Show r y by The Co gt s CHAPTER XV XV Continued 18 18 The cry of the watcher at the top sent a galvanic sh shudder over them all The riders I t ICon COil Con went up with the thc sailor and from the mouth of the pit they saw row three score horsemen strung across the plain They were like a n sword cutting Into the desert surface already already al ul- al- al rend ready far on their way to retrieve c their starred Ill prince A Away Awny way to the south as if driven b by invisible gods hods horse was running Levin Levington Leving- Leving ton grew conscious of many bodies S pressing about his own The little men were ere cr creeping up to peer out ut at nt their fate The riders had but one meaning to them Helen had lied candidly and well weH In the wind a screen of fine sand ro rose e c behind the thc flight of horsemen b their The miners were heartened by I first favorable turn In their history The Arab Arob seized the opportunity to inflame In them further They The began ip tp moan with ith auger sensing vaguely the opportunity that land hind come The city was open and nd without protection Like the Lush jush sh of a n subterranean river river riv riv- er their voices came up a choking rumble nimble they surged up up out of the shaft In In Inthe the blinding da dav- dav light the Arab fell back and Levinston Levington Levins- Levins ton had no choice but to captain them He got a jo joy from it all a flash of power They were coming behind him score upon score the honeycombed earth giving up her hr strangest Their belr faces were hairless and pinched grimy Each man had a weapon They were a a terrifying rab rab- ble Strong arms carried earth eurth cIa claws clans s that had yesterday combed the Ira inn memorial clay for the seeds seed of koresh There were there also alsor daggers daggers' and fwd poi pointed ll horns and a number of dull swords From th thin the houses bouses ben the city wall the women and old men ran to the gates and swung them shut but they could not hold back bak the ugly swarm of workers There was strength In the arms that had tolled so long underground new fierce power pO pow pow- er In the thc twisted spines It was a amad amad amad mad holiday of revolt The big gates were pressed In Wives and maidens of the ran across the lawn awn Kalka Turkish and Arabian delicate feet were nimble nimble nimble nim nim- ble beyond the fountains and the feminine cries were forbidden den music to the Invaders But there was first firsta a matter of work to be done The miners hurried on resistless as lava Black slaves sla and gray gra and brown whined and crouched upon the rugs It was carl early and the palace was but half awake In the throne room filled now with golden light a woman tIe fled screaming Beyond were the apartments This soft and ancient lord reclined among his feathers and silks and fans like a precious grub His doorway darkened his slaves went down but he gave small heed to the mob that profaned his chamber lIe He was dreaming perhaps of dainty white ankles and the tinkle of wind 9 4 Cy Ir f 2 1 r 4 dp r 1 t The Miners Hurried On Resistless as Lava The wrinkles Tinkles of his countenance sagged tagged with fat and drug Now the brazen teeth of ot an an hook earth-hook gave him a n final caress Here on the walls the most prized trophies trophies scimitars scimitars of ot Persia Persia Persia Per Per- sia antique firearms of Cathay and jeweled knives of Hindu hill hIU princes princes- were ere the weapons recently taken from Andrew March also the carbine LevIngton Levington Levington Lev- Lev ington had once bought for better luck He lie himself Down a corridor that thundered with the lust of benighted men LevIngton LevIngton LevIngton Lev- Lev Ington went to Helens Helen's door and bade the nearest of his followers remain outside They clamored and contented content content- ed themselves with exploring passages F and winding stairs and halls hans secret rooms from which the their r lords had sent only cruelty and constant op op- Levington entered and closed the door behind him and narrowly narrowly narrowly nar nar- missed the Slash Iash of a sword In Inthe Inthe inthe the hands bands of the familiar Chinese ant Con took the weapon from Fu Ah Alt and commended him for his his his' zeal Where is my father asked asket the princess I IlIe lie Is with another division of the men We will wilt go to him directly You told your story er very well Your stor story she corrected him I Iwas Iwas Iwas was without breath I spoke rapidly to the guards pointing The They saw the he loose hor horse e far out It was sufficient They were enraged ed She had crossed the room with a grace Jr that found foun er e every nerve the nerve the gentleness genI gentleness gen gen- I of the oriental In her step but more than that the limbed clear-limbed assurance of an American girl Levington LevIngton Levington Lev- Lev ington bowed and hurried burned He lie managed managed managed man man- aged to inquire Are you ready read to togo togo togo go on a long journey Does m my lOr father wl wish h me to g go Yes he lied I II I go There was nothing of koresh h about her now unless in the faint shadows below her eyes Neither America alone nor Asia unaided could have produced her sweetness this frank perfection She heard the rush of madmen through her ler palace