Show a- a a O 1 r. r rt rte e by byThe The Y Co yea J c t PRINCESS OF TAU KUAN Synopsis Cornelius Cornelius well born an orphan comes to manhood through the devious ways of or the underworld Ho He is saved for Cor fora Cora a better life lire by Andrew March The strange adventures of or Yellow Men Sl Sleep ep begin when Con takes by force Coree a small email leather sack from Crom Chee Ming Ung the Chinese cook of ot an acq acquaintance This sack contains a Chinese map of oC th time the Gobi desert which Is precious beyond price to Andrew March Eighteen years be before Core armed men In the Gobi had taken March's wife wiCe and Infant daughter from Crom him Now he sends semis Con in search of cC them On the voyage voyage voyage voy voy- age Con finds ands Chee Min Ming Minh a fellow tellow passenger Con is shot b by a poi pot poisoned poisoned dart and while he Is In the consequent stupor his map Is sto sto- len On the river boat to Peking he again sees Cheo Clieo Ming lIng and real Izes they thoy are seeking the sarr sans sanu destination des des- Con keeps faith with Andrew Andrew Andrew An An- drew March and starts on his mission mission mis mis- sion slon westward with a caravan After Atter weeks of ot difficult travel tra he reaches the little settlement of or sung Shan and reads instructions from Crom Andrew March to the effect that Con has been made a federal agent to search out Chee Ming who has brought quantities of or koresh koresh ko ko- resh resh a deadly drug to San Francisco Fran Fran- cisco At sung Shan-sung Con Is unexpectedly unexpectedly unexpectedly joined by March The two Americans press forward Into the desert Armed horsemen swoop 8 down on them Olem rob them of ot everything everything everything every every- thing and leave them to die in the desert March has a map tattooed on the sole of his foot Coot They press presson on suffering Incredible hardships Again As-aln they are attacked by horsemen horsemen horse horse- men In command of t a sentinel in gray I T CHAPTER VI VI Continued Continued g 9 9 gA A maze of ot hoofs tan tangled led about him but bat through h this a clear voice olce sounded sound sound- ed and ed-and and a again The gray figure the thes s sentinel was wa standing up In the stirrups stirrups stirrups stir stir- with right arm upraised and the clear call of ot command was repeated Sword thrusts were halted and the mad horsemen reared back in obedience toan to toan toan an Imperious gesture A circle widened around tle he two white men The wild horses stood trembling and disappointed A further command came from the person whose face foce was a again aln hidden by the left forearm upraised and who now spurred spurred spurred spur spur- red away out of sight A whispering among the riders battle-riders a alow alow alow low giving and taking of f advice ad Four of ot their number dismounted and Con felt the thc familiar leathern thongs tightening about him The white men were lifted up and md set behind two broad broad backed hacked horsemen and the entire party moved at a n walk up the ravine road Ask for water called Con to his comrade March did so so In native speech but hut no heed was given n. n The party part emerged upon an open plain at the head hend of ot the road rondo Here nere was the time wonderland they had come rome to find the treasure for which generations of wanderers elect-wanderers had given gl their lives Levington stared dully believing it all aU a mirage Spread out as far fur as the e eye e could coule discern lay a gr green en valley alley moist and fertile An n evening breeze drifted the fragrant rant earthy breath of life Fields were level and marked Into squares by ditches Ii 11 Ill the middle distance e was a city of rid stone Its wall enclosing roofs that gleamed d There here was rising above all nil a palace Its I many angled roofs and lon long eaves es blocked against the west suns sun's fire fin flared red back from Its lofty embrasures It was m mansion set upon mansion each ach with the of Its Itji own ape age a maze of narrow walls In Irre Irregular Irregular ular layers lavers pa pagodas pointing In the I ml nil all In lu a n road mad dreamy harmony of architecture The white men met jo jogged behind their captors captol'S and aee etl d the he city and ami palace pained as a noble illusion Th The beauty was bitterness ss for they hey dared not believe they had not the strength Its all nil over I cried Con My 1 e eyes e arc are gone one Too tar fur said March too far The ditches were cool The he main road rond pas passed ed hett between yeen een patches s of ot unfamiliar unfamiliar unfamiliar un un- familiar vegetation pale green The palace s seemed emed to leer from narrow eyes a 0 thin thin smile that was ns evil anI anti and secret Its mass mass had hall a strange reddish reddish red red- dish cast cost like the rust of the de desert pIt At the southern end of the Inclosure lre was a gro grove e of ot tr trees cR nothing Ie less tes' than I North American white oaks somewhat I stunted their t tops ps showing just above the rim of ot the cIl cite chy wall ln Le Lexington ton looked a again over the shoulder of ot hl his hiE captor and VU was eve further from admitting ad ad- these things to himself The western pIn plains Ins were be beginning to veil ven under the violet mists