diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/65825-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65825-0.txt | 9102 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 9102 deletions
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. Gray saw that the bronze circlet was still -about her throat. - - - -THE END - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARCHING SANDS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -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-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - 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. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |