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Show ; BY TALBOT MUNDY otalbot mundy-wnu service S ; - - ' that I received an insolent communication communi-cation from the Maharanee. She has invited Lynn to stay with her without with-out consulting me, mind you. And I have received an astonishing note from my niece, addressed to me, but intended for Captain Norwood, of all impossible people! As if I were a mail box! And as if I didn't know what is being said about Captain Cap-tain Norwood! It was a deliberately malicious insult to me!" "Did you forward the note to Captain Cap-tain Norwood?" "No. 'Why should I?" "May I see it?" "No. Certainly not." "Well, Mrs. Harding, I think you are within your rights about that. Quite commendable. Yes. Very. But shouldn't Norwood get it? If you care to put it in an envelope and seal it, I will have it sent to him by a very reliable messenger." "One more effort to make of me a mere convenience! I won't do it." The Resident, having felt out Mrs. Harding's punches, countered. He began his attack: "Mrs. Harding, it is quite true that you don't know what is going on. If it weren't that Captain Norwood, Nor-wood, who is a gentleman whose opinion I respect, has assured me that your niece is a thoroughly nice girl" "How does he know?" Aunty interrupted. in-terrupted. "He is an officer of unblemished record, and a gentleman who" has never done a shabby thing in his life. That is why I value his opinion." opin-ion." Aunty interrupted: "I have my own opinion of an 'officer and a gen- So look out for them, and be careful care-ful not to mistake them for thieves." He returned to his tent, where O'Leary sat holding an empty glass with futile optimism. , "Get out of here, now, and make yourself useful." "Me useful?" "Yes. Those Brahmins with whom I talked down near the waterfall this morning " "Yeah, they slipped one over on you! I heard all about it." "Hold your tongue then. I expect they'll be coming to talk to me about my visiting the mine." "You need a nurse," O'Leary answered. an-swered. "You'd never get your brass hat one of these days if it weren't for your Uncle Moses. Them there Brahmins are as likely to come and talk to you tonight as I am to kiss the Queen of England. They figure they've bought you. And they figure they can prove it on you, if you don't come across. They'll sit quiet, them Brahmins will. What you're up against is what I warned you. That Bengali doctor was too scared for his own skin to be telling me lies. Set your lamp to one side of the tent and eat your supper in shadow, if you can't eat in the dark. Watch out they don't chuck no more cobras at you. They've guns. They've automatics. au-tomatics. And there's Gulbaz in back o' this, so watch out. Gulbaz and a woman." Norwood stared at him. "Woman?" "Wom-an?" he said. "What do you mean?" "You told me to mind my own business. This ain't my business." "Talk!" "How about another whiskey?" "Do you wish to be sat in the cook-fire?" "You'd spoil your supper! But I've been thinking. If you want to know what I was thinking, I'll tell you. Barring two or three injustices you've done to me, and I'm of a forgiving disposition, there's only one man in Kadur, by my reckoning, reckon-ing, who'd pay money to see you dead and buried." "You may name him." "Name him yourself. Him and you was thumbing a guitar and singing sing-ing to the same girl. Let's suppose he knows, for instance, that the priests slipped you a bribe. And let's suppose he thinks you're honest. Let's suppose he thinks you'll earn the bribe and fix it so the priests win their case. And him heir to the throne. And him and you mashing mash-ing the same golden-haired beauty. He'd be as officer-headed as you are if he didn't hit quick and below the belt. He'll hit hard! What's to stop him from spiking the Brahmins' Brahm-ins' case by getting them blamed for having murdered you? Answer that one? Why not lay off the girl? If I was you, I'd " "Don't let me have to caution you too often, O'Leary. What I expect from you is information. I do my own thinking. If I should ever need advice from you I'll tell you." " 'Tain't never no use advising nobody about no woman," said O'Leary. "I know symptoms when I see 'em. All right, mum's the word, I ain't