of or evening e Higher the thc pal palace ce lifted as the they approached approached ap nJ- like an unnatural hill hili of bright roofs and many apartments j p perched In fantasy td be reached bj t b-t 80 soma Inner miracle of or stairs No Nov from the elt city Itself a murmur murmur ran around the white men like Invisible bees The notched wall had but a single broad gate grate Beneath Deneath Its masonry ancient an nn- cleat and perfect they rode five flue A crowd was gathered to toI I I r witness the arrival of ot trespassers from froma a strange e world Gray and brown faces stared up at Levington In them thema a furtive malice showed showell I Some of the p people ople wore sandals but hut most were barefoot and not every ery everyman everyman man showed n a queue Faces at nt latticed windows were heavily veiled Children ran about naked and screaming Old men large of frame but falling failing and spent stood over oer their sticks and aud gaped aped In ugly amazement The common common dwellings s were close packed under the tie the fortifications while the palace was set further within a wide lawn separating It from rein all nil else Three white fountaIns fountains fountains foun foun- were jetting and the grass was spread with yellow sun yellow sun A white-faced white monkey grew frightened at the approach of the company and leapt from the rim of ot the nearest pool to the thc silver stem stein of a n fountain and clung there watching with haunted d de e eyes cs the tile tattered un uncouth men ruen behind the warriors I Here nero along a D marble curb a canopied litter Utter approached from the time palace Its six bearers came come gliding swiftly The curtains were satin embroidered In In a design of pearls and the pole was ringed ed with sliver silver The rime crowd gave way before It The black runners were clad In short white tunics and satin turbans As It came carne opposite the carriers carriers car car- ners halted and ond likewise the horsemen horsemen horse horse- men and captives The curtains were parted heavily Con could not for a moment lookdown look lookdown down Into the litter but he heard the voice and shivered The leader of ot the riders raised his Land in salutation and it was clear that his reply to the voice was was' one of ot contrary opinion A momentary silence followed this dis a agreement The people held still Then the litter Utter and the horsemen resumed resumed re re- their opposite course course As the white curtains were being drawn Levington Levington Lev Lev- ington forced an Instant of vision Into his swollen e eyes es and ond saw reclining beneath a n soft white robe the thc eminent personage Chee Ming l CHAPTER VII VI VII The Blend of Tau Kuan They were not consigned to a Jail Jan Such Asiatic courtesy as they were shown was traceable to the spoken command of ot the gray gru rider at the top of the ravine road But It would not Hot have greatly mattered mattered mattered mat mat- to Con Call If they had run him through with their lances His Hlf limbs were dead with fatigue his nervous s system stem deranged by thirst He lIe had scarcely a mental surface upon which to receive the wonder of these faces about him the walls and twisted cortices cornices the time red blocks of ot desert- desert quarry Andrew March was In a fever Levington found that his friend had grown strange to him as If It In America he had never glimpsed the true March Toe companionable hearted big-hearted man of fifty was gone with the substitution of a n gaunt gount dark person of no land landor or period a living ghost of ot the Gobi product of sands and ond barren hills only the sun cruel winds an and utter wilder wilder- ness Con did not know this Andrew March who was silent and glitter But the pain of the knowledge was dulled like everything else Might I have a drink he asked asked of or orthe the nearest as his ImIS eyes closed again Time The coolness of fountain spray spay was In his nostrils hurting him curiously and the Ineffable sweet smell of ot green green sod was a release like death Itself They Iney lifted him from his horse hOlSe He lie saw for a moment many low archways and Rh sheltered walks The stone flagging flagging flag flag- ging was like cold knives under his bruised feet The hands of ot those who led him were strong n as Iron The tinkle of water sounded near In the pleasant gloom and Levington grinned at the torture until a white cup wn n hold held to his lips Startled he op opened ned his e eyes s 's and then came the half- half dark again at nt tho touch th touch of water upon his tongue Ills sigh was a groan and he swooned The file last sunlight reached In through a high window failing fulling golden across a bath of clear water level leel with the stone floor A censer pr had been heen lighted light light- ed cd and Its soft oft fumes went to Cons Con's head bend like wine They had roused him Big hands were placing him wise Infant e upon the shallow steps cp of the bath hath inthe In Inthe the sun warned Va water tel Levington drew a breath that seemed to have no end A purple curtain was drawn across th the hl high h window taking all save su a glow Io of of or light from the pool They bathed bathell his body hOdy from head toto to toto to foot lIe He relaxed In III their arms mm I ha having l neither po power ver nor inclination to resist Pre Presently he toe was placed upon a 0 mat and rubbed He found he could use his e eyes es and nod almost trust them Only two of tile captors remained and these were of ot a different different differ differ- ent caste clad clatl In short shott white jackets and snug tro trousers ser nothing of or the warrior warrior war wor- about them Their heads were yellow haven ha ha en yellow men and aged their hands very skillful upon the time human structure The oil was delicately tely aromatic aromatic- cedar cinnamon and ond the grape but faintly mingled Levington's body hody was glowing lowin his legs ached with superb satisfaction r MI J have died he whispered to him him- I self I should have done It sooner Something In the oil made him forget Andrew March They wound him In Ina Inn ina a n silken cloth loosely after which they clapped their hands twice Two brawny negroes shuffled to the to edge of or the bath and and laid Levington Le upon a pallet which h they raised as ns high as ns their thick shining shoulders The rhe white man sighed as he lie was borne along a It corridor up a series of ot stone steps to a wide balcony which was open to the skies skieR A third negro now advanced picked him up In his arms anns and aoel carried him to a covered cred bed bell against time the wall wail Just within a n door Time The pillow was cool to Cons Con's cheek lie Ile Ie fell asleep A mild green re n glow In his face wakened waken waken- ed eri him He glanced up at the time figured green grcen cl curtain taIn enclosing his bed hed stretched himself slowly full length I then turned over and ond slept again a Upon his reawakening the curtains were drawn back bad A familiar head was near and a new smell blou brought ht the fact tact that Con wa was being shaved pct He had a 0 glimpse of ot the razor a R straight broad blade shaped like a key In the yellow ellow hand hondo He dozed through this performance What time Is It he Inquired It Is near sun sunset et said a voice al also o oIn In En English and only then did Con Can realize that he should not have expected expected expected ex ex- It Chee Ming stood tood near having hay hav haying In ing noted the tonsorial process to Its Us finish He lIe bowed slightly and the time folds of his white robe rohe fell away from the narrow bosom hosom There was something something some some- thing strong strange about being so near him again Thanks said ald Con I appreciate all nil the attention but hut I dont don't understand understand understand under under- stand It It ItI I do not understand replied the Chinese But somebody must must- must It l Is the will lit of our princess Chee CheeMing Ming cling nn said with quiet hostility Does she wear gray ray and ride When the yellow man had nodded Con said Then please convey to her hermy hermy hermy my gratitude Or show me how I can cantell cantell cantell tell her myself It seems you are sort of prime minister here Chee Ming answered d coldly I 1 have the time honor to be known as at this court Levington made his gravest gesture of respect And where Is my ray friend March he asked Chee 1 Ming did not choose to hear and simply walked away awny Con fingered a perfect effect of barbering upon his smooth hard chin Again the servant ant I L LI I I y 6 Before It Was Finished the Princess Arose and With a Stir Among tier Her Retinue Stepped Down From the Dais came now bearing folds of or soft white cloth his purpose to swathe the white stranger er In It A mysterious winding began too complex to follow Padded sandals were placed beside the couch and a satin turban built buit up in Intricate laminations upon Levington's head Tartar fashion In the attendants attendant's eyes ces was a kind of patient evil humor The balcon balcony was more properly a flat fiat roof leading out from the apart apart- ment The western sun shone Into the rooms brightening every ery color of woven silk There Thereas was as a u second divan In the time Inner chamber obviously not for masculine use tinted rose-tinted yielding to the touch like new fleece A tapestry of astronomical device lilac iliac and sliver silver covered one wall of this room Above the outer doom doorway ay was sheathed a huge hue Iridescent sword with graven hilt Standing beneath It Con looked out acro across a the roof loof upon the valley of many fields squared off neatly neatly neat neat- I ly as far as h he could see To the time north were vineyards and flocks Hocks of nf sheep The sun was low lowering beyond this world sending hack back a 11 lined flood of orange e radiance ton raised a n athin athin thin ilium white goblet to his lips fin and drank of cold water A messenger prostrated himself ucrO across 8 the sunny threshold then arose standing erect before the prisoner- prisoner guest and showing his smooth stupid gray face muscular r neck animal eyes and thick ears cars Con fumbled In his white garments tor for a pocket for tOI a coin The slave wished him to follow and without being able to Inquire what might be lie expected of ot him the white whiteman whiteman man obeyed down n a rock stairway uy to the courtyard onward amid the arches and low stone fences beyond another fountains 1 tie wondered whore where March i was and If tf they would be able to es 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