| Show ell ta erm BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 0 e 0 MUNDY SERVIE SERVICE CHAPTER XI il 11 moses lafayette oleary sat on a box in front of No tent less sober than lie he looked and looking not so sober as lie he should be facing him sat sergeant stoddart wear weary Y from a days 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 1 I will send tor for you when I 1 want you stoddart come here oleary No servant removed his riding boots and produced whiskey and soda norwood drank oleary watched him drink norwood lighted a cigarette smoked hlf of it and then spoke to oleary 1 now then sit down on that box and begin omit the introduction till tell the news Ts bad not good news said oleary might have got some good news it if id had more money good news comes expensive oftener than not what im tellin you now id tell to father manoel on bended knees and none but him and saint antonio to hear me so get it first time if I 1 have to say it twice over I 1 might get muddled im drunk on account of having had to drink cheap liquor seeing it was your responsibility and none 0 mine me being under your orders I 1 went gambling cock fights I 1 lost a little money t to a man who dont know cockfighting cock fighting from puss in the corner but hes runner for the layers or of odds bet you you dont know your own name and make money doing it but there much news there never mind the details of 0 your bet tell your story 1 I betted five rupees the insiders are offering five to one that the maharajah Mah Mph arajah wont live the week out I 1 betted he will why li if me and you on the job id hedge it was a woman told me why the odds adds are five to one 0 ne heu hell die within a week she was as drunk as a bombay crow and she told me chos taking the five to one same as I 1 did only tor for a different reason I 1 asked her and she laughed like a hyena never mind what she did what did she tell you she tell me bothin she asked questions it the maharajah Mah arajah should die who would come to the throne who owes a of rupees and has promised to pay when he be comes to the throne whose creditors have threatened to appeal to the british resident whose aunt being angry with him this very day refused him money with which to pay oft off his creditors palace gossip said norwood 1 I could tell you inore more than that ahat happened in the palace said oleary betting even even money that the maharajah Mah arajah will be dead by midnight tonight norwood threw his cigarette away go on with your story its a string 0 questions not a story when they tell you a athing i in plain words taint true ever heres a question it if the heir to a throne should owe you money and get paid if he comes to the throne along 0 someone dying and the odds was five to one that the someone would die within a week you bet heavy against his dying so that it if he die get some money anyhow what Rund hias creditors are doing if the maharajah Mah arajah dies and comes to the throne get paid and lr if the maharajah Mah arajah die win their bet you get that what else did you hear oleary stepped outside the tent you aint gain to ue like this onell onel come back you fool sit down now tell teh it naming no names everybody says say s stopped a wallop on the snout from her that kept the doctor busy for a half hour all I 1 hear nothing else whatever not enough money I 1 spent eral what hat I 1 had like a paymaster gen eral that you yoi have in your hand get me a dog and well find out its some of mrs hardings food there aint no dog in camp barring that cur of darts stoddart k keeps ahlm him tied up on account ol 01 0 his having bit the cook stoddart dont tavor favor the cook he aint that stupid but if the cook jets gets hydrophobia well all be biting one another and bring the brute here you Your cournean mean nean the cook or stoddart the dog norwood sat smoking and frowning until oleary came towing the dog at the end of a length of insulated wire it was a mean looking brute with pale blue eyes a vagabond slink in its galt gait and an insatiable void in its belly the sight of any kind of food excited the animal he pricked his ears cars norwood tossed him the piece of toast he gulped it hold him said norwood the dog sat there seeming to expect norwood to go on feeding him neither norwood nor oleary spoke until the dogs 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 oleary somebody intended to die said norwood merely intended to feel too foo ill to interfere with someone can you sober up or shall I 1 im sober forget your medicine chesal once was enough 0 that stuff 1 what do you want done ill do itt do you know Rund hlas bengali doctor sure he doing so I 1 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 1 who sent you to make enquiries got get busy CHAPTER XII prince returned from his interview with the resident charged with that mysterious sensation that can lead a genius to startling victory he had tasted success he had made a british resident squirm randhir had crossed his rubicon ile he had started something lie he felt like a genius and he looked the part IRA did you mention my name in connection with this now as he stepped out ot of his rolls royce st at the palace front door the came fussing into lynns bedroom lynn darling wishes to see you and I 1 have told him I 1 wont speak to him until you forgive him lynn laughed all right come and hear me forgive him it seems seem to me youre more afraid of R run adhia than I 1 am read this first its a note from aunty aulty it perfect aunty aulty is one of those people who never use more than ten words in a telegram the read the note aloud refuse the Mahar anees invitation pack your things and come away deborah harding you will obey her no lynn answered 1 I have obeyed her tor for the last time may I 1 say I 1 haye accepted your invitation accept it very well lets keep Rund hla waiting while I 1 write her a note so lynn wrote a note to her aunt but she did not show it to the ha ranee lynn and the emerged through the big brass gate and became modern women the seventy year old servant with the key preceded them and announced them but they walked into Rund hias den as it if it were a new york apartment me nt which it rather resembled Rund bia 1 that you should 1 