Show E mil BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 MUNDY SERVICE L THE STORY THUS FAB F AR captain cart carl norwood has ha been sent gent from his native england to the kadur RIV river er district in india along with his indispensable manservant moses 0 oleary le 50 soldier idler ol of fortune lor tune narwood No s lob job Is to survey the district to determine whether ary a valuable secret diamond mine belongs to the temple the priests or to ruler the th eMah maharajah Mah arajah of kadur norwood calls on the british residency to pay his initial respects on his way he catches a glimpse of two women in a palace carriage one of whom Is young and beautiful ul the other woman he knows to be the ot of kadur oleary later tells him that the tha young woman Is an american girl named lynn harding who with her aunt mrs deborah harding is a guest at the palace on a sightseeing tour mrs harding sprains an ankle and sends to the palace for st aid d prince Rund hia handsome spoiled nephew ol of the rulers comes to her rescue and takes her back to the palace where he meets lynn at a banquet that night in the palace attended by captain norwood mrs harding takes oneff ane ot the native doctors pills and becomes violently lu she la is placed in bed and arrangements are made for or lynn to move jut of th the 0 quarters with her aunt and stay with the that evening prince R attempts to make love to lynn she la is unwilling to listen liste n to him and at the crucial moment norwood appears on the scene much huchto to Rund hlas hias disgust oleary has haa located the secret entrance to the diamond mine which is being worked by the temple priests lie ile takes to the mine where death is narrowly averted arte rte d when a live cobra is thrown in No face ace later norwood visits carroe t the brahmin arnin priests one of whom slyly slips a packet of diamonds in his pocket unknown to norwood they are intended as a bribe while norwood is talking to lynn the diamonds tall fall from his pocket she notices them and sees that he is surprised later when tries to make love to her she mentions the diamonds in order to divert hla his mind she realizes it was a mistake Rund tila bla though chagrined by Lynns attitude is elated to hearod hear 0 the dl amonds alfe goes immediately to the british residency and tells the resident of the diamonds CHAPTER VIII Continued 9 Hund Rund hia you are talking dangerously gerou sly said the resident yes whose dinger danger it would smell sweet I 1 was rid ing early this morning 1 I saw nor wood on his way to the river overheard him say that priests were glor him near the river and X happen Lh appen to knowd knowah he was down by the river arver after midnight alast f night now lie b e carries diamonds in his tunic tule pocket have gave you see seen nAhem them I 1 7 4 no Wh odid 1 I am well informed about it loba look here run Rund hla you dont expect me do you to credit ati an unsupported charge based on bear iby sayi against an ani officer hoha aa perfectly clean record would you you prefer that intake my information elsewhere fc Wb awas your informant 9 r 1 I refuse to tell you the rold resident ro se efroni from his clifair aar ia hope the drive home won wont I 1 t affect you disagreeably ll 1 actually started lor for the door As he drew diew abreast the resident said hello I 1 notice your bosq Is s bleeding have ahne you lien been I 1 in a an accident ask norwood you me mean t to 0 tell me 7 ro po yo you kaow where norwood is now K atthe at the palace I 1 in c conference efer 1 ecce pei perhaps fishing for a larger bribe from someone elsi else N now now Rund hial who as was your informant about those diamonds 1 I might tell you in strict confidence I 1 1 1 I 1 1 10 1 I promise nothings nothing batot 1 I iway believe nothing unless youl boutell yo tell rne U between you ou and me it w was b s miss lynn harding T i how should she know she saw them norwood is in love with her you know that any fool could guessie guess gu essit it I 1 think norwood casually le her see thena to impress her he is mad abo about fit her dont quote me its up to you now CHAPTER IX f the Mahar anees maid who changed lynns frock wasene was ot of those who had aulty aunty harding because she knew english it was impossible not to believe belleve that the already mew more than the facts about lynns break with her aunt the maid left the bedroom the sat by the veranda window staring past the edge of the sun blind into the garden there was hardly hard lya a sound except the purring of the two electric tans fans f ae atean meanwhile ia a chii alga rette and watched the ma a r anee ano who seemed to lynnton dpn to be consider ing not what to ta say gay but haw ta say what was crowding her thought dear I 1 wish you feel so upset how you must despise us flessel Fl easel sell I 1 do dont nt to go away leaving you thin thinking kang anything as un ue as that yow would id be dri dreadful adful I 1 am not even angry with Rund hia hla 1 I am more than angry with him said the mahara nee 1 I 1 am ashamed lynn is it true it has been told to me that mrs arp Hard harding lilg saw kiss you in the garden yes tha too was my fault I 1 could have prevented t I 1 aulty aimey was vas looking 1 I did it io to annoy her not because you like Rund hia oh I 1 me like him he is the handi hand thing I 1 have ever seen and amusing I 1 was playing with fire are I 1 knew that the Mahar anees wor worried ried face relaxed lax gd L into rito i a wise smile my de dear ar jou you dont know if you think he wont try at vaga lol unless is jt it true it has fias been me that mrs fl arding has decided not to sta stay hermany here her danY any lon longer jer first train and first steamer tor for home lynn answered marching orders at the moment it hurts her to anve and she cant keep lood down but the doctor can ably fix that and ashes brave she has an iron will she told tae me to pack my things and will you do it what in the world else can I 1 do I 1 a sous marquis to my name aunty aulty gives me pocket money no more the smiled yes lak of mone fein make maka ven even run ru n ahi adhia la obey oba but it is a limited power erl I 1 it 1 can joe brofe cn i I 1 11 1 0 so o I 1 mit it remains to io be seoul sean lynn an answered sired you are of 0 age you dont look it it j but you aire are are you not it if I 1 invite you to remain in iii the palace as my guest will you accept how can I 1 it would give me very great Was provide you with more than pocket money I 1 can easily invent n a salaried position you have been such a comfort such a joy to me that houi your companionship would more tham justify a requisition on J f well perhaps alvas nit his highness my husbands exchequer Is it has beto told to nie me that Mrs Harding threatened i d i to 6 my informant nt did not clearly un der stand I 1 think the word was disinherit aulty aunty has threatened that several times today I 1 took her hei lat al her word lynn answered she will pay rny my tarp tarje home after that I 1 go on nv my dvm owal dij way earn a living if was final cana Cany pU legally bereft without M money oney 1 I suppose so Y earn a living ilow how what cai can you do 1 I dont kaw yeav far s such 6 cha a L beautiful ea girl as you are there is ii always marri marriage to look forward forwar il lito 0 o Is s mrs mr carding not t afraid of what people may say it if she should leave you penniless unell enli you marry she afraid of people other people are afraid of her she III simply say I 1 was impossible but I 1 wont accept another cent from her hei dear you cant guess perhaps im as un grateful and bad aishe as ehg says sacs but I 1 know what lihaven had to e endure aure no more humiliation from aunty aulty hardings Hard iam through 41 lyndi iw da darling alink say nothing until you have thought you had bad time to thank and you are naturally prejudiced at the moment even though youage youage aill m d it A areader magna than yours I 1 have seldom heard of lynn the of offer er of a throne is na not contemptible shall I 1 write a n note ote to mrs harding saying you have accepted my invitation to stay with t s me tell berthat her hee that said lynn aulty aunty would blow up cpr she one pit phi pleasant when hes aeiry angry siy say youve e invited me how would anat bet I 1 I 1 k the maharajah Mah arajah bleated bleared like an old sheep A lawyer ip in a alpaca frock coat we fit gu ments documents were produced expert witnesses commit ted led artfully evasive perjury norwood sat at the foot of the long table looked listened and made endless notes they half through by lunchtime lunch time they gave him tiffin in the palace all by himself in a silent room where a clock ticked as loud as fork against plate and he caught himself eating in time to the by hypnotic notly beat thin thinking g of diamonds curried aried p mutton and rice whiskey and soda sweet cakes fruit coffee feea A cigar and then back to the council room to listen to more arguments that were interrupted by the arrival of Rund hlas hial 1 bengali physician shepherding a servant who carried a big blue goblet on a plate the maharajah Mah arajah swallowed his tonic and immediately become became less nervous then he hc asked in english presumably for No benefit how is mrs Harding 7 norwood cared less than nothing about mrs hardings feelings at the moment but he help hearing the doctors answer she Is not well but I 1 cannot persuade her to take medicine she is petulant very the te maha Mah maharajah rajah arajah tried to seem incredulous of any ladys petulance convey Co my solicitude norwood managed to escape from the te conference soon after that he was away on the horse before the woke up ile he cantered to the residency where he be had to wait in the office an exasperating fifteen minutes until the resident could be