you see our case comes up for trial to-night," -he concluded. "It's a question of the Gur-Khan's -authority against the power of Wu Fang Chien. -I'm rooting for old Bassalor Danek. I think he'll -treat us well. For one thing, because he's curious -about us. In a way, we're his guests. I hope he -checkmates Wu, because—to be frank—we're better -off in Sungan than with the Buddhists." -</p> - -<p> -This time she was satisfied. -</p> - -<p> -"Of course," she nodded. "Wu Fang Chien -would not let us go free easily. He would have to -answer, then, for the attack on the caravan. To -answer to the British embassy." -</p> - -<p> -Gray reflected that they were the only survivors -of the fight and that the Chinese could not afford -to permit them to escape. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll appear to argue for immunity—our -immunity—to-night," he smiled. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you a lawyer, Captain Gray?" The girl -tried to enter into the spirit of his remark. "Have -we a good case?" -</p> - -<p> -"Chiefly our wits," he admitted. "And perhaps -the tie the Wusun may feel for us as a kindred -race." -</p> - -<p> -"Splendid!" She clapped her hands. "I think -you're a first-rate attorney." -</p> - -<p> -Gray recalled the majestic face of Bassalor -Danek, and the anger of the Wusun at the entrance -of Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -"They made some kind of a covenant, didn't they, -with the Chinese Emperor?" -</p> - -<p> -"Timur said it was an agreement by which the -Wusun were to keep their city inviolate, and not to -leave its boundaries. Even the invading sands have -not dislodged them. Timur described them as -numerous as the trees of the Thian Shan, the -Celestial Mountains, at first. Now only a few survive. -The Chinese have posted lepers around them." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded. Slowly the history of the Wusun -was piecing itself out. A race descended from -invaders from Europe before the dawn of history, -they had allied themselves with the might of Genghis -Khan and earned the enmity of the Chinese. Since -then, with the slow persistence of the Chinese, they -had been confined and diminished in number. -</p> - -<p> -"You remember the legend of Prester John—in -the middle ages," continued the girl eagerly. -"Marco Polo tells about a powerful prince in -mid-Asia who was a Christian. I have been thinking -about it. Isn't the word Kerait the Mongol for -Christian? Do you suppose the first Wusun were -Christians?" -</p> - -<p> -"They don't seem to have any especial religion, -Miss Hastings—except a kind of morning and -evening prayer." -</p> - -<p> -"I've heard them chant the hymn. Timur says it -was their ancestors'." The girl sighed. "To think -that we should have found the Wusun, after all. If -only my uncle——" She broke off sadly. -</p> - -<p> -A step sounded outside the room and Garluk -thrust his shaggy head through the curtain. -</p> - -<p> -"I come from the Gur-Khan," he announced. -"The Man-Who-Kills-Swiftly must come before -Bassalor Khan." -</p> - -<p> -"They are paging me," said Gray lightly, in -answer to her questioning look. "I've got to play -lawyer. But I have an experiment to try. Don't -worry." -</p> - -<p> -He rose, and she looked up at him pleadingly. -</p> - -<p> -"Come back, as soon as you can," she whispered. -"I—it's so lonely here. I was miserable until Timur -told me they had heard shooting during yesterday's -sunset chant. I guessed it was you——" -</p> - -<p> -"My automatic," explained Gray with a grin. "I -missed Wu Fang Chien, which is too bad." He was -talking cheerily, at random, anxious to hearten the -girl. She winced at mention of the fighting. -</p> - -<p> -"I'll be back to report what is going on." -</p> - -<p> -"If anything should happen to you——" -</p> - -<p> -"I seem to be accident-proof, so far." He smiled -lightly, masking his real feelings. "And there's a -plan——" -</p> - -<p> -"Come," said Garluk. "Bassalor Khan waits at -his shrine." -</p> - -<p> -"I'll have a better dinner to offer you," Mary -smiled back. "Don't forget!" -</p> - -<p> -"I'll make a note of it—Mary." -</p> - -<p> -Gray stepped outside the curtain. In spite of his -promise, he could not return to the girl's room. -</p> - -<p> -He found Bassalor Danek waiting in a chamber -under the temple, to which he was conducted by the -impatient Garluk. The Gur-Khan was seated on a -silk carpet beside an old man with a face like a -satyr, whom Gray guessed to be Timur. They -looked up silently at his approach. The turnout -withdrew. -</p> - -<p> -At a sign from Bassalor Danek, Gray seated -himself before the two. They regarded him gravely. -He waited for them to speak. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien," began the Gur-Khan at length, -"will come to the hall to hear my word at sunset. -His ill-will might bring the dark cloud of trouble -upon my people. If I give you up, he will thank -me and bring us good grain and tea from China in -the next caravan." -</p> - -<p> -He paused as if for an answer. But Gray was -silent, wishing to hear what more the two had to -say. -</p> - -<p> -"Yet, O One-Who-Kills-Swiftly," put in Timur -mildly, "you are of the race of the Kha Rakcha -and she has found favor in our hearts. You say -you came here to seek her. That is well. But we -must not bring trouble upon our people. They have -little food. There is none to place before the shrine -of our race." -</p> - -<p> -He glanced over his shoulder at a closed curtain. -Here one of the Wusun stood guard. Gray guessed -that this was their shrine. He was curious for a -glimpse of it. -</p> - -<p> -"What is the will of the Gur-Khan?" he asked -quietly. -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek glanced at him keenly. -</p> - -<p> -"I have not made ready my answer, O Man-from-the-Outside. -Wu Fang Chien cried that you had -come unbidden to meddle with what does not -concern you. The Kha Rakcha is very beautiful, and -the light from her face will be an ornament to our -shrine. You have said that you came to seek us. -But that cannot be. For no word of us has passed -the outer guards. Even the wandering Kirghiz -that we see at a distance do not know us." -</p> - -<p> -Gray had been waiting for a lead to follow. Now -he saw his chance and summoned his small stock of -poetical Chinese to match the oratory of Bassalor -Danek. -</p> - -<p> -"Hearken, O Gur-Khan," he said, and paused, -knowing the value of meditation when dealing with -an oriental. Inwardly, he prayed for success in -his venture, knowing that the fate of the girl -depended greatly on what he said. -</p> - -<p> -"It is true," he resumed, "that I was sent to -seek the Wusun. Beyond the desert and beyond the -border of Mongolia live a people whose fathers -a very long time ago were the same as your fathers. -They have means of seeing across great distances. -They have the Eyes-of-Long-Sight. With these -eyes they saw the Wusun in captivity, and they -sent me with a message. This message I shall -deliver when it is time." -</p> - -<p> -Timur shook his gray head shrewdly. -</p> - -<p> -"Can a fish see what is on the land? A gazelle -has keen eyes; but a gazelle cannot see across the -desert, much less can a man. What you have said -is not true." -</p> - -<p> -"It is true. Not only can my people see beyond -any distance, but they can hear. Behold, here is -proof." -</p> - -<p> -While the two watched curiously, Gray pulled his -maps from his shirt and spread them on the floor -before him. Bassalor Danek glanced from the -paper to him expectantly. -</p> - -<p> -"Here is what we saw, with our Eyes-of-Long-Sight. -See, here is the last village of China, Ansichow, -and the desert. Here, by this mark, is where -we knew Sungan to be. And beyond it is the River -Tarim, as you know, and the Celestial Mountains. -By this paper I found my way here." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek fingered the map curiously. -Then he shook his head. -</p> - -<p> -"This is a paper, like to those of the priests of -Buddha. It is a kind of magic. With magic, much -is possible. But these are signs upon paper. They -are not mountains and rivers." -</p> - -<p> -Gray sighed, confronted with the native incredulity -of a map. The Wusun, despite their natural -intelligence, were bound by the stultifying influence -of generations of isolation. In fact, their state of -civilization was that of the dark ages. It was as -if Gray and Mary Hastings had wandered into a -stronghold of the Goths. -</p> - -<p> -Still, he felt he had made a slight impression. He -drew the field glasses from their case. -</p> - -<p> -"I have been given a token," he explained slowly, -making sure that the two understood his broken -Chinese. "It is a small talisman of the -Eyes-of-Long-Sight. With it, you can see what is far, -as clearly as if it lay in your hand." -</p> - -<p> -Timur stroked his beard and smiled. -</p> - -<p> -"It may not be. Even with magic, it may not be." -</p> - -<p> -"Look then." Gray lifted the glasses and -focussed them on the guard who stood by the shrine -curtain. "With this you can bring the man's face -as near as mine." -</p> - -<p> -He handed the glasses to Bassalor Danek who -turned them over curiously in his hand. Obeying -Gray's direction, he leveled them on the guard. -The man stirred uneasily, evidently believing that -some kind of magic was being practiced upon him. -Bassalor Danek gave a loud exclamation and the -glasses fell to his knees. He peered from them -to the man at the curtain and muttered in his beard. -</p> - -<p> -"I saw the face within arm's reach of my own," -he cried. "Truly, it is as this man has promised!" -</p> - -<p> -"Nay," Timur objected. "The one by the shrine -did not move, for I watched. It may not be." -</p> - -<p> -Nevertheless, his hand trembled as he lifted the -glasses to his feeble eyes. Gray helped him to -focus them. He, also, gave an exclamation. -</p> - -<p> -For a while the two Wusun experimented with -the binoculars, scrutinizing the walls, the floor and -the rugs with increasing amazement. Gray kept -a straight face. The glasses were powerful, with -excellent lenses. The Wusun had never seen or -heard of anything of the kind. -</p> - -<p> -"This is but a token," he reminded them gravely, -"of the Eyes-of-Long-Sight that my people have. -If this talisman can bring near to you what is afar, -do you doubt that we could know what is beyond -the desert? Is not the coming of the White Spirit -proof that we knew?" -</p> - -<p> -This was a weighty matter and Bassalor Danek -and Timur conferred upon it, putting down the -glasses reluctantly. -</p> - -<p> -"I know not," hazarded Timur. Gray saw that -his double question had confused them. To remedy -his error he turned to Bassalor Danek. -</p> - -<p> -"Keep these small Eyes-of-Long-Sight," he said. -"I give them to you." -</p> - -<p> -Despite his accustomed calm, the chieftain of the -Wusun gave an involuntary exclamation of pleasure. -Gray pressed his advantage. -</p> - -<p> -"Further proof I will give, O Bassalor Danek. -Draw the curtains of the shrine that I may see -the god of the Wusun. Then I will show you -that my people beyond the desert knew of the god." -</p> - -<p> -He reasoned swiftly that the Wusun, if Timur's -account of their history had been correct, must have -in their shrine some emblem of the Tatar deity—the -god Natagai which Mirai Khan had described to -him—or possibly some Mohammedan symbol. He -rather guessed the former, since the Wusun had -been isolated before the Moslem wave swept over -Central Asia. -</p> - -<p> -"It is not a god, O Man-from-the-Outside," -demurred Timur. "It is a talisman of our fathers. -Once, the Wusun had priests. In the time of Kubla -Khan. Now, all that we remember is the hymn -at sunset and sunrise. Almost we have forgotten -the words. We have kept the talisman because once -our priests, who were also warriors, cherished it." -</p> - -<p> -Gray nodded, believing now that it was an image -of Natagai, the Tatar war deity. -</p> - -<p> -"It is said," continued Timur meditatively, "that -the talisman was fashioned by a chieftain of our -people. I have heard a tale from the elders that -this khan lived when the Wusun were in another -land, before they crossed the mountains on the roof -of the world. Draw the curtain!" -</p> - -<p> -At the command the guard drew back the heavy -folds of brocade. Gray saw a stone altar, covered -with a clean cloth of white silk. On the cloth -stood a cross. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap21"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXI -<br /><br /> -MARY MAKES A REQUEST -</h3> - -<p> -The cross was jade, in the shape of the medieval -emblem—the Greek cross. Before it burned a -candle. Gray stared at it silently while Timur limped -forward and trimmed the wick of the candle. -</p> - -<p> -"We do not remember the faith of our fathers," -the old Wusun said sadly. "But we have kept the -talisman. It is not as strong as the bronze Buddha -of Wu Fang Chien. We will not give it up, -although he has asked to buy it. Truly, no man -should part with what was precious in the sight of -his fathers." -</p> - -<p> -Thoughts crowded in upon Gray. Was this the -cross left by a wandering missionary—one of those -who followed the footsteps of Marco Polo? Were -the ancient Wusun the Christians mentioned in -medieval legends as the kingdom of Prester John, -sometimes called <i>Presbyter</i> John? The Wusun had -been warriors. Was the symbol of the cross -adapted from the hilt of a sword? Was it one of -the vagaries of fate that had brought the cross into -the hands of the Wusun, who were descendants of -the Christians of Europe? Or had they of their -own accord become worshipers of the cross? -What did it mean to them? -</p> - -<p> -He recalled the sunset hymn. Was this their -version of the vespers of a forgotten priest? He -did not know. The problem of the cross existing -among the remnants of the Wusun remains to be -solved by more learned minds than his. It was -clear, however, that beyond the cross, they retained -no vestige of their former religion. -</p> - -<p> -Abruptly his head snapped up. -</p> - -<p> -"I promised you, Bassalor Danek," he cried, "that -this would be a symbol. As I have promised, you -will find it. We—who are of the same fathers—have -also this talisman of our God." -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun stared at him. There was a ring of -conviction in Gray's words. He recalled Delabar's -words that the talisman of the Wusun had earned -the captive race the hatred of the Buddhists. He -saw now how this was. Fate—or what the soldier -esteemed luck—had put an instrument into his hand. -For the defense of the girl. He must make full -use of it. -</p> - -<p> -He pointed to the jade cross. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Rakcha and I are of the same blood as -the Wusun. We came in peace to seek you. The -Kha Rakcha claims your protection. Will you not -grant it? Thus, I have spoken." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek folded his lean arms, tiny -wrinkles puckering about his aged eyes. -</p> - -<p> -"I hear," he said. "The tale of the Eyes-of-Long-Sight -is a true tale. But this thing is another -tale. Have you a token to show, so that we may -know that it, also, is true?" -</p> - -<p> -In the back of Gray's mind was memory of a -token. Something that Mary had mentioned. In -his anxiety, he could not recall it. -</p> - -<p> -Thus did Gray miss a golden opportunity. If he -had been alone, his natural quickness of thought -would have found an answer to the Gur-Khan's -question. With the life of the girl he loved at stake, -he hesitated. -</p> - -<p> -It was vitally important that Bassalor Danek -should believe what Gray had said about the cross. -Believing, he would aid them, for he reverenced the -cross. Doubting, they would be exposed to the -wiles of Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -"If I spoke the truth in one thing, O Gur-Khan," -he parried, "would I speak lies concerning another?" -</p> - -<p> -"The two things are not the same," put in Timur, -logically. "The talisman is precious—like to the -gold in the sword-hilt of Gela. Yet what is it to -you?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is the sign of our faith. It is the talisman of -Christianity." -</p> - -<p> -"I know not the word." -</p> - -<p> -"You know the name of the ancient khan of the -Wusun—Awang Khan?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray hazarded a bold stroke, on his knowledge of -the legend of Prester John of Asia. Timur -considered. -</p> - -<p> -"The name is not in our speech," he announced. -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek looked up sagely. -</p> - -<p> -"You speak of faith, O One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. -Is that a word of a priesthood?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes." -</p> - -<p> -"Then," said Bassalor Danek gravely, "it is clear -that your talisman is not like to this. Nay, for the -only priesthood is that of the false Buddhists." -</p> - -<p> -"Our faith is different from theirs—even as a -grain of sand is different from a drop of clear -water." -</p> - -<p> -The Gur-Khan's hand swept in a wide circle. -</p> - -<p> -"Nay. What can we see from Sungan save the -grains of sand? Everywhere, beyond, is the Buddhist -priesthood. We have seen this thing. It is -true." He lifted his head proudly. "Behold, youth, -here is the talisman of a warrior. From chieftain -to chieftain, it has been handed down. It is the -token of a chieftain. Of one who safeguards his -people. None can wear it but myself, or another -of royal blood who has fought for his people." -</p> - -<p> -For the first time he showed Gray a smaller cross, -fashioned from gold which hung from a chain of -the same metal across his chest under the cloak. -</p> - -<p> -"Because I am khan of the Wusun, this thing is -mine," he added. "If my father and his before -him had not been strong warriors, the Wusun would -have passed from the world as a candle is blown -out in a strong wind." -</p> - -<p> -"Aye," amended Timur. "It is a sign of the -rank of the Gur-Khan. Has it not always been -thus?" -</p> - -<p> -Both men nodded their heads, as at an unalterable -truth. Age and isolation had made their -conceptions rigid. The safety of the Wusun was -their sole care. -</p> - -<p> -"Your sign is not like to ours," said they. "Is -the moon kindred to the sun because both live in -the sky?" -</p> - -<p> -"There is but one Cross," cried Gray. -</p> - -<p> -They shook their heads. How were they to alter -the small store of belief that had been their meager -heritage of wisdom? -</p> - -<p> -"You are not kin to us, but the Kha Rakcha is a -woman, and so may become kin to the Wusun," -announced Bassalor Danek. "Go now, for we must -weigh well our answer to Wu Fang Chien." -</p> - -<p> -Gray rose, his lips hard. -</p> - -<p> -"Be it so," he said slowly. "If it is in your -mind that you must yield to Wu Fang Chien, give -me up into his hands. I will take a sword and go -to seek him. Keep the Kha Rakcha safe within -Sungan. She is, as you have seen, the White Spirit. -Her beauty is not less than the light of the sun. -Guard her well." -</p> - -<p> -Gray had spoken bitterly, feeling that he had -failed in his plea. He had not sensed the full -meaning of the other's words. He knew that his own -death would be the most serious loss to the girl. -Without him she was defenseless. -</p> - -<p> -He did not want to leave her. She had been so -childlike in her reliance upon his protection. And -he was so helpless to aid her. -</p> - -<p> -But Gray had weighed the odds with the cold -precision that never left him. There was a slight -chance that he might be able to kill Wu Fang Chien, -and if so, Mary might be safeguarded. -</p> - -<p> -He walked away from the shrine, and, unconsciously, -bent his steps toward the house of Bassalor -Danek where the girl was. Then he turned back, -resolutely. He could not see Mary now. She -would guess instantly—so quick was the woman's -instinct—that something was wrong. -</p> - -<p> -Gray retraced his steps to the tower and to his -own chamber where he would await the decision of -the Gur-Khan. -</p> - -<p> -For the space of several hours the two Wusun -debated together. They glanced from time to time -at a water clock which creaked dismally in the -corner furthest from the shrine. Their brows -were furrowed by anxiety as they talked. -</p> - -<p> -Outside the sun was already past its highest point, -and the sands burned with reflected heat. The -people of Sungan had taken shelter under the canal -trees and in the underground buildings. Even the -dogs and the lepers were no longer to be seen. -Quiet prevailed in Sungan, and in the armed camps -of the guards without the wall. -</p> - -<p> -No glimmer of sunlight penetrated into the shrine -of Bassalor Danek. The attendant lighted fresh -candles and stood motionless. Then he stirred and -advanced to the doorway. He uttered a gruff -exclamation. -</p> - -<p> -Mary Hastings pushed past him and stood gazing -at the two Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -"Timur!" she cried. "Where is the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly?" -</p> - -<p> -The councilor of Sungan glanced at her wonderingly. -She was flushed, and breathing quickly. -Her bronze hair had fallen to her slim shoulders. -Tall and proud and imperious, she faced him—a -lovely picture in the dim chamber. -</p> - -<p> -"He said that he would return to me," she -repeated. "And he has not come. Well do I know -that this could only be because of something evil -that has happened. Where is he?" -</p> - -<p> -The two were stoically silent. She approached -them fearlessly. To the guard's amazement, she -stamped an angry foot, her eyes wide with anxiety. -</p> - -<p> -This, to the guard, was something that should -not be permitted in the high presence of the -Gur-Khan. He laid a warning hand on her shoulder. -Startled, the girl drew back and struck down his -arm. Abashed by her flaming displeasure, the -warrior glanced at Bassalor Danek. -</p> - -<p> -The Gur-Khan frowned. -</p> - -<p> -"Touch not the Kha Rakcha, dog!" he growled -"Soon the woman is to be allied to me by blood." Then -to Mary: "It is not fitting, maiden, the even -one such as you should come to this place in anger. -Cover then the flame of spirit with the ashes of -respect." -</p> - -<p> -Timur interpreted his stately speech. But the -girl was wrought up by fear for Gray. Not until -he had failed to rejoin her did she realize how much -his coming had meant. -</p> - -<p> -So she was not minded to respect the dignity of -the two aged men. Mary Hastings had been -mistress of native servants. She knew how to exact -obedience. -</p> - -<p> -"Tell the chieftain," she cried, "to answer when I -speak. Am I one to hide the fire of spirit under the -cloak of humiliation? Speak! What has become -of the white man?" -</p> - -<p> -Timur rendered the Gur-Khan's reply in Turki. -</p> - -<p> -"The tall warrior has offered his body to cool -the anger of Wu Fang Chien, who demands him." -</p> - -<p> -The girl paled. -</p> - -<p> -"How? When?" -</p> - -<p> -"He will take a sword that we will give him -this night and go to seek the ruler of the Buddhists. -Even so shall it be. We have decided, in council. -In this way Wu Fang Chien will be appeased, and -the Wusun will drink of the solace of peace in their -trouble. Furthermore——" -</p> - -<p> -"Stay!" The girl drew a quick breath. She -guessed why Gray had not come to her. The -knowledge of his danger steadied her tumultuous -thoughts. The danger