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 was perfect he even make any contrite gestures ile he looked straight at lynn as if he be and she even an excuse tor for a misunderstanding 1 I am not in the least ashamed he answered A man who have behaved as I 1 did would have been an incongruous monstrosity without blood in his veins or a heart or a human emotion my humility such as it is Is solely due to my failure allure to make lynn love me as I 1 love her I 1 live in hope I 1 wont do anything like that again lynn I 1 admire your independent spirit lust just as much as I 1 adore your charm I 1 propose to marry you and I 1 dont in the least regret hav bay ing learned that you respect yourself good for you lynn answered now dear you can talk to him again cant you yes said the it if you are so magnanimous as to accept that speech for an dp apology but I 1 will not pay Rund hias debts until I 1 see how he behaves I 1 have heard plenty of Rund hias promises r smiled at his aunt you dear old despot you could make me promise anything he glanced at lynn lym have you heard from norwood what about him she answered Rund hias eyes watched hers with masked trl triumph there is more than a rumor he sald said there is proof to we the hilt norwood has accepted a bribe No number is up the gasped she looked shocked and lynn noticed it lynn said nothing Rund hia what have you been doing asked the the resident phoned asking me to come and see him answered he has heard about norwood carrying diamonds in his pocket lynn lyan laid down her cigarette it taste good Rund Hund hla hia she said who told the resident shrugged his shoulders how should I 1 know but I 1 think you do know said the Rund hla hia she repeated what have you been doing 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 theres your hi incorruptible corruptible british officer same old staryl goodby good by norwood dl I 1 they will hold a court martial behind closed doors of course lynn was remembering the physical struggle with in the treasure room was a fact through which slowly emerged something less than a fact an impression she remembered run chias eyes when she told him about the packet of diamonds that she had seen fall from No pocket she remembered her immediate regret at having mentioned norwood and the diamonds even though she did it to distract Rund hias hins attention from herself regret en enlarged larded itself now into a kind of cold appalling horror Rund hia she asked almost almos f hoarsely did you mention my name in connection with this why should IV I 1 did you would you rather I 1 should ask the resident 1 7 I had h ad to tell hini him till all I 1 knew 11 answered it was confidential off the record I 1 forba forbade de him to mention your name ot or mine have they arrested captain norwood wa od norwood is a crook who has been found out why should you bother about him the interrupted lynn dear why are you so nervous if learned of something wrong it was his duty interrupted his aunt duly norwood insulted every single ono one of us including you lynn I 1 heard him hes a pad cad let him take the consequences lynn returned to the main point Rund hla hia you toy say that the resident phoned yeu you but how did the resident know it you who phoned the resident if yoU dont tell me 1 I intend to ask the resident theres a phone here shall I 1 use it my advice to you is to keep out of it answered they might make you give evidence do you wish to be dragged into a scan dal norwood is guilty do you want to add to the poor devils humiliation mil milia lation tion by appearing in court against him Rund hia was it you who told the resident about those diamonds in captain No pocket answer lynn got out of her chair and went and sat beside the phone it was on a little table near the she raised the phone of off the bracket but let it click down again when run adhia opened his lips since you insist aid Rund hla yes I 1 told the resident however he was already suspicious of norwood he was glad to get my Inform information atlon and you told the resident that your information came from me 1 I had to but as I 1 have already told you I 1 forbade him to mention your name then I 1 am in the position of having betrayed captain norwood do you call it betrayal iles hes a crook ile he accepted a bribe not the first time either I 1 dare bet you lynn spoke indignantly 1 I dont believe captain norwood would accept a bribe from anyone I 1 even the slightest suspicion of his being guilty no matter what you or the resident or anyone may think I 1 have mentioned those diamonds to you I 1 did it inadvertently when I 1 felt I 1 had to say something and it was the first thing that came to mind you had no right to repent repeat what I 1 said You should clr st have consulted his highness my husband said th why you 10 because he would have done nothing as usual retorted lynns fingers returned to the telephone but her eyes wire were on run adhia the threat of the telephone no longer worked lie he nodded go ahead he fie said phone the resident it you care to I 1 wanted to keep you out of it but do as you please lynn stood up no she an 1 I will write to captain caiati norwood I 1 will ask him to come and see me perhaps my evidence would help him at the very least I 1 can tell him how sorry I 1 am lynn dearl said the e but ut lynn was resolute she listen to her may I 1 have pen ink and paper no one answered lynn tugged open the drawer of the writing table pulled out paper sat there and began to write she laid the note 1 on the desk in her haste she splashed ink on the envelope when she had finished her letter to norwood the she noticed the blots the letter to aunty aulty harding she threw aunts envelope into the waste bas ket she turned both letters face downward anthe on the blotter while she searched for envelopes there were none in the desk drawer she asked tor for ei envelopes nv elopes lie he found two She Inserted the letters sealed up the envelopes and addressed them walked out of the room 1 I have sent him said the ha ranee to find a rell reliable a ble messenger who will know how to find captain norwood if he is not at his bis camp lynn gave both letters to the ha ranee darling said the Rund hia hla adores you so much that you could persuade him to do anything TO BE CONTINUED |
