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Show . lb U a U mil) uuj ii a 1 BY TALBOT MUNDY TALBOT' MUNDY WNU SERVICE I CHAPTER XI 11 Moses Lafayette OXeary sat on a box in front of Norwood's tent, less sober than he looked, and looking not so sober as he should be. Facing mm sat Sergeant Stoddart, weary from a day's work surveying the river. Norwood dismounted near the horse-line, issued sharply detailed orders about the care of his horse and strode toward the tent: "I will send for you when I want you, Stoddart Come here, O'Leary." Norwood's servant removed his riding boots and produced whiskey and soda. Norwood drank. O'Leary watched him drink. Norwood lighted light-ed a cigarette, smoked half of it, and then spoke to O'Leary: "Now then. Sit down on that box and begin. Omit the introduction. Tell the news." " 'T's bad, not good, news," said O'Leary. "Might have got some good news if I'd had more money. Good news comes expensive oftener than not. What I'm tellin" you now, I'd tell to Father Manoel, on bended knees, and none but him and Saint Antonio to hear me. So get it first time. If I have to say it twice over, I might get muddled. I'm drunk, on account of having had to drink cheap liquor. Seeing it was your responsibility, responsi-bility, and none o' mine, me being under your orders, I went gambling. Cock-fights. I lost a little money to a man who don't know cock-fighting from puss-in-the-corner. But he's runner for the layers of odds who'd bet you you don't know your own name. And they'd make money doing do-ing it. But there weren't much news there. "Never mind the details of your bet. Tell your story." "I betted five rupees. The insiders insid-ers are offering five to one that the Maharajah won't live the week out. I betted he will." "Why?" "If me and you weren't on the job, I'd hedge. It was a woman told me why the odds are five to one he'll die within a week. She was as drunk as a Bombay crow, and she told me who's taking the five to one, same as I did, only for a different reason. I asked her, and she laughed like a hyena " "Never mind what she did. What did she tell you?" "She didn't tell me nothin'. She asked questions. If the Maharajah should die, who would come to the throne? Who owes a lakh of rupees and has promised to pay when he comes to the throne? Whose creditors credi-tors have threatened to appeal to the British Resident? Whose aunt, being angry with him, this very day refused him money with which to pay off his creditors?" "That sounds like palace gossip," said Norwood. "I could tell you more than that, that's happened in the palace," said O'Leary. "They're betting even money that the Maharajah will be dead by midnight tonight" Norwood threw his cigarette away. "Go on with your story." "It's a string o' questions, not a story. When they tell you a thing in plain words, 'tain't true ever. Here's a question: if the heir to a throne should owe you money, and you'd get paid if he comes to the throne along o' someone dying; and the odds was five U one that the someone would die within a week; wouldn't you bet heavy against his dying, so that if he didn't die, you'd get some money anyhow? That's what Rundhia's creditors are doing. If the Maharajah dies, and Rundhia comes to the throne, they'll get paid. And if the Maharajah doesn't die, they'll win their bet You get that?" "What else did you hear?" O'Leary stepped outside the tent. "You ain't goin' to like this one!" "Come back, you fool. Sit down. Now, tell it." "Naming no names. Everybody says Rundhia stopped a wallop on the snout from her that kept the doctor busy for a half hour. That's alL I didn't hear nothing else whatever what-ever Not enough money. I spent what I had like a paymaster-general. What's that you have in your ha"(3et me a dog and we'll find out. It's some of Mrs. Harding's food. "There ain't no dog in camp, barring bar-ring that cur of Stoddart's. Stoddart keens him tied up. on account o h s "having bit the cook. Stoddart don't favor the cook, he am t that stupid. But if the cook gets hydrophobia, hydro-phobia, we'll all be biting one another an-other and" "Rrine the brute here. "?ou mean the cook or Stoddart?" NorwoTsat smoking and frowning frown-ing until OXeary came towing the dog a the end of a length of m- "'b'pM Mri" " Norwood. The dog sat there seeming to expect ex-pect Norwood to go on feeding him. Neither Norwood nor O'Leary spoke until the dog's attention wandered and he began to strain at the leash. "That will do. Let him go." The dog took six strides. Then he stopped, and the toast came forth like Jonah from the belly of the whale. "Meaning?" asked O'Leary. "Somebody wasn't Intended to die," said Norwood. "Merely intended in-tended to feel too