palace all all the dread drea sanguinary confusion above an and around around yet yet did not tremble It did not occur to her lien herto herto liento j to be afraid Her thoughts held to other Issues The wise writings of two continents had tempered her mind Unlike those who wino knew the fruits of one land or one age only Helen was vividly aware of life In to a larger pattern an and though her keenness was young and softly cloaked It shone In her eyes and was m mysteriously conveyed conveyed conveyed con con- to him She smiled a little I do not see what is to come come Will you ou give the order to prepare many camels immediately for tor a long march Has not my father done so soi I agreed to arrange for It He lIe Is occupied at present Con eluded again He lie went to the door and signaled to the nearest rioter who stopped his pla play of tormenting a wounded Nubian and came shambling across the threshold threshold threshold thresh thresh- old of the princess Con stated the needs to the girl who spoke to the Chinese Fu Ah In his own lan lan- guage and the latter with a supreme disgust stenciled across his face repeated re ro- repeated the order to the man from the mines The dwarf abased himself having expected a death blow Instead of oral Instructions and crawled out at the door There are mountains to the north said the tIle princess to Levington And forests he ne added Do you ou think there Is a better direction for forus forus forus us We must not tarry No We Ve go to the north Fu Ah Alt then received further personal personal personal per per- wishes from his mistress To Levington she sire explained ex I am sending him film up the stairway stairway stair stair- wa way for things I 1 shall shan require Kindly Kindly Kindly Kind Kind- ly go with him and see that he Is not struck dead b by your butchers Levington bowed again silently and his cheeks burned Tier Her bitterness s was iron hon Had he not upset the world orld Escorting old Fu Ah Alt down the corridor corridor corridor cor cor- Con went up with him to see what gross mischief was being worked work work- ed In the hl higher her floors The top tOll of the stairs was as clog clogged ed by two bodies miners who had failed to quell two stalwart sons ons of warriors who also lay quiet now a little wn way own the hall The tide of dwarfs had passed on While Fu Iu Ah delved delve In trea treasure ure of silk and leather and silver Levington found an outer window ow Far 11 along the road beyond the city gates he be noted two slaves es mounted on camels The beasts were pacing at nt their ut utmost utmost ut- ut most southward their mission to b beat bear ar word of alarm to the distant company compan of rl riders ers Con examined the carbine In his hands Resting nesting the barrel ban upon the latch of the open window he lie aimed aim alin ed very carefully and amI pressed the long trigger He lie repeated this process four times and was then read ready to go downstairs downstairs down down- stairs with the old servant sen When we leave leac he said to Helen overcoming a reluctance to speak these little men half from the mines will close the gates after us Your warriors In returning will wUl be un un- able to force an entrance until we have haye gained a greater distance to the I north Do not say my warriors She he hesitated then added Do not heed m my words if they are quick I would not turn back She was smiling gravely Her hand came out to himA himA himA him A princess may speak as she chooses said Levington Not to her equals The city was conquered overrun The new caravan was being prepared prepare for Immediate departure Con feelIng feeling feel- feel Ing that he be was not needed elsewhere had a strong reason for tor remaining where he was against the possibility that some bold pillaging party might come and ancl find her alone He endeavored to assist in the tIle hurried hurried hur hur- ried rued gathering together of lovely garments garments gar gar- ments but he hc was useless Also th the delicate spice that arose from certain of the dresses was like a n thin knife In him The door opened The silent figure of Chee Ming stood before them hi his robe torn and marks of violence about abou his head steady gra gray faced faced tense tens with anger Helen paused beside the bamboo chest She felt a sudden renewal o othe of the ties of man many years Con s sensed the situation and waited The advanced upon the rug I go said Helen In English Chee CheeMing CheeMing Ming replied shortly In foreign speech I go at once she repeated repented and her persistence with the English to clear the air It was her declaration of choice Chee Ming 1 was speaking to her a great calmness spread over ovel his Intense rage His Ills eyes grew magnetic with hate His ills dream cosmos was crumbling The princess appeared not to hear him She saul pleasantly I am taking Carlyle t to o read on the wa way and the Aquarian i Gospel i These two volumes were pla placed ed on or top of the fineries of all A Asia in Chee CheeMing CheeMing Ming had turned to the white man Levington Le said sald I am setting free your OUI prisoners Helen lichen added Mother Iother once tried to todo todo do ao the same My I 1 riders return said said the viii steadily Not yet ret yet said Levington He lie saw a a thin brass tube In tin yellow