awakened from his afternoon snooze and could get eel dubbed and come coma downstairs may I 1 see you alone sir the tha resident nodded he appear to enjoy the prospect they went into the darkened library and norwood sat in the same chair that had occupied he laid the black paper package of diamonds on the table take a look at those sir 1 want to turn them over to you 1 would woul d like to get a receipt and to make a statement in nr writing biting the resident opened the envelope and poured W the diamonds into his hand he made a wry face and poured them thim back bick again nine 1 I counted them they look valuable where did you get them 1 I i am not absolutely certain I 1 think they mus must been slipped into my pocket early this morning by one of the unofficial representatives of the temple authorities who met me by appointment near the waterfall 11 1 what were you doin doing gill a ivisic of inspection spec tion of the mine they thay met me to discuss it and you say they dropped these in iii your pocket 1 1 I believe so sm its a pretty obvious attempt to bribe me to write a report jn in their favor but they said nothing not even even a hint ingv one ond of them I 1 remember did say he hoped my judgment be affected by worthless arguments he rather dwelt on the word worthless but it made no special impression on me at the time very well captain norwood I 1 will take your statement the resident R esi glanced at his watch youre rather lamoth it there seems to me to be needed some Ox explanation when hep you called calad this ma morning r ning t 1 I know at that thai time chat that I 1 had them in my pocket 11 ithe residents Resl depts face was expressionless si ne s YOU had bad better be sure to include that in your statement its cre credible dible of cour course seIn in view of adur Y recard but people might draw inferences dont you think soa so you suggest sir air nothing I 1 am offering advice it might be inferred that you accepted these dia diamonds and said nothing a bout about them until yo you U learned let us say at the palace that someone knew about it and that then you hurried to me in a rather belated attempt to establish innocence I 1 am simply pointing out to you what might be inferred jai erred if you are not particularly careful 11 norwood stared bared at the package of diamonds he thought a minute then he ha looked straight in the residents eyes and spoke quite ca calmly imly you appear to me to be hinting had you heard about these before I 1 brought them to you yes who was your informant it was confidential you suspect me of having accepted a bribe 1 I reserve my opinion very well sir you admit that someone accused me I 1 want the name of the informant otherwise I 1 demand my arrest and a court martial keep your temper you have already been reported tome to me tor for punching so nose whose my informants nose was bleeding very well who was he I 1 have punched no ones nose someone ilas has been lying to you about me surely I 1 have the right to know who ile he is 13 11 captain norwood on your word of honor are you telling the truth yes well perhaps I 1 was mistaken perhaps I 1 inferred it I 1 forget the exact words prince certainly intended me to understand that you had made his nose bleed oh so it was Rund hia I 1 wonder how the devil knew I 1 had those diamonds well did you call on miss harding this morning norwood stared he looked almost as asif if he had bad been punched in the jaw yes he said after a moment 1 I called on mrs harding to take her a bottle of fresh iodine miss harding saw the diamonds when they fell from my pocket Is it true that you have been paying her a lot of attention no you have not had words with about her yes I 1 did tell Rund hla hia last night alter after midnight that it if anything should happen to lynn harding I 1 would hold him answerable why should you have said that because I 1 like her I 1 suspected Rund hias intentions are you sure she Is nice why should she hi have told Rund hla 1 I dont believe she did lied ed if you ask me perhaps a ant anthold told him just a moment sir this occurs to me Is exactly in good standing 1 4 no confidentially speaking off the record 1 took a recent occasion to warn him that one more indiscretion might endanger his succession ta to the throne 1 I suppose said norwood it would be a great deal easier and would cause a lot less trouble to veto him now than to have to depose him later on after he had come to the throne why yes certainly even the right of veto anything wo we like to exercise to depose fa ruling prince after once having recognized his right to the throne well it has been done but it good policy wit can be avoided you see the alternative e to Is jodha who Is ii an invalid and likely to tie be childless we might be accused ol of deposing in order to grab kadur no if rusahia should succeed to the throne his position would be fairly secure TO BE CONTINUED |