saying nothin'." "Get out of here." After supper, Norwood wrote another an-other letter to Lynn Harding. He didn't tear up that one. He addressed ad-dressed it in care of Mrs. Harding at the guesthouse, and then stuck it into his tunic pocket. He was still undecided. Determined, but not ready with his plan. O'Leary came and warned him again about sitting too near the lamp, so he went outside out-side the tent and sat in the shadow cast by the rising full moon. A sentry challenged. "Careful!" Norwood shouted. "Don't shoot unless you have to. And don't shoot to kill!" A bullet whizzed past him then another. They came from two directions. di-rections. "Sentries, hold your fire!'.' he shouted. Stoddart came charging up, breathing hard, fastening his tunic and belt as he ran. "All present, sir! All ready!" "Very well, Stoddart. Keep your hair on. Post two men to guard my tent. Send two to the horse-line and the remainder to guard the store tent. Thieves I think." i Norwood walked ahead into the darkness, shadowed by O'Leary. "Now what?" asked O'Leary. "For the love o' " "Fetch a lantern on a long stick. ' Hurry." Norwood stood in deep black shadow waiting for him. O'Leary ran up with a lantern at the end of a very long stick at least ten feet long. "Give that to me. Next shot they fire, raise a yell that I'm hit." "Okay. I get you. You're a credit cred-it to your Uncle Moses." Norwood held the pole extended toward his left to its limit. He walked forward. The lantern danced as if it were in someone's hand. A bullet spat out of the darkness. Norwood Nor-wood fell. O'Leary shouted at the top of his lungs: "Stoddart! Hi there, Stoddart! They've shot the Captain! He's dead! They hit him through the heart!" Stoddart and four men came hurrying. hur-rying. Norwood whispered: "Pick me up. Carry me into the tent feet first." "Mournful and solemn," O'Leary added. "Lay me on the cot in full lamplight. lamp-light. Spread a sheet over me," said Norwood. "He's as dead as trouble," said O'Leary. So they carried Norwood to the cot and there he lay, in lamplight, while Stoddart slightly overdid the business of taking over command. O'Leary scouted. At the end of ten minutes, O'Leary returned to the tent. "That's done it. They've gone. I crashed among the bushes like a pig with a panther after him. Nobody No-body fired a shot. There wasn't a sound. They've gone for good. All Kadur will know that you're dead, within twenty minutes. They may even tell 'em the news at the palace, pal-ace, though I doubt that. Palaces get the news late, after other folks have had time to lay their bets." Norwood sat up. He stared at O'Leary. O'Leary held his tongue. He watched, waited. Norwood didn't speak for sixty seconds. Then: "O'Leary, there is just one chance in fifty that Prince Rundhia is on the wall, by that kiosk, where he was last night." It almost seemed as if the night knew that Norwood had made up his mind. He was riding a fresh horse, but he didn't hurry. He was followed by a mounted sais, and by O'Leary on another horse. The horses, the sais and O'Leary behaved be-haved like a snake's tail. They followed fol-lowed the head without asking questions. ques-tions. Norwood gave no orders. He didn't tell O'Leary what he intended to do. But as they came near the palace garden wall, he reduced the speed a little and O'Leary, without needing to be told to do it, went scouting ahead. lO'Leary, on the other side, made plenty of noise. He made a signal, pointing with his right arm, as he broke from shadow into moonlight. There was nothing mysterious about his signal; he simply pointed to the swinging tendril of a baobab. It overhung the wall in search of earth in which to take root. It looked like a python, swaying slightly in the faint evening breeze. (TO BE CONTINUED) CHAPTER XVII e Resident was worried. In S of the prevalent political unhand un-hand of the convenient fact that ''.5tate of Kadur had been quies-ifor quies-ifor years, he had received con-"!'itial con-"!'itial instructions from his State Sirtment to be very discreet in ' : elations with the court of Kadur. : as impossible to misinterpret girder. It was plainly worded, tas not to interfere, if it could -"bly be helped. .fV the other hand, he had disced, dis-ced, rather