ell w hands hun s. s In a n hash flash he lie was upon the old man before the blower could coult A. A 1 a r h hr r Con Left His Strange Enemy Lying Upon the Rug be raised to the narrow lips It was no task to subdue the with ph physical physical sl cal force for the Chinese had lost courage his leathery leather sinews slack slack- ened The darts arts fell to the floor Helen Helen Hel lIel- en lifted the tube an and placed It inthe In Inthe Inthe the bosom of her dress She SIre was not smiling Upon the window ledge rested the yellow bowl Con picked up the and ond carried him across to It He Ile forced back back Chee flings Ming's arms aria antI drew up ip his chin rather rathel Inconveniently No sound came from the Chinese to whom such a defeat must have been thrice bitter and unbearably unbearable The koresh Inthe in inthe the he bowl was cool ool to Cons Con's fingers the he scent that arose nrose was spice and brond randy brandy lIe He applied the bluish oil thoroughly to the e eyelids lI s an and temples of the He Dc has been my father said a I soft voice I I will not hurt him This seems wonderfully new to him he has had the he world worl it tr try first Word came that the camels were ready at the gate The bamboo chest wa was vas carried out Con left his strange enem enemy lying upon the rug deep in ghostly slumber The miners were finding their own voices roaring In new freedom like masquerading children before the was cold rn in his blood From the lie hl higher her win windows and bal balconies onles of the he palace came carne shrill screams Twenty Teny T en ty y camels were laden Where Is my rny father Con asked the Arab who sought out the ho men who had carried carried the mock nock Only one of these could be found He lie pointed back along the road Helen saw the gesture and Insl in in- sl silted ted on going with Levington The Time entire caravan au an was started out at the gate for the riders could not be sI sight sight- ht- ht ed Certain of the dwarfs were aware of their debt to the white man mun who n was as departing and these raised a n ashout ashout shout as the tale caravan passed under the fortification Instantly the gates gales were ere closed and a barricade begun on the he Inside What have you ou not told me Insisted In the girl It will be all right he answered Tell me lie He has remained behind Tell me 1 she cried They rhey found him near the rock that marked marled Eithna's grave He was motionless motionless mo- mo in the morning sun stretched face ace downward upon the sand that had once been a gar garden en Con leapt down and ran to him There was no response An Insect walked across March's cheek The gray deep-gray eyelids were firmly closed He was quite dead Helen stood there ther then knelt Bh I closed her eyes but did not weep Her hand went to his shoulder but the touch frightened her Levington Le was bowed with the loss of his comrade the man who had shown him h how w to live You need note not go said Con They are both there thee she said slowly Shall I take you back to the gates For a long minute she remained motionless kneeling and the others of or the party showed Increasing agitation tion with much staring off oft southward Helen nelen raised her handI hand I am Ill iii she whispered Take Toke me away far He lie lifted her to her feet A runner had been sent back to the city with word The hammock would come again and March's body be given final attentions It Is useless to remain she said Take me away The other woman of ot the party an ancient sister to Fu Iu Ah came to her princess and soothed in the wonderful Intoned speech of Asia She placeda placed h a n large motherly arm about the shocked shock shock- ed cd and sad saddened ene Helen and and with Con helped her up into the saddle Haste was wa Imperative It was Helens Helen's own choice Levington ton gave ga the word The guide took orders from ol old Fu Ah Alt who rode high up Ul his wrinkled and scarred visage further complicated by the present present pres pres- ent twists of fortune He had no noh h heart beat Independent of his white princess For the sake sal of speed the sl sister ter who was somewhat heavy was separately mounted Helen rode alone as did Levington The Time wind was in their faces Levington looked back once shudderIng shuddering shuddering dering across the rich low plain to the strange towering city now but a tawny Babel in the hands of its enemies enemies ene cue mies mules those sad hordes from the caverns erns Its erns-Its its destiny awry all nil splendor and quiet cruelty ended The very walls seemed pale now The white man was silent with a grandeur pf lf pain a beauty that was was was' anguish White-hot White sun pelted through his garments Flying sand stung his hia cheeks familiarly Helens Helen's ns n's head was bowed In silent agony It seemed that the fierce vengeful hands bands of the miners pulled at his heart Back on the vanishing rim of the world the ancient mysterious city showed for an Instant like a a faded rose and then the glaring heat blotted blotted blotted blot blot- ted it out CHAPTER XVI Helens Helen's Ordeal Helen In her great g eat heaviness of ot heart stared down at nothing Fu Ah gave up the task of comforting her at the request of his sister Who vho rode close beside the princess Fansa's attention was In |