was worse than she feared. -But—such was the woman's strength of soul when -the man she loved was menaced—she became -strangely calm. -</p> - -<p> -She had not admitted to herself until now that -she loved the American. With the understanding -of the fresh sacrifice he was prepared to make for -her, she could no more deny the truth of her love -than she could question the fact of her own life. -</p> - -<p> -"Will you give me up as well?" she asked scornfully. -</p> - -<p> -"Nay. You will have a place by the side of the -Gur-Khan, because of your beauty which—so said -the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly—is like to the sun. -The Wusun will safeguard the Kha Rakcha, even -as he demanded." -</p> - -<p> -Mary Hastings sighed softly. Then lifted her -head stubbornly. She flushed rosily. -</p> - -<p> -"The white man is precious in my sight," she said -dearly. "His life is like to the warmth of the -sun, and if he dies, my life would pass, even as -water vanishes when it is poured upon the sands." -</p> - -<p> -"Verily," pondered Timur, stroking his beard, "is -he a brave man. But how then may Wu Fang -Chien be appeased?" -</p> - -<p> -Anger flashed into the girl's expressive face. -</p> - -<p> -"So the Wusun are weak of soul," she accused. -"Their heart is like the soul of a gully jackal. They -would give up the warrior who came to be their -friend, to buy their own comfort! <i>Aie</i>! Are you -such men?" -</p> - -<p> -Timur stared, confronted for perhaps the first -time in his life with the scorn of a woman who -thought as a man. -</p> - -<p> -"Think you I will buy my comfort, upon such -terms?" she continued mercilessly. "Or remain in -the shadow of those who are not men but jackals?" -</p> - -<p> -Timur raised his hand. The decision of the leaders -of the Wusun had been actuated by their jealous -care of their people, not by selfish motives. But the -girl's swift words had sadly confused him. -</p> - -<p> -"If you yield him up," said Mary Hastings, "I -also will go. I will not part from him." -</p> - -<p> -And she would not. If Gray was to face the -Chinese, she would be at his side. How often do -men judge correctly the true strength of a woman's -devotion? -</p> - -<p> -"We have planned otherwise," pointed out Timur. -"For you——" -</p> - -<p> -"I have spoken, you have heard." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek questioned the councilor as to -what had been said. Then the chieftain rose. -</p> - -<p> -"Say to the woman," he announced, "that I, the -leader of the Wusun, have decided. What my -wisdom decides, she cannot alter by hot words. Who -is she, but a fair woman? I am master of the -talisman of the Wusun." -</p> - -<p> -He pointed to the altar. Mary, intent upon his -face, followed his gesture swiftly. She gave a little -cry at seeing for the first time the cross. She -caught Timur's arm. -</p> - -<p> -"What is that?" she begged. "What—does it mean?" -</p> - -<p> -Timur explained the symbol. -</p> - -<p> -"It is the sign of the Gur-Khan alone," he -concluded. "None but those of a chieftain's rank -bear it." He touched the smaller cross lying upon -the broad shoulders of Bassalor Khan. -</p> - -<p> -Radiantly the girl's face brightened. She smiled, -drawing nearer to the two old men. No need for -a woman's wit to reason logically! -</p> - -<p> -She drew back the throat of her jacket, revealing -the tiny gold cross which had been her sole belonging -left by the avaricious Buddhists. If Wu Fang -Chien had known of the token, he would have torn -it from her. -</p> - -<p> -"See," she said softly. "I also am a bearer of -the cross." -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun stared from her excited face to the -glittering symbol on her breast. -</p> - -<p> -To their limited intelligence two things were plain. -The girl's talisman had not been in Sungan before -she came. So it was clearly hers. Also, she wore -it as by right. -</p> - -<p> -They recalled her pride, and her angry words. -Verily, she wore the sign of rank by right. Timur -stepped back and bent his head. -</p> - -<p> -"O, Queen," he said, "I was blind. Will you -pardon the dog who was blind?" -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek had been frowning, somewhat -jealously. But as he stared into the woman's open -face, his brow cleared. -</p> - -<p> -"It is well, Kha Rakcha," he observed slowly. -"This is truly the token that witnesses the truth of -your coming. None but a woman royal-born can -wear such a talisman as this. It is well." -</p> - -<p> -He touched the cross curiously, comparing it with -his own. Timur bent over his hand, watching. -The girl was silent, holding her breath in suspense. -</p> - -<p> -The minds of the Wusun were wise in their way, -but their wisdom was that of simplicity. -</p> - -<p> -"None but a queen may carry this on her breast," -they assured each other. "So in very truth this <i>is</i> -a woman royal-born." -</p> - -<p> -She seized swiftly upon her advantage. -</p> - -<p> -"Then you know that I am one who commands." -</p> - -<p> -"Aye," they said, each in his tongue, "we were -as blind dogs before." -</p> - -<p> -"Guard then," she said, her lips trembling, for -she felt the strain, "the life of the -One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. For he is of my blood." -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek pondered, and spoke with grave -decision. -</p> - -<p> -"We will safeguard him within Sungan. Wu -Fang Chien will ask in vain." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap22"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXII -<br /><br /> -THE ANSWER -</h3> - -<p> -Mary laughed a little unsteadily. Surely it was -a strange miracle that her gold cross had worked. -She did not think it luck. In her woman soul there -was no thought of fate. God's care had shielded -the life of the man she loved. -</p> - -<p> -Timur was speaking. -</p> - -<p> -"Bassalor Danek is well content," she heard. -"Beforetimes, he was warmed by the sight of your -fairness. But now it is verily a thing assured. -Gela, the Kha-Khan, son of my son, commander of -the <i>tumani</i>, has conceived love for you. Bassalor -Danek has granted his wish that you may become -the wife of his abode and hearth." -</p> - -<p> -Hearing, she did not yet understand. -</p> - -<p> -"Gela?" -</p> - -<p> -"He who took you from the evil priests. Because -of the talisman you wear it is fitting that you should -be his bride." -</p> - -<p> -She looked from one to the other, in sudden discomfort. -</p> - -<p> -"Thus will you truly become kin to the Wusun," -nodded Timur. -</p> - -<p> -"I?" -</p> - -<p> -"Bassalor Danek, in his wisdom, has decided." -</p> - -<p> -The joy of her brief victory faded swiftly. The -reaction weakened her, made this new obstacle -disheartening. But she drew strength from a fresh -thought. -</p> - -<p> -"Take me to the white man!" -</p> - -<p> -"Nay—it is not fitting. The bond of Gela's love -is upon you." -</p> - -<p> -To their bewilderment, the girl laughed. For a -brief moment hysteria had claimed her, wearied by -the hardships she had undergone. In her sudden -stress she clung to the thought that had brought -her consolation. -</p> - -<p> -She was a woman unnerved. In reality, she was -instinctively calling upon the aid of Gray's strength. -</p> - -<p> -"Are you still blind?" she begged unevenly, the -tears not far from her eyes. "Have you not seen -the love of the white man for me? How can Gela -take me from him, when I am already bound to -him?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray had said nothing to her of his love. But -she had read in his face what he had not spoken. -</p> - -<p> -"Fools!" she stamped angrily. "You cannot take -me from the arms of the One-Who-Kills-Swiftly. -He will hear of this." She was speaking somewhat -wildly now, feeling all her strength ebb from her. -"He will claim me. He will keep me—— Oh, truly, -you are blind." -</p> - -<p> -To the Wusun her sudden emotion was a display -of the temper that undoubtedly was the heritage of -her royal blood. -</p> - -<p> -Mary was, however, on the verge of a breakdown, -and sought the shelter of her own room, since she -could not see Gray. She hurried hither, with the -woman who had waited without the shrine, at her -heels. To tell the truth, she fled. -</p> - -<p> -In her chamber she flung herself down on the -cushions and gave herself up to a most unqueenly fit -of weeping. The woman waited stoically. -</p> - -<p> -When Mary sat up and dried her tears, the -woman smiled. Mary's face was wan, and her hair -disheveled. Glancing into a bronze mirror that -the woman brought her, she was almost glad that -Gray could not see her now. Whereupon she fell -into reflection, and presently sent the handwoman -for brush and black ink-like paint which is the -writing fluid of the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -Then she diligently sought for any scraps of -white stuff that might serve as paper. She selected -her handkerchief, but was forced to place it in a -window to wait until it dried. -</p> - -<p> -She watched it in the process, a very sad looking -woman, her hands clasped about her knees and her -head resting sidewise on her hands. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile, the post-meridian shadows were -lengthening across the enclosure of Sungan. -Shepherds were driving their few flocks from the outer -strips of grass; children who had bathed in the -canals were playing in the last of the sunlight. -Groups of warriors emerged from the ruins and -walked slowly toward the fires where the evening -meal was preparing. Elders sought the council hall. -</p> - -<p> -There was even greater bustle without the wall, -where the Chinese were gathering. -</p> - -<p> -It was now the time of the sunset hymn. Gray, -pacing the stone floor of his tower room, heard the -chant of many voices. It came from the temple -below, and the voices were repeating words the -meaning of which the owners no longer knew. -Gray glanced impatiently from his window, -wondering why he had not heard from Bassalor Danek. -</p> - -<p> -It might have been an hour after sunset that -steps sounded outside the door of the chamber. -Garluk opened the door and stepped back with a -gesture of respect. -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up eagerly, thinking that Bassalor -Danek or the lame Timur had come. Instead a -tall figure strode into the room. -</p> - -<p> -It was a young man of powerful bearing. He -carried his shapely, olive head proudly. His dress -was the white lambskin of the Gur-Khan, but -without the gold ornaments. A broad, leather belt -girdled his waist, and from this a straight sword hung -in a bronze scabbard. -</p> - -<p> -The newcomer lifted his hand in greeting—a -gesture that Gray returned. He squatted down on -the carpets silently, beckoning to Garluk. Gray -eyed him appraisingly, thinking that he had seldom -seen a man of such fine physique. The stranger's -shoulders were shapely, his arms heavily thewed, -his waist slender. He moved with the ease of a -man poised on trained muscles. -</p> - -<p> -The three sat in silence until Garluk bethought -him to speak. -</p> - -<p> -"This is the Kha Khan, O Man-from-the-Outside," -the <i>tumani</i> observed. "Gela, the leader of -the <i>tumani</i>, and grandson of Bassalor Danek." -</p> - -<p> -"I give him greeting," returned the white man, -wondering what his visitor had to say. -</p> - -<p> -Presently Gela turned his dark head to Garluk -and spoke in a low tone that carried resonantly, -from a deep chest. Evidently he did not know the -dialect that Gray spoke. The majority of the -Wusun were ignorant of Chinese. -</p> - -<p> -"Bassalor Danek," interpreted Garluk, "has seen -the talisman on the breast of the Kha Rakcha. He -has pondered, in his wisdom, the words you spoke. -And he has made answer to Wu Fang Chien." -</p> - -<p> -Once more Gela spoke, while Gray waited impatiently. -</p> - -<p> -"Bassalor Danek, who is lord of the Wusun, -listened to the complaint of Wu Fang Chien, governor -of Sungan. And his decision was as follows: -Undoubtedly both you and the white woman came to -seek the Wusun. While you have slain many of -the men of the Buddhists, they also have killed the -men of the caravan. So, there is no debt to be -avenged." -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled at this simple, but logical way of -looking at the situation. -</p> - -<p> -"Furthermore," interpreted Garluk, at Gela's -prompting, "since you have sought the Wusun, you -may stay here. In the covenant it was agreed that -the penalty of attempting to escape is death; still, -there is no punishment for entering Sungan. You -and the Kha Rakcha will stay in Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -This was good news. Gray was surprised, but -he did not permit this to appear in his face. -</p> - -<p> -"What said Wu Fang Chien?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"He will try to seize you and the woman. He -will call in the soldiers with guns from the desert." -</p> - -<p> -"Will Bassalor Danek protect us?" -</p> - -<p> -"He has given his word. Moreover, he is bound -to guard the woman." -</p> - -<p> -Gray did not at first heed this last remark. He -was wondering just how far the Chinese would go -in their attempt to gain possession of himself and -the girl. Probably, he decided, Wu Fang Chien -was not over-desirous of forcing an entrance into -Sungan. But the mandarin would lose no chance -of capturing himself, or possibly of sniping him -from the outer wall. -</p> - -<p> -But for the present he reasoned that they were -safe. Then Garluk's reference to Mary returned -to his mind. He recalled that Timur had mentioned -that Mary must remain with the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -Gela had risen, his message delivered. Gray -halted him with a gesture. -</p> - -<p> -"Why is Bassalor Danek bound to keep the Kha -Rakcha?" he asked, inspired by a new and potent -uneasiness. -</p> - -<p> -Gela himself answered this, and Garluk interpreted. -</p> - -<p> -"Have you not heard?" he smiled. "Gela, the Kha -Khan, desires the White Spirit for himself. -Tomorrow night he will marry her, according to the -custom of the Wusun. Bassalor Danek has agreed." -</p> - -<p> -Gray checked an exclamation with difficulty. -</p> - -<p> -"That may not be," he said sternly. "The White -Spirit is not one to marry among the Wusun." -</p> - -<p> -Garluk laughed. "Did not Gela, the strongest of -the Wusun, take her from the yellow priests? Does -she not wear the talisman which is the same as that -of our shrine? Gela as yet has no wife. Why -should he not marry?" -</p> - -<p> -While the two watched him, Gray considered the -new turn affairs had taken. All his instincts -prompted him to cry out that the thing was -impossible. Mary must be protected. Yet he knew the -futility of a protest. -</p> - -<p> -"Has the Kha Rakcha agreed to this?" he -playing for time. -</p> - -<p> -"She does not know of it," asserted Garluk -complacently. "Why should a maiden be told before -she has the armlet"—he pointed at the bronze -circlet about Gela's powerful arm—"of her lord bound -about her throat?" -</p> - -<p> -Gela interrupted brusquely. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Khan asks," said Garluk, "if you are -the husband of the Kha Rakcha?" -</p> - -<p> -"Good Lord!" meditated the American. He -thought of asserting that he was. Then reflected -that Mary, who knew nothing of what was passing, -would hardly bear out his story. But he could not -let the opportunity go by without asserting some -claim to the girl. "I was to marry her," he -compromised, "when we returned from the desert." -</p> - -<p> -Gela barked forth a curt word and strode from -the door, after a keen glance at the American. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Khan says that he will take her. -Doubtless there are many women where you come -from. He desires the Kha Rakcha, whose life he -saved. Wu Fang Chien would have slain her. So -said the yellow priests." -</p> - -<p> -Gray glowered at Garluk, who smiled back. -</p> - -<p> -"Gela has never seen such a woman as the Kha -Rakcha. She is as beautiful as an aloe tree in -bloom," chattered the <i>tumani</i>. "She will bear him -strong children, and a son to wear his sword when -he is old." -</p> - -<p> -"If she does not agree—what then?" -</p> - -<p> -"It will make no difference. Bassalor Danek has -said that she will be a worthy wife to his grandson. -Does she not wear the talisman at her throat? That -is a good omen for the Wusun. Did she not come -here to seek the Wusun? Moreover, if Gela -marries her, then Wu Fang Chien cannot take her." -</p> - -<p> -"What if I forbid?" asked Gray dryly. -</p> - -<p> -"No one will heed you," explained Garluk frankly. -</p> - -<p> -Gray considered the matter, frowning. -</p> - -<p> -"Take me to the Kha Rakcha," he ordered. -</p> - -<p> -Garluk made a gesture of denial. -</p> - -<p> -"It is forbidden. To-morrow night the maiden -is to be married. There will be a feast, and a great -chant. We will drink wine of mare's milk." -</p> - -<p> -"Then send Timur to me." -</p> - -<p> -"It is night, and he is lame. After sunrise, -perhaps he will come." -</p> - -<p> -With that Garluk slipped from the door. Gray -heard the sound of a bar falling into place. He -was shut in for the night. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap23"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXIII -<br /><br /> -THE CHALLENGE -</h3> - -<p> -He slept little. The fate destined for Mary had -come as a complete surprise. It was not strange, -he reflected, that Gela should want her for a wife. -Nor that Bassalor Danek should approve the -marriage. He might have foreseen something of the -kind. -</p> - -<p> -No wonder the Gur-Khan had taken excellent -care of the girl, when she was marked for the bride -of his grandson. Gray swore fluently, and vainly. -The calmness with which the Wusun had put him -aside was irksome. He wished that he had claimed -to be the husband of Mary. It was too late now. -</p> - -<p> -Nor did he hope that the girl's objection, once she -heard of the proposed match, would carry weight. -Evidently marriage among the Wusun was arranged -by the parents of the parties concerned, as in China. -Bassalor Danek's word was law. And the old -chieftain fully appreciated the beauty of the girl. -</p> - -<p> -Gray groaned, reflecting that the coincidence of -the cross that the girl wore had rendered her doubly -desirable in the eyes of the Wusun. He wondered -how they had seen the cross. Was the marriage to -be the price of his safety? He groaned at the -thought. -</p> - -<p> -Flight, even if he could reach the girl, from -Sungan, was not to be thought of for the present. Wu -Fang Chien would be alert for just such an attempt. -And Gray did not see how he could hope to win -through the lepers. -</p> - -<p> -"They say blood calls to blood," he muttered. -Then he scowled savagely. "Confound Gela!" -</p> - -<p> -He was hungry for sight of the girl. She must -be worried about him, as he had not been able to -visit her yesterday as he had promised. His -involuntary protest had excited the suspicions of -Garluk. He would find it difficult now to escape from -the surveillance of the <i>tumani</i>, if he should make -the attempt. -</p> - -<p> -And beyond the Wusun was Wu Fang Chien, -watching keenly for any effort on the part of Gray -or Mary to leave Sungan. -</p> - -<p> -It was clear to Gray that the mandarin could not -permit them to leave the place alive. For one thing, -they would carry the news of the massacre of the -caravan. And the tidings of the existence of the -Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -It would be fatal to the plans of Wu Fang Chien -and the Buddhists if the Wusun should be -discovered. The knowledge of a race of ancient Asia -that worshipped the cross would be a severe blow -to the Mongolians. The Wusun were dying out. -Soon they would be extinct, and the danger over. -Until then Wu Fang Chien must guard his prisoners. -</p> - -<p> -The situation afforded little comfort to Gray. -At daybreak he pounded on his door. In time -Garluk came with food. Timur, he said, would visit -Gray presently, in the morning. No, the -Man-from-the-Outside could not leave the tower. Bassalor -Danek had issued orders. He was concerned for -the safety of his guests as the soldiers of the -Chinese had been seen assembling outside the wall. -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun, said Garluk, had mustered their -fighting men at the wall and in the passages, under -Gela. After the wedding the Chinese could not -interfere with the Kha Rakcha, for she would be -the wife of the Kha Khan. -</p> - -<p> -Gray dismissed Garluk, to hasten the approach -of Timur, and watched moodily from the embrasure. -He knew that he was little better than a prisoner. -Hours passed while the sun climbed higher. He -noticed an unusual activity in Sungan, and saw -bodies of armed men pass from point to point. -</p> - -<p> -The discipline of the place was strict. Probably, -he reflected, a heritage from the military ancestors -of the Wusun. It was noon when Timur entered -the chamber and seated himself calmly on the rugs. -</p> - -<p> -Gray curbed his anxiety, and greeted the lame -councilor quietly. He had a desperate game to -play with nothing to rely upon but his own wits. -</p> - -<p> -"Garluk said that you had need of me," observed -Timur, scanning him keenly. -</p> - -<p> -"I have a word to say to you," corrected Gray -quietly. -</p> - -<p> -"It is said," he added as the old man was silent, -"that the Kha Rakcha is to be asked in marriage by -Gela, the Kha Khan. Is this so?" -</p> - -<p> -"They said the truth. The wedding will be tonight, -after sunset." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's heart sank at this. He had hoped, illogically, -that Garluk had exaggerated the state of affairs. -Timur stretched out a lean hand. In it was -a small square of linen, Mary's handkerchief. -</p> - -<p> -The American took it eagerly. It was a message -from Mary, written in the Chinese ink, and it ran as -follows: -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="letter"> -Bassalor Danek has ordered me to marry Gela. I have -said no, a hundred times, but they will not listen. It will -be to-night. They will not let me see you. I don't know -what to do, Captain Gray. Please, please think of -something—to delay it. I did not dream they wanted to do -anything like that. I would rather face Wu Fang Chien. -Why could not you come to me? Please, help me. Timur -has agreed to carry this. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -It was signed with Mary's name. The girlish -appeal stirred Gray strangely. She had sent to him -for aid. Yet there was little he could do. He -followed the note mechanically and faced Timur, -thinking quickly. -</p> - -<p> -"In her own country," he said slowly, "the Kha -Rakcha has high rank. Because of this it is not -fitting that she should marry among the Wusun. -She does not want to stay in Sungan. It will kill -her. This is the truth." -</p> - -<p> -"I have seen that you speak the truth," assented -the chieftain. "And my heart is warm for love of -the woman who talked with me. Yet Gela has -rank among us." -</p> - -<p> -"But she does not wish the marriage." -</p> - -<p> -"It is the word of Bassalor Danek." -</p> - -<p> -"You know that I speak what is so. The woman -will die, if not by her own hand, from unhappiness." -</p> - -<p> -Timur looked sadly from the embrasure. -</p> - -<p> -"It may be. But death is slow in coming to the -young, O Man-from-the-Outside. Before she dies -the Kha Rakcha will bear Gela a son. That is the -wish of Bassalor Danek." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's lips tightened grimly. -</p> - -<p> -"Is that a just reward for coming over the desert -to find the Wusun and lighten their captivity?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is fate." -</p> - -<p> -"If it comes to pass the White Spirit will never -leave Sungan, but will die here. Will you lay that -black fate upon her?" -</p> - -<p> -"Will she not be kept here, if she does not marry -Gela?" -</p> - -<p> -Gray looked up hotly. "The Kha Rakcha is not -a subject of Bassalor Danek. She is a servant of a -mightier king——" -</p> - -<p> -Timur raised his hand. -</p> - -<p> -"Harken, youth," he said gravely. "I have seen -your love for the Kha Rakcha, and I know that she -has love for you in her heart——" Gray's pulses -quickened at this—"but the will of Bassalor Danek -must be obeyed. I know not if it is fitting that she -marry among the Wusun. But the Gur-Khan has -said that by the marriage, aid may be obtained from -her people for the Wusun. Blood ties are strong. -And the Wusun are fast dying out. If the marriage -takes place, the Kha Rakcha will remain in -Sungan. That is the word of the Gur-Khan. It -may not be altered." -</p> - -<p> -Silently, Gray studied the pattern of the carpet -at his feet. His firm mouth was set in hard lines. -Argument was gaining him nothing. And he must -make his effort to save the girl now or never. -</p> - -<p> -"I claim the White Spirit as my bride," he said. -"By right of love. She is mine." -</p> - -<p> -Timur combed his white beard thoughtfully. -</p> - -<p> -"How can it be?" -</p> - -<p> -"In this way. Bassalor Danek has given to Gela -what is mine. Since the time of Kaidu and Genghis -Khan it has been the law of Mongolia that a maiden -should not be taken from the man to whom she is -betrothed." -</p> - -<p> -"Bassalor Danek has decided. It is for the good -of his people." -</p> - -<p> -"I, who have come across the desert to the Wusun, -know that it is not so. I call upon the Wusun -to abide by the law of Mongolia." -</p> - -<p> -"The marriage feast is being prepared. The -White Spirit will be clothed in the robe of blessed -felicity." -</p> - -<p> -"Let it be so." Gray looked at the old man -steadily. "Let there be a marriage this night, -according to the custom of the Wusun. But I, as -well as Gela, claim the girl. You know the law?" -</p> - -<p> -"If two men say that a woman is theirs, they -must decide the matter with weapons in their -hands." -</p> - -<p> -"That is the law, Timur. From across the desert -I have known it. I will fight Gela. Thus it will -be decided." -</p> - -<p> -Timur glanced at him curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Khan is no light foe. He will fight -with swords. He has learned the art of sword -play from his fathers." -</p> - -<p> -"Be it so." Gray rose. "Bear this message to -the Kha Khan. Say that the White Spirit is mine." -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun sighed. -</p> - -<p> -"It is the way of the hot blood of youth. You are -foolhardy. Why should friends fight when Wu -Fang Chien is approaching our gates? Still, what -fate has written will come to pass. I will tell -Bassalor Danek your message." -</p> - -<p> -That night there was a stir in Sungan. Rumor -of the coming event had spread through the ruins, -and, with the exception of the guards that Gela -stationed to prevent any attempt at entrance on the -part of the Chinese, the whole of the Wusun men -flocked into the council hall. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, from his tower, watched the glow of the -sunset and saw the shadows form about the gardens -of Sungan. The evening chant floated up to him, -mournful and melodious. Occasionally he saw a -sentry pass along the outline of the wall. -</p> - -<p> -He wondered grimly whether he would see the -next sunrise. Timur had announced, by Garluk, -that Gray's challenge to the chief of the <i>tumani</i> had -been accepted. -</p> - -<p> -Garluk was voluble with excitement. He made -no secret of his belief that the American would die -at the hand of Gela. It would be an excellent -spectacle, he said. He asked if Gray intended to -protect himself by magic during the combat. -</p> - -<p> -Gray did not answer. He had had no experience -in handling a sword; the primitive blades of the -Wusun were clumsy weapons. Doubtless Gela was -skilled in their use. -</p> - -<p> -The situation afforded little ground for hope. -Certainly Gray, who had had an opportunity to -measure his adversary, was not overconfident. He -was resolved to make the best of it. He was doing -the only thing he could to aid the girl. -</p> - -<p> -He was not sorry. Gray was the type that did -not shirk physical conflict. And his love for Mary -Hastings was without stint. He did not know how -much she cared for him. He was incredulous of -Timur's words—that she could love him. -</p> - -<p> -At Garluk's summons, he followed the <i>tumani</i> -down the stairs. The corridors were thronged with -men who stared at him avidly. So great was the -crowd that Garluk could barely force his way into -the hall. -</p> - -<p> -The place was brightly lighted with candles. -Overhead, the gallery was filled with the Wusun. -On the daïs Bassalor Danek was talking earnestly -with Timur and the other elders of the tribe. -</p> - -<p> -A murmur went up at Gray's entrance and the -throng turned, as one man, to stare at him. He -returned their scrutiny, from the doorway, hoping -that he might see the girl. Would she be brought -to the hall? He did not know. Timur limped -forward. -</p> - -<p> -"The bronze bracelet," he ordered Garluk. The -<i>tumani</i> produced a metal armlet which he clamped -upon Gray's left forearm. It was an ancient -ornament, engraved with lettering unfamiliar to the -American. He wondered idly what Van Schaick -would have thought of it. -</p> - -<p> -"It shall be as you wish," said Timur gravely. -"Bassalor Danek is just. He has granted your -claim. If you are the victor, the White Spirit shall -be yours." -</p> - -<p> -"It is well," assented Gray. -</p> - -<p> -He spoke mechanically, feeling the phenomena -known to men who are about to go into bodily -danger—the acute interest in all about him, merged -into indifference. -</p> - -<p> -"We have sent for the White Spirit," added -Timur. "Gela will bring her." -</p> - -<p> -A fresh murmur caused Gray to raise his eyes. -He searched the throng greedily. At the door -behind the daïs Mary Hastings had appeared. The -murmur changed into a loud exclamation of -astonishment. -</p> - -<p> -The girl had been forced to discard her own -clothing for a loose garment of white silk, fitted -with a wide girdle of the same material and a veil -that covered her face below the eyes. Her hair -hung over her slender shoulders in bronze coils on -which the candlelight played fitfully. -</p> - -<p> -Her arms were bare. Thrust into the glare, she -shrank back. Then she caught sight of Gray and -would have started forward, but the women around -prevented her. For a moment her eyes sought his -pleadingly. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Rakcha," murmured those near him. -"<i>Aie</i>—she is fair." -</p> - -<p> -Gray's heart leaped at the sight. Then Gela -appeared at the girl's side, his tall bulk towering -above the women. He was armed with his sword -and appeared well pleased with the situation. -</p> - -<p> -"A fine stage setting," thought Gray whimsically. -"Just like the plays at home. Only the savage in -this case isn't ready to drop by the footlights when -the time comes. And his sword isn't <i>papier maché</i>." -</p> - -<p> -His mind ran on, illogically. But his gaze -fastened hungrily on the girl. He admired the pluck -which kept her erect and calm in the face of the -multitude. -</p> - -<p> -"A thoroughbred!" he muttered. He wanted to -call to her, but the commotion would drown his -voice. He did not look at her again. The appeal -in the girl's mute eyes was too great. -</p> - -<p> -With this came a quick revulsion of feeling. His -stupor of indifference vanished at sight of the slight -figure among the staring Wusun. A hot longing to -fight for her swept over him—a desire to match his -strength with her enemies, to win her for himself -and keep her. -</p> - -<p> -The thought sent the blood pulsing through him -quickly. He smiled and waved at the girl, who -responded bravely. -</p> - -<p> -Gray moved toward her, followed by Timur. He -wished to speak to her. And then came the incident -which altered matters entirely and which set in -motion the strange events of that night. -</p> - -<p> -Gela had been talking with Bassalor Danek. In -a burst of pride, the Kha Khan turned to the girl, -caught her about the knees and lifted her easily -for all to see. Surprise caused the girl to cry out. -</p> - -<p> -"Gela!" Gray called angrily, "that was ill done. -The Kha Rakcha is not for your hands to touch!" -</p> - -<p> -The youth did not understand. Mastered by an -impulse of passion, he laughed, pressing the white -woman closer. An echoing cry came from the Wusun. -Gela kissed the bare arm of the girl, running -his free hand through her hair. -</p> - -<p> -The sight was too much for Gray's prudence. -Pushing Timur aside, he sprang forward. Several -of the <i>tumani</i> stepped into his path. Gray struck at -them viciously. -</p> - -<p> -He was in the grip of a cold rage which renders -a man doubly dangerous. His powerful body flung -forward through the group of his enemies. Love -for the girl blinded him to the consequences of his -mistake. -</p> - -<p> -An outcry arose. Gray paid no heed to it, his fists -smashing into the faces of those who tried to hold -him. He wrenched free from men who caught his -legs. -</p> - -<p> -"Peace!" cried the great voice of Bassalor Danek. -</p> - -<p> -An injured Wusun, bleeding from the mouth, -struck at Gray with his sword. The white man -stepped under the blow and twisted the weapon -away from its holder. -</p> - -<p> -Aflame with the lust of conflict, he swung his -blade against the others that flashed in his face. -The force of his trained muscles beat down their -guard and cleared him a way to the foot of the -daïs. -</p> - -<p> -Then the Wusun gave back, at a sharp command. -A space was cleared around him. He saw Gela -standing alone before him, smiling, weapon in hand. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap24"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXIV -<br /><br /> -A STAGE IS SET -</h3> - -<p> -"Ho!" cried the voice of Garluk. "It is come." -</p> - -<p> -Others caught up the words. "It is come. Gela -is ready. One must die!" -</p> - -<p> -"One must die," echoed Garluk, "or give way to -the other." -</p> - -<p> -A quick glance upward showed Gray that Bassalor -Danek was leaning forward in his chair. Mary -was watching tensely from the group of women. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had little time to think. The man who now -confronted him was a more formidable adversary -than those he had knocked aside. Gela stood, poised -easily, his bare sword swinging in a knotted arm. -</p> - -<p> -Gray smiled and moved forward, while the throng -of the Wusun watched greedily. -</p> - -<p> -The thought of what he was to do had come to -him. And he acted on it instantly. -</p> - -<p> -Swinging his weapon over his head he leaped at -Gela. The Kha Khan's sword went up to guard -the blow. As it did so, the white man dropped his -blade and caught the other's arm. -</p> - -<p> -It had been done in the space of a second, coolly -and recklessly. Gray drew the arm of Gela over -his own shoulder, turning as he did so. It was a -wrestling trick and it brought the Wusun's weight -full on the sword arm. -</p> - -<p> -A wrench, a quick change of footing, and Gela's -sword dropped to the floor. Both men were now -unarmed. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had taken the only course that would save -his life. Unskilled in use of the sword, he had -reduced the fight to even terms. But he felt at once -the great strength of the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -Gela gripped him about the waist, crushing his -arms to his side. Gray felt a sharp pain in his -back, and stiffened against the hold. Slowly he -forced his arms up until his fists were under the -other's chin. -</p> - -<p> -It was now a trial of sheer strength. Gela -strained at his grip, locking his iron-like muscles in -an effort to bend his foe back. Gray brought one -knee up into the Wusun's stomach and pressed up -with his fists. -</p> - -<p> -For a long moment the two were locked motionless. -Silence held the hall. -</p> - -<p> -"Ho!" came the voice of Garluk, "we will see the -man crushed. Gela will crush him as a bullock beats -down a sheep." -</p> - -<p> -They were panting now, and the perspiration -streamed down into Gray's eyes. He had not -guessed the Wusun was so strong. The scene and -the spectators faded from his sight, leaving the -vision of Gela's set face staring into his own. -</p> - -<p> -In weight and muscle the Wusun had the advantage -of his adversary. But Gray was not putting -forth his strength to the utmost, knowing that the -hold must be changed when Gela tired. -</p> - -<p> -Seeing that he could not snap Gray's spine by -sheer weight, Gela shifted his grip swiftly, reaching -for a lower hold. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had been waiting for this. As the other -released his pressure, he struck. It was a hurried -blow, but it jerked back the Wusun's head and -rocked him on his feet. -</p> - -<p> -Instantly Gray struck with the other hand. This -time his fist traveled farther and Gela fell to the -floor. -</p> - -<p> -He was up at once, growling angrily. As he -rushed, Gray beat him off coolly—short, telling -blows that kept him free from the other's grasp. -</p> - -<p> -"Ho!" laughed Timur, "which is the bullock -now? The man has sharp horns." -</p> - -<p> -Gela hesitated, bleeding from nose and mouth. -He had never been forced to face a man who was -master of such blows. He swayed, gasping with his -exertions, his brown head thrust forward from -between his wide shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -Gray waited, poised alertly, regaining his breath. -</p> - -<p> -Then Gela lowered his head and sprang forward. -Gray caught him twice as he came—with each fist. -But this time the man was not to be stopped. -</p> - -<p> -Gray was caught about the shoulders, swung from -his feet and dashed to the stone floor. He felt the -other's knees drive into his body, and rolled to one -side as Gela's hands fumbled for his throat. He -knew it would mean death to be pinned to the floor -by the Wusun. -</p> - -<p> -Lights were dancing before his eyes. The hall -had grown dark, for Gela's arm was over his eyes. -</p> - -<p> -For a long space the two were locked almost -motionless on the floor. -</p> - -<p> -He heard Mary cry out. The sound was drowned -in an exultant shout, from the watchers. Gray was -on his knees. He drew a long, painful breath. His -lungs had been emptied by the fall to the hard floor. -</p> - -<p> -Silently, he set his teeth and warded off the hands -that sought his throat. With an effort, he rose to -his feet, throwing off the weight of his enemy. He -staggered as he did so, and realized that he was on -the point of utter exhaustion. -</p> - -<p> -The shout grew in volume as Gela, still vigorous, -advanced on Gray with outstretched arms. The -white man stepped back. Again he avoided the -clutch of the Wusun who was grinning in triumph. -As he did so he summed his remaining strength with -grim determination, watching Gela. -</p> - -<p> -Again the Wusun advanced. This time Gray did -not draw back. He launched forward bodily, eyes -fixed on his foe's face. His fist caught Gela full on -the cheek-bone, under the eye. -</p> - -<p> -Watching, and fighting off the stupor of weakness, -Gray saw Gela's head jerk back. The Wusun -slipped to the floor, and lay there. -</p> - -<p> -It was all that Gray could do to keep his feet. -His head was on his chest, and his dull sight -perceived that Gela was trying to crawl toward him. -</p> - -<p> -The muscles of the Wusun moved feebly, pulling -his body over the floor. His splendid shoulders -heaved. The blow that he received would have -knocked out an ordinary man. -</p> - -<p> -Gray, his shirt torn from his back, and blood -dripping from his mouth, watched. Gela edged -nearer. There was silence in the hall. -</p> - -<p> -Then the Wusun's head dropped to the floor and -his shoulders fell limp. He ceased moving forward. -Gray's blow had ended the struggle. Both men -were exhausted; but the white man was able to keep -his feet. -</p> - -<p> -As his sight cleared, he looked up at Mary. The -girl's gaze burned into his. Gray moved toward her, -fumbling at his left arm. -</p> - -<p> -He mounted the steps of the daïs. He took the -bronze armlet weakly in his hand. Barely, he was -able to raise it and place it around the girl's throat. -She did not draw back. -</p> - -<p> -Then he put his hand on her shoulder and turned -to face Bassalor Danek. As he did so, there was a -commotion in the crowd at the hall entrance. A -Wusun stepped forward. He held a strung bow in -one hand. -</p> - -<p> -"I bring news, O Gur-Khan," the newcomer -cried. "Wu Fang Chien is within the gate of Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -At this, confusion arose among the Wusun. -Women screamed and the <i>tumani</i> shouted angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"The Chinese soldiers have driven back the -sentries on the wall," repeated the messenger. "Wu -Fang Chien sends word to you. He has come for -the two white people. They must be given up to -him. Or he will search the whole of Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -The uproar died down at this. All eyes were -turned to Bassalor Danek. The Gur-Khan sat -quietly in his chair, but the hand that stroked his -beard trembled. -</p> - -<p> -"Will Wu Fang Chien break the covenant of our -people?" he demanded sternly. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye; he has mustered his soldiers with guns." -</p> - -<p> -Gray felt the girl draw closer to him. She did not -know what was going on, yet guessed at trouble in -the air. He put his arm over her shoulders, thrilled -that she did not protest. -</p> - -<p> -Instead, her hand reached up and pressed his -softly. Her hair touched his cheek. He had -married Mary Hastings, by the law of the Wusun. It -was not marriage as their customs ordained; but he -felt the exultation that had come when he bound -the circlet of bronze about her slim throat. She -was his! He had won her from Gela. -And—miraculously—she was content to have his arm about -her. Of course he could not urge the claim of this -barbaric ritual on her—if they ever won free from -Sungan. For the moment, however, he joyed in -the thought that he had fought for and won the -woman he loved. The new menace, voiced by the -messenger, slipped from his mind. He saw only -the girl. -</p> - -<p> -Then he realized that she was blushing hotly. -</p> - -<p> -"Please," she whispered, "I—I must get my -clothes. This dress is not—I don't want to wear -it." -</p> - -<p> -"It's mighty becoming," he said, laughingly. -</p> - -<p> -He spoke haphazard, his triumph still strong upon -him. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh!" She smiled back. "Now that you are my—master, -they'll let me change to my own things, -won't they? I'll run back to Bassalor Danek's -house." -</p> - -<p> -He saw that she was disturbed by the multitude, -But the lines about his mouth hardened. His arm -tightened about her. -</p> - -<p> -"You won't leave me—now," he whispered. Then -he saw sudden alarm in her eyes. "We're in trouble, -as usual. I'll send a woman for your clothes." He -spoke lightly, trying to reassure her. "Here's -Timur——" -</p> - -<p> -At his request, the lame chieftain curtly -dispatched an attendant for Mary's garments. Timur -was watching Bassalor Danek. The Gur-Khan was -staring blankly before him. He was called upon to -make a decision which meant much to his people. -</p> - -<p> -Gray also was watching the ruler of the Wusun, -wondering whether the latter's pride would lead -him to resist Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -Then a figure pushed through the <i>tumani</i> at the -foot of the daïs. It was Gela, staggering with -weariness, the blood still flowing from the cuts in -his face. In spite of this he carried himself proudly, -and there was a savage light in the eyes that peered -at Bassalor Danek and the two white people. -</p> - -<p> -He pointed at Gray and growled something that -the American did not understand. -</p> - -<p> -"He says," interpreted Timur, "that you are a -brave man. That the word of Gela will not be -broken. He will guard the Kha Rakcha from the -Buddhists. And he will protect you who are the -husband of the woman." -</p> - -<p> -A murmur of approval came from the ranks of -the <i>tumani</i> at the words of their leader. Bassalor -Danek looked troubled. -</p> - -<p> -"It is well said," cried Gray. He stepped forward, -holding out his hand. Gela drew himself up -defiantly. It may have been that he did not -understand the gesture of the white man. -</p> - -<p> -"Gela says," explained Timur, "that he will do -this for the Kha Rakcha. Not for you." -</p> - -<p> -But Gray had seen his chance, and turned to -Bassalor Danek. -</p> - -<p> -"Harken, Gur-Khan of the Wusun," he said -clearly. "You must answer Wu Fang Chien. You -have heard the word of Gela, who is a generous foe. -Have you forgotten that your fathers and mine were -once the same? Or the talisman in the shrine? By -this thing, I ask a favor. It will be the last." -</p> - -<p> -"Speak," responded the chieftain quietly. "I -have not forgotten." -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Rakcha and I have come across the -desert to Sungan to seek the Wusun, who are of -our blood. Many died, that we should come here. -And"—he recalled the words Mirai Khan had -once used—"we have eaten your meat and bread. -What we came for has been accomplished. Why -should we stay here? Would it not be better to -bring word of what we have seen to those of your -blood who are across the desert?" -</p> - -<p> -Bassalor Danek meditated, stroking his beard. -</p> - -<p> -"Once I said to Wu Fang Chien and the priests, -O Man-from-the-Outside, that you are my guest. -So it shall be. I will not give you up." -</p> - -<p> -"The time of the Kha Rakcha in Sungan is -ended," returned Gray boldly. "Like the crescent -moon she has come and will go. She must carry -the word of the talisman in the shrine back with -her. It was for this that the Kha Rakcha was sent. -She will return to a king who is greater than the -Manchu emperor once was." -</p> - -<p> -The Gur-Khan shook his head shrewdly. -</p> - -<p> -"What power is greater than the Dragon Empire? -What other people are there than the Mongols, the -Kirghiz and the Buddhists priests?" -</p> - -<p> -"Beyond the desert is a sea, and beyond the sea -are those whose blood was once yours. We will take -our message to them and they will know of the -Wusun." -</p> - -<p> -Timur limped forward to the Gur-Khan's side. -</p> - -<p> -"A thought has come to me, O Khan of the -Wusun," he said slowly. "It is a high thought and -an omen. It is that this man and woman will -return whence they have come, with speech of what -they saw in Sungan. It is written in the book of -fate that this shall be. Why else did the white man -overcome Gela?" -</p> - -<p> -He turned to Gray, with a moody smile on his -lined face. -</p> - -<p> -"Your people, O Man-from-the-Outside, will not -find the Wusun, if they send again. That is my -thought. The sun passes from the heavens and it -is night; the camel leaves his bones to dry in the -sands. So will the Wusun pass from Mongolia. -The priests of Buddha are powerful. Soon the -sands will climb over the walls of Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -A murmur from a hundred throats, a muttered -lament, greeted this. -</p> - -<p> -"We will deliver our message," said Gray. -</p> - -<p> -Timur was silent, standing beside the troubled -Gur-Khan. A quick emotion of friendship for these -resigned captives of Sungan swept over Gray. He -turned to Gela. -</p> - -<p> -"Will you do this for the Kha Rakcha?" he asked. -"Will you escort us through the ranks of the Buddhist -priests and the soldiers? It will not be an easy -task. There will be bloodshed. But it would save -the life of the Kha Rakcha." -</p> - -<p> -Timur interpreted his request. The Kha Khan -lifted his head proudly. He spoke rapidly, harshly, -pointing to the watching warriors. -</p> - -<p> -"He will do what you say," assented Timur. -"The <i>tumani</i> will take you through the guards of -Sungan. It has not been done before——" -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien first broke the covenant," -reminded the American. -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Aie</i>! It will be a hard struggle. The soldiers -have guns——" -</p> - -<p> -Gela broke in sternly. Already the light of -conflict showed in his keen eyes. He issued a series -of guttural commands to the <i>tumani</i>. The women -began to press from the hall, uttering wailing -laments. The young men clustered around the Kha Khan. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien will scourge us for this," -muttered Timur. -</p> - -<p> -"Wu Fang Chien," pointed out Gray grimly, "may -not live to do it. Likewise, it is better, for the peace -of the Wusun, that we should go from Sungan." -</p> - -<p> -He thought, also, of Gela's savage love for the -girl. For the moment the Wusun was their friend. -But the future might alter that. He had seen his -opportunity, and seized it. The <i>tumani</i> were -drawing their weapons and chattering excitedly. -</p> - -<p> -Gray had reasoned that now the Buddhists were -assembled at the gates of Sungan. If he and the -girl could penetrate their ranks, they might obtain -a good start over the desert, which was now free -of the outer guards. -</p> - -<p> -"As you have said," announced Bassalor Danek, -rising, "it shall be done." -</p> - -<p> -"What is happening?" Mary asked anxiously. -Sensing the importance of what was passing, she -had not spoken before. -</p> - -<p> -Gray laughed. He touched her shoulder shyly. -</p> - -<p> -"Come to me, as soon as you are ready, Mary. -Gela is a generous foe. He will guide us beyond -the wall." -</p> - -<p> -She looked at the young Kha Khan gratefully. -Well she knew what the danger would be, although -Gray had not mentioned it. On a quick impulse the -girl stooped and picked up Gela's weapon from the -floor. She placed it in the hand of the Wusun. -The action caught the fancy of the <i>tumani</i>. -</p> - -<p> -"The Kha Rakcha is one at heart with the -Wusun!" they cried, looking eagerly at the -beautiful woman. -</p> - -<p> -"Aye, the Kha Rakcha!" shouted Gela, his moodiness -vanished. "We will shed our blood for the -white queen." -</p> - -<p> -"Ho—the white queen!" echoed the <i>tumani</i>. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap25"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXV -<br /><br /> -RIFLE AGAINST ARROW -</h3> - -<p> -What happened now came swiftly and with little -warning. Bassalor Danek, once the die was cast, -ceded his authority to Gela. The traditional -leadership of the Wusun was the Kha Khan's in time of -war. Now, for the first time in generations they -were to resist the authority of their gaolers. -</p> - -<p> -Gray remembers clearly that Bassalor Danek bade -them a solemn farewell standing in his white robe -at the foot of the daïs. Then the Gur-Khan, who -was impressed with the importance of the -occasion, raised his hand with dignity. -</p> - -<p> -"By the talisman at your throat, O Kha Rakcha," -he said, "do not forget the Wusun—if it is the -decree of fate that you should pass from here in -safety." -</p> - -<p> -"She will not forget," promised Gray. He -watched the aged figure depart for the tower where -Bassalor Danek intended to watch what was to -happen through the Eyes-of-Long-Sight. -</p> - -<p> -Gela assumed command impetuously. Gray -watched him muster the <i>tumani</i>. The young men -were afire with anticipation of a struggle. The -long pent up enmity against their captors was about -to be released. From the dwellings of Sungan came -the lament of the women. It shrilled in the night -air—the world-old plaint of women before battle. -</p> - -<p> -Timur lingered with them. The three were -surrounded by the hunters who had strung their bows -and unsheathed their heavy swords. -</p> - -<p> -There was only a half-light in the upper hall of -the council-temple where they now stood. It -reflected faintly upon the red sandstone of the walls, -with the faded, painted figures of an older age -looking down upon them. -</p> - -<p> -Gutturally, the warriors spoke under their breath -to each other, laughing much, although not loudly. -Some, however, leaned upon their bows silently, -their eyes blank. This note of tensity was familiar -to the American. Gray had watched men go -forward under fire with the same forced merriment, -the same semi-stupor. -</p> - -<p> -But the hunters were contented. Young men, for -the most part, their lean faces hardened and lined -by exposure to the sun, their bloodshot eyes -narrow, their lips thin and cracked—they smiled more -frequently than not. A savage pleasure lurked in -their eyes. They were to lift their swords against -the oppressors of the Wusun. Gray counted the -swords. They were all too few. -</p> - -<p> -Wearied of confinement, they were, for a brief -moment, to strike into the desert as free men. -Perhaps. For they might never win beyond the wall. -</p> - -<p> -They shuffled their yak-skin boots, breathing -heavily. The air in the gallery became close and -hot with scent of soiled leather. Mary stood close -to Gray, her shoulder against his. She had changed -to her torn dress and crumpled jacket. Her glance -was on him. -</p> - -<p> -"Robert!" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes—Mary." He looked down, his face alight -at hearing her speak his name. -</p> - -<p> -"You were frowning. Will it be so very bad?" Her -slender body pressed against his so that he -could feel the pulse of her heart. "Then you -mustn't leave me—this time." -</p> - -<p> -"No." -</p> - -<p> -He wanted to take her in his arms, to call her -his wife. But he checked the swift impulse sternly. -He had no right. How was he to know that she -was yearning for just this comfort? -</p> - -<p> -Gela waved his arm, and there was a shuffling of -many feet, moving forward. -</p> - -<p> -"Robert!" -</p> - -<p> -Her eyes, shining with faith in him, drew nearer -and held his own. His arm drew her closer to him, -savagely. Perhaps he hurt her. But she did not -protest. -</p> - -<p> -Blindly, he pressed his mouth against the -fragrance of her hair. Clumsily, with dry lips, he -kissed her throat and cheek, marveling at the pulse -that beat so strongly where he touched. -</p> - -<p> -Two swift, slender arms closed around his neck. -The girl sighed, quivering, uttering a soft, happy -murmur. Gray, unbelieving, tried to look into her -face, but tender, moist lips touched his in a quick -caress. Her eyes were half closed, and she was -strangely pale. -</p> - -<p> -"Mary!" he whispered, and again: "Mary." -</p> - -<p> -She was smiling now, the gray eyes glad. -</p> - -<p> -Gela cast an appraising eye over the assemblage -and gave a command. The <i>tumani</i> pressed forward -to the stairs that led to the entrances above ground. -</p> - -<p> -Gray felt Mary's hand seek his. A cool breath -of air brushed their hot faces. He saw the glitter -of torches, lighted by the <i>tumani</i>. Then they passed -out into the night. -</p> - -<p> -The sands of Sungan were vacant except for the -group of warriors under Gela. A slight breeze -stirred among the aloes and tamarisks, lifting tiny -spirals of dust under their feet and causing the -torches to flicker. -</p> - -<p> -Then the torches were dashed into the sand, and -the warrior groups became shadowy forms, moving -against the deeper shadow of the towers. -</p> - -<p> -Overhead the moon was cold and bright. Its -radiance showed the dark figures of Chinese on the -wall, and glittered on their guns. At the gate in -the wall in front of them was a group of priests. -Wu Fang Chien was not to be seen. -</p> - -<p> -Between the <i>tumani</i> and the wall was a level -stretch of sand perhaps two hundred yards in length. -</p> - -<p> -"See!" chattered the old Timur, "the message of -Bassalor Danek has been sent. They are waiting." -</p> - -<p> -"It would not be well to rush the wall," cautioned -Gray quickly, sizing up the situation. "They -have guns——" -</p> - -<p> -"If I had a bow!" Timur's reluctance had -vanished under the growing excitement. "Ho! The -hunters will hunt new prey." -</p> - -<p> -One of the priests cried out something that Gray -did not understand. Gela answered defiantly, and -the <i>tumani</i> rushed forward, carrying Gray and -Mary with them. -</p> - -<p> -A shot sounded from the wall, greeted by a defiant -shout from the Wusun. A scattering volley -followed. The guards—Chinese irregulars, Dungans, -bandits, followers of the priests, what-not—were -poor marksmen. But the range was close. And the -Wusun, ignorant of tactics against gunfire, were -bunched close. -</p> - -<p> -Gray saw several stumble and fall in the sand. -More shots. The torches wavered. Timur stooped -and picked up a bow and arrow from one of the -fallen. -</p> - -<p> -The priests had vanished from the gate. This had -been closed. But not before Gray sighted groups -of the lepers running about in confusion. Some -seemed to be armed. -</p> - -<p> -The Wusun wavered under the fire, as undisciplined -men are bound to do. Gray forced the girl -to crouch in the sand with Timur while he ran -forward to Gela. The Kha Khan was shouting angrily -at his followers. -</p> - -<p> -"The passages!" Gray seized Gela's arm. "Here, -you will be killed. Go down to the passages." -</p> - -<p> -Gela, the hot light of battle in his scarred face, -stared at him unheedingly. But Timur, who was -not to be left behind, limped forward and echoed -Gray's words. -</p> - -<p> -Comprehension dawned on the Kha Khan, and -his eyes narrowed shrewdly. He shouted to his -men. The <i>tumani</i> began to run back, leaving dark -bodies prone in the sand. -</p> - -<p> -Gray made his way to the temple with Mary. A -shout of triumph sounded from the wall. The -firing did not cease. The blood-lust had been -aroused in the men on the wall, who had found the -killing of the poorly armed Wusun an easy matter. -</p> - -<p> -But Gray, seeing the set faces around him, realized -that the <i>tumani</i> were not going to give up the -struggle. It was an age-old feud—the struggle -of the oppressed Central Asians against their -Mongol captors. -</p> - -<p> -He and the girl were swept along at Gela's side -like leaves in a swift current. Down into the temple -the Wusun pressed, silent this time. They streamed -into the underground corridors, led by men with -torches. The shouting over-ground grew fainter. -</p> - -<p> -Once Gray stumbled over a body. It was a -woman, bleeding from a death wound in the throat. -The priests had been here, and warfare in the Gobi -reckons not of sex. -</p> - -<p> -The flutter of a yellow robe appeared in the corridor -in front of them. A bow twanged, and Gray saw -an arrow appear between the shoulders of the fleeing -priest. A knife that the Buddhist held clattered -to the floor. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>tumani</i> shouted and pressed forward. They -were under the wall now, and the passage began to -rise. Gray saw that it was the same that led to -the well. -</p> - -<p> -A sharp command from Gela silenced the Wusun. -They ran out into the well and up the steps, -savagely intent on their purpose. -</p> - -<p> -They emerged into confusion. Gray saw that -other Wusun were running out from the adjoining -passages, driving the priests before them. The -Chinese on the wall had turned. Taken by surprise, -they were firing hastily. Their foes were scattered -now, and the fight became a hand-to-hand affair. -</p> - -<p> -One by one the torches dropped to the sand. -Swords flashed in the moonlight. Gray saw some -of the men of the leper pack, led by priests. These -were met with arrows of the <i>tumani</i> and driven -back. They fled easily. -</p> - -<p> -Forced to hand-grips, the Chinese at the wall -wavered. -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Aie!</i>" cried Timur. "The fight goes well. I am -young again." He pointed exultantly at the -leaping forms of the hunters. -</p> - -<p> -The girl walked quietly at Gray's side. The -American picked up an empty musket and went -forward. It was a poor weapon, but it served. -Gela was in advance of his followers, who had -cleared the wall now and were pacing forward, -seeking out the groups of Chinese. -</p> - -<p> -By now the soldiers were running back through -the outskirts of the city. -</p> - -<p> -Gray could see the leper pack mingling with the -shadows among the sand dunes. Occasionally, -there was a shrill cry as the Wusun hunted out a -yellow-robed Buddhist. The Chinese were fleeing -in earnest. The only light now came from the -moon. It was a battle of shadows, wherein dim -forms leaped and struck with bared knives, -peering at each other's face. -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Aie!</i>" echoed the old chieftain, who was leaning -on the shoulder of a <i>tumani</i>, "this is the way our -fathers drove their foes before them. It is a goodly -sight." -</p> - -<p> -He hobbled on, refusing to be left behind. Gray -drew a deep breath, surveying the scene with -experienced eye. The smoldering anger of the -Wusun had cleared a temporary passage. "We are -outside the city, Mary," he said. -</p> - -<p> -"It is not over yet," she responded quickly. -"See—there are lights ahead, to the right." -</p> - -<p> -Gela had seen the same thing. He gathered -together the hunters that remained about him and -advanced cautiously. Rounding some dunes, they -came full on the lights. -</p> - -<p> -It was the camp of the Chinese guards. Camels -and horses were tethered among some make-shift -tents. Lanterns flickered as coolies sought to -assemble the beasts. -</p> - -<p> -A group of men were facing them standing uneasily -in front of the tents. Gray saw the bulky -figure and mandarin hat of Wu Fang Chien. The -light from a lantern struck across his broad face, -savage now with baffled anger. He held a rifle. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap26"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXVI -<br /><br /> -THE BRONZE CIRCLET -</h3> - -<p> -The girl gave a quick cry. It was answered by -a shout from Gela. -</p> - -<p> -One of the Chinese fired. The man who was -supporting Timur dropped to the ground with a moan, -hands clasped to his stomach. -</p> - -<p> -Both Gela and Gray sprang forward at the same -time. Wu Fang Chien caught sight of them and -lifted his rifle. His followers shot wildly, doing -no damage in the uncertain light. -</p> - -<p> -The mandarin, Gray thought swiftly as he ran, -had rallied some of the fugitives at the camp. -Possibly he had guessed Gray's intention to leave -Sungan, and was determined to prevent it at all -costs. -</p> - -<p> -Gray could see the man clearly as he peered at -him over the sights of the rifle. The weapon was -steady. Behind him, a warning shout echoed from -the Wusun. Gela, at his side, did not slacken his -pace. -</p> - -<p> -Still Wu Fang Chien held his fire. Gray, watching -intently, saw that the rifle the mandarin held -was one of his own—stolen from his luggage. The -thought wrought on him with grim humor. It did -not occur to him to turn back. He could not leave -Gela to go forward alone. The Kha Khan was -panting as he ran, wearied by his efforts, but grimly -intent on Wu Fang Chien. -</p> - -<p> -Behind Wu Fang Chien, he saw the horses struggling -at their tethers. His senses were strangely -sharpened by the tensity of the moment. He heard -Gela pant, and even caught the distant lament of -the women of the Wusun. The coughing of frightened -camels came to him clearly. -</p> - -<p> -The lantern glinted on the rifle barrel that was -aimed full at him. He saw Wu Fang Chien's evil -eyes narrow. Then they widened. The rifle barrel -wavered. And dropped to the sand. Gela and the -white man halted in their tracks. -</p> - -<p> -From the throat of Wu Fang Chien projected an -arrow shaft, the feathers sticking grotesquely under -his chin. -</p> - -<p> -Slowly the mandarin's knees gave way and he fell -forward on the sand, both hands gripping the -arrow that snapped the thread of his life. -</p> - -<p> -"<i>Aie!</i>" the voice of Timur rang out. "I have -taken a life. I have slain an enemy of my people!" -</p> - -<p> -Gray turned and saw the old chieftain standing -bow in hand beside Mary. His cry had barely -ceased when a yellow-robed priest sprang at him -from a tent. -</p> - -<p> -The Buddhist held a knife. His course took him -directly toward Mary. The girl waited helplessly. -Gela's warning cry rang out. Several of the Wusun -were running toward her. But too far away to aid. -</p> - -<p> -The priest was within a few paces of the girl, -too near for Gela or Gray to interfere in time. -</p> - -<p> -Then the figure of Timur limped forward. The -old man struck at the priest feebly with his bow. -And caught him by the shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -The Buddhist stabbed the Wusun viciously, burying -his knife in Timur's back. The old man uttered -no sound, but kept his hold, snarling under the bite -of the knife. Gray stepped to the side of Wu Fang -Chien and caught up the mandarin's rifle. -</p> - -<p> -It was his own piece and loaded. He laid the -sights on the man in the yellow robe as the latter -threw off the clinging form of Timur. The rifle -cracked as the Buddhist stepped toward Mary. -</p> - -<p> -The priest staggered to his knees. It had been -a quick shot, and an excellent one, considering the -light. Gela grunted approval. -</p> - -<p> -Gray saw the girl go to the side of the stricken -Timur. Then he looked about the camp. Wu Fang -Chien was dead, and his remaining followers had -run from the camp into the desert. Only Gela's -band of the Wusun were visible, thinned in numbers, -but triumphant. They thronged toward their -leader, bearing useless rifles as spoil, tired, yet -chuckling loudly. -</p> - -<p> -The fight was over. -</p> - -<p> -Gela motioned significantly to the moon which -was high overhead. Time was passing, and the -white man must be dispatched while the coast was -free. He had not forgotten his promise in the -council hall. The Kha Khan returned to Mary and -led her away from the old chieftain. -</p> - -<p> -Gray saw that the girl was crying. Not noisily, -but quietly, trying to keep back the tears. The -strain of the night was beginning to tell on her, and -the death of Timur at her side had been a shock. -She did not want to look back. -</p> - -<p> -"I—I liked Timur," she said softly. "He was -good to me." -</p> - -<p> -"He was a good sort," assented Gray heartily. -</p> - -<p> -For the girl's sake, he wished to leave the camp -at once. Delay would mean peril. Gela seemed to -have guessed his thought. The Kha Khan issued -brisk orders to his followers. Then he threw his -own warm, sheepskin <i>khalat</i> over the girl's shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -Two camels, the pick of those in the encampment, -were produced. These were fitted hastily with -blankets. A third was loaded—protesting loudly -after the fashion of the beasts—with foodstuffs and -water, commandeered from the supplies of the -Chinese. Gela examined the goat skin water bags -attentively and nodded with satisfaction. They were -all-important. -</p> - -<p> -This done, he turned to Gray and pointed again -to the moon. Then he motioned out over the desert -to the west to a gray expanse of shimmering earth, -with scattering wisps of stunted bushes. -</p> - -<p> -"He wants us to go in that direction," said the -girl, "not back to China." -</p> - -<p> -Gray had already reasoned out their best course. -The direction of Gala agreed with his own conclusion. -To the west four or five days' fast ride on -camels was the river Tarim, with isolated -settlements of shepherds. Here they would be across -the boundary of Kashgaria and free from the -authority of the Chinese Buddhists. And beyond the -Tarim was Khotan—just north of the Karakorum -Pass to India. He still had his maps and compass. -</p> - -<p> -"From there," assented the girl, "we can reach -Kashgar, where there will be merchants from Kashmir. -My uncle has been at Khotan with me. It is -not hard to travel to India from there." -</p> - -<p> -Urged by Gela they mounted the kneeling camels. -The Wusun clustered around. Out of the camp -they led the white man and woman until the towers -of Sungan were barely visible on the horizon. -</p> - -<p> -Here they were beyond danger of meeting with -Chinese fugitives. Gela halted and raised his hand -in farewell. Gray and the girl did likewise. -</p> - -<p> -"He has kept his word to us, and he is proud of -it," whispered Mary, "and we can't thank him." For -neither could speak Gela's tongue. -</p> - -<p> -"Good-by, old man, and good luck," said Gray -heartily, in English. -</p> - -<p> -Turning back after an interval, he saw the Kha -Khan and the Wusun watching them. They were -seated in the sand, their faces bent toward the -departing camels. Until the two were out of sight, -Gela remained there. -</p> - -<p> -The camels were fresh and moved swiftly. It -was a clear night, with a touch of cold in the air, -a forerunner of the winter that was settling down -on Central Asia. The miles passed swiftly behind, -as Gray, guided by his compass, kept on to the west. -</p> - -<p> -They did not speak. Behind them the crimson -of dawn flooded the sky. The moon paled, coldly. -Early morning chill numbed the man and the girl. -The long shadows of the camels appeared on the -sand before them. Mists, wraith-like and grotesque, -receded on the skyline. From black to gray, and -then to brown the sand dunes turned. Waves of -sand swept to the sky-line on either side. -</p> - -<p> -They were alone in the infinity of Asia. -</p> - -<p> -Gray wanted to speak, but a strong shyness -gripped him. He urged his beast beside the girl's -and took her hand. She did not withdraw it. This -made him bold. Already the sun warmed their -backs. The camels slowed to a steady trudge. -</p> - -<p> -"Our honeymoon has begun," he said. His heart -was beating in unruly fashion. "And in Kashgar, -we can find a missionary, to—to make you really -my wife—if you will." -</p> - -<p> -She did not answer. Instead, she drew back the -<i>khalat</i> that the Wusun had given her. Gray saw -that the bronze circlet was still about her throat. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE END -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARCHING SANDS ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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