ill to interfere with someone. Can you sober up? Or shall I" "I'm sober. Forget your medicine medi-cine chestl Once was enough o' that stuff! What do you want done? I'll do it!" "Do you know Rundhia's Bengali doctor?" "Sure." "What's he doing?" "So I needn't be too particular?" "You will be on your absolutely best behavior." "What you want Is a miracle." "Yes. And to produce one, if you must, you may admit that it was I who sent you to make enquiries. Get busy." CHAPTER XII Prince Rundhia returned from his interview with the Resident charged with that mysterious sensation that can lead a genius to startling victory. vic-tory. He had tasted success. He had made a British Resident squirm. Rundhia had crossed his Rubicon. He had started something. He felt like a genius, and he looked the part "Did you mention my name in connection with this?" now as he stepped out of his Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce at the palace front door. The Maharanee came fussing into Lynn's bedroom: "Lynn darling, Rundhia wishes to see you. And I have told him I won't speak to him until you forgive him." Lynn laughed: "All right. Come and hear me forgive him. It seems to me you're more afraid of Rundhia Run-dhia than I am. Read this first: it's a note from Aunty. Isn't it perfect? per-fect? Aunty is one of those people who never use more than ten words in a telegram." The Maharanee read the note aloud: "Refuse the Maharanee's invitation, invita-tion, pack your things and come away. Deborah Harding." "You will obey her?" "No," Lynn answered. "I have obeyed her for the last time. May I say I have accepted your invitation?" invita-tion?" . "Please, Lynn. Please accept it. "Very well, let's keep Rundhia waiting, while I write her a note.". So Lynn wrote a note to her aunt, but she did not show it to the Maharanee. Ma-haranee. Lynn and the Maharanee emerged through the big brass gate and became be-came modern women. The seventy-year-old servant with the key preceded pre-ceded them and announced them, but they walked into Rundhia's den as if it were a New York apartment, apart-ment, which it rather resembled. "Rundhia, that you should have dared to ask permission to speak to Miss Lynn Harding, makes me hope you are ashamed and that you wish very humbly to beg her pardon." Rundhia was perfect. He didn't even make any contrite gestures. He looked straight at Lynn as if he and she hadn't even an excuse for a misunderstanding. "I am not in the least ashamed, he answered. "A man who wouldn't have behaved as I did would have been an incongruous monstrosity without blood in his veins, or a heart, or a human emot.on M.v humilitv. such as it is. is solely due to my failure to make Lynn love me as I love her. I live in hope. I won't do anything like that again I vnn I admire your, independent spirit just as much as I adore your charm. I propose to marry you. and Tdon't in the least regret hav- ing learned that you respect yourself." your-self." - "Good for you," Lynn answered. "Now Maharanee dear, you can talk to him again, can't you?" "Yes," said the Maharanee, "if you are so magnanimous as to accept ac-cept that speech for an apology. But I will not pay Rundhia's debts until I see how he behaves! I have heard plenty of Rundhia's promises." prom-ises." Rundhia smiled at his aunt: "You dear old despot, you could make me promise anything!" he glanced at Lynn. "Have you heard from Norwood?" Nor-wood?" "What about him?" she answered. Rundhia's eyes watched hers with masked triumph. "There is more than a rumor," he said. "There is proof. To the hilt. Norwood has accepted a bribe. Norwood's number is up." The Maharanee gasped. She looked shocked, and Lynn noticed it. Lynn said nothing. "Rundhia, what have you been doing?" do-ing?" asked the Maharanee. "The Resident phoned, asking me to come and see him," Rundhia answered. an-swered. "He has heard about Norwood Nor-wood carrying diamonds in his pocket" pock-et" Lynn laid down her cigarette. It didn't taste good. "Rundhia," she said, "who told the Resident?" Rundhia shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know?" "But I think you do know," said the Maharanee. "Rundhia," she repeated, re-peated, "what have you been doing?" do-ing?" "Norwood accepted a present of diamonds, from some agents of the temple authorities, to write a report in the priests' favor, in connection with the dispute about the boundary line and the question of who owns the land that the diamonds came from. There's your incorruptible British officer! Same old story! Good-by .Norwood! They will hold a court martial behind closed doors, of course. Lynn was remembering. The physical struggle with Rundhia in the treasure room was a fact through which slowly emerged something less than a fact an impression. im-pression. She remembered Rundhia's Run-dhia's eyes when she told him about the packet of diamonds that she had seen fall from Norwood's pocket She remembered her immediate regret re-gret at having mentioned Norwood and the diamonds, even though she did it to distract Rundhia's attention atten-tion from herself. Regret enlarged itself now into a kind of cold, appalling ap-palling horror. "Rundhia," she asked almost hoarsely, "did you mention my name in connection with this?" "Why should I?" "Did you? Would you rather I should ask the Resident?" "I had to tell him all I knew," Rundhia answered. "It was confidential confi-dential off the record. I forbade him to mention your name or mine." "Have they arrested Captain Norwood?" Nor-wood?" "Norwood is a crook, who has been found out. Why should you bother about him?" The Maharanee interrupted: "Lynn dear, why are you so nervous? nerv-ous? If Rundhia learned of something some-thing wrong, it was his duty " Rundhia interrupted his aunt: "Duty? Norwood insulted every single sin-gle one of us, including you, Lynn. I heard him. He's a cad. Let him take the consequences." Lynn returned to the main point: "Rundhia, you say that the Resident Resi-dent phoned you. But how did the Resident know? Wasn't it you who phoned the Resident? If you don't tell me, I intend to ask the Resident. Resi-dent. There's a phone here. Shall I use it?" "My advice to you is to keep out of it," Rundhia answered. "They might make you give evidence. Do you wish to be dragged into a scandal? scan-dal? Norwood is guilty. Do you want to add to the poor devil's humiliation hu-miliation by appearing in court against him?" "Rundhia, was it you who told the Resident about those diamonds in Captain Norwood's pocket?" Rundhia didn't answer. Lynn got out of her chair and went and sat beside the phone. It was on a little lit-tle table near the Maharanee. She raised the phone off the bracket, but let it click down again when Rundhia Run-dhia opened his lips. "Since you insist," said Rundhia. "Yes. I told the Resident. However, How-ever, he was already suspicious of Norwood. He was glad to get my information." "And you told the Resident that your information came from me?" "I had to. But as I. have already al-ready told you, I forbade him to mention your name." "Then I am in the position of having betrayed Captain Norwood?" "Do you call it betrayal? He's a crook. He accepted a bribe. Not the first time either, I dare bet you." Lynn spoke indignantly: "I don't believe Captain Norwood would accept ac-cept a bribe from anyone. I haven't even the slightest suspicion of his being guilty, no matter what you, or the Resident, or anyone may think. I shouldn't have mentioned those diamonds to you. I did it inadvertently, inadvert-ently, when I felt I had to say something and it was the first thing that came to mind. You had no right to repeat what I said." "You should first have consulted His Highness my husband," said the Maharanee. "Why didn't you?" "Because he would have done nothing, as usual," Rundhia retorted. retort-ed. Lynn's fingers returned to the tele-, phone, but her eyes were on Rundhia. Run-dhia. The threat of the telephone no longer worked. He nodded. "Go "ahead," he said. "Phone the Resident, if you care to. I wanted to keep you out of it but do as you please." Lynn stood up. "No," she answered. an-swered. "I will write to Captain Norwood. I will ask him to come and see me. Perhaps my evidence would help him. At the very least,. I can tell him how sorry I am." "Lynn dear!" said the Maharanee. Mahara-nee. But Lynn was resolute. She wouldn't listen to her. "May I have pen, ink and paper?" No one answered. Lynn tugged open the drawer of the writing table, ta-ble, pulled out paper, sat there and began to write. She laid the note she had addressed to Aunty Harding Hard-ing on the desk. In her haste, she splashed ink on the envelope. When she had finished her letter to Norwood, Nor-wood, she noticed the blots on the letter to Aunty Harding. She threw Aunty's envelope into the waste-basket. She turned both letters face downward on the blotter while she searched for envelopes. There were none in the desk drawer. She asked Rundhia for envelopes. He found two. She inserted the letters, sealed up the envelopes and addressed them. Rundhia walked out of the room. "I have sent him," said the Maharanee, Ma-haranee, "to find a reliable messenger, mes-senger, who will know how to find Captain Norwood if he is not at his camp." Lynn gave both letters to the Maharanee. Ma-haranee. "Darling," said the Maharanee, "Rundhia adores you so much that you could persuade him to do anything." any-thing." (TO BE CONTINUED) |