to his annoyance, Norwood was a very likeable inn, with an exceptionally good tTce record. Even prejudice "'sn't make him believe that Nor- had accepted a bribe. It might E impossible to prove that Nor-A Nor-A , hadn't accepted one, and there be a cloud over Norwood's r forever after. But the Resi-Jiadn't Resi-Jiadn't a doubt that Rundhia, or perhaps the priests, or even a'Sf them in some nefarious se--lliance, had framed Norwood. CTJ. ; as inclined to believe that the r"ps' agents had bought Rundhia, id-'j view to some political ad-5jr?e ad-5jr?e after Rundhia should have to the throne. Rundhia, he lS'i::ted, would do almost anything rrsh. raj. being a fool, nor even a very "Aginative man, he suspected i Norwood's interest in Lynn ig was something rather more Ma tonic. ----- one could believe almost any-JalT.'f any-JalT.'f Rundhia: even believe that s.":: .a might act honorably, if hon-ilLj hon-ilLj the circumstances didn't :i:ith Rundhia' s convenience. iLesident liked Rundhia. Al-jj.- veryone did who knew him. c-j j was a bit difficult to sepa-'- "'mdhia. from Rundhia's unrein; unre-in; :-te inclinations and his record. '' Resident wrote a report, DCS 4 "secret," to the State De-Jji'nt, De-Jji'nt, in which he respectfully His Majesty the King's ad- (OSil'to oppose Prince Rundhia's ....ion to the throne of Kadur. rHUu' small doubt that his advice CIS' )e found acceptable. Aji ki-iat wasn't going to save Nor-Ltj Nor-Ltj b; it was far more likely to PriS WOod, because Rundhia em-,3ia' em-,3ia' i secret agent in Delhi, who earn of the Indian Govern-FHCTD-1 intentions about the veto in J.io time. Rundhia, and Run- I friends, would jump to the D, 5,'on that Norwood had been v-rscret influence in order to UTiiSiJ; at Rundhia for the accusa-: accusa-: 2!fl bribery. Rundhia and his u' vould strike back, and there ntce so much purchased, per-s- idence produced, that Nor-j Nor-j j ji:3uld have no chance what- Resident decided to do ivate investigation on his ount. jg jCCtwas nothing for it but to r!r-rr-Mrs. Harding and to ask t'S: jmmon Lynn to the guest- cs : r a confidential interview. yUed Mrs. Harding. He knew f;j snob and he suspected her : a title-huntress. He had n05U fci her once, and she had Jimned rude, because she Jiderstood his position; she ected him of being merely jji penurious British officer H9',,hed to make Lynn's ac-" ac-" lie. But there are lots of 1 Q P "it tasks that a man feels g to undertake, in the course OP, ,.o the Resident ordered his jatl 'Jset forth, calling en route terns' 'st Office to register his let-JEY let-JEY Department of State, so fter 'arsee secretary shouldn't tied. 'eB",)ut it and be tempted "to 'j'TjJHarding's locked and la-snks la-snks stood in a severe row Zi of the veranda. Aunty ssss reposed on pillows at the where she received the vith hostile politeness. The jjaced away from the sun-sATlO"" sun-sATlO"" le surrounding trees cast adow, so the electric light $ turned on in the living-J living-J the only light there was "s iugh the living-room win-tCl win-tCl llty Harding couldn't see HOltL well, and she hadn't her I' . But she remembered his 1 she had learned, indi-ice indi-ice their first interview, fiias a personage. ' So she R If -defensively and patqjn- t 1 1 offer you whiskey? You p ' fe such devotees of that I1'1 you. In the States, our j (Bourbon. Please smoke." 1'4 to ta!k with M'ss Lynn -. 11 have to look for her ' now she's at the palace. A a telephone? Could you -"s come here a moment? ke long. I merely want fla few questions." J, tdo what you ask. I am fs Air (Responsible for Lynn. If .j (' immon her she wouldn't K'"j,-; hope nothing serious L i pishonorable! Contempt-ligtS' Contempt-ligtS' 't bore you with my pri-' pri-' . It is sufficient to say "No, why should I?" tleman' about whom even babus and servants"gossip. If Lynn had wished to associate herself with common graft and bribery, she might better have remained in America. We have plenty of corrupt officials mostly of foreign extraction, I am thankful to say. Many of them Irish," she added. The Resident smiled: "Yes, Mrs. Harding. I confess to being Irish. So look out! I will take no nonsense from you. If necessary, I will confront con-front you with Captain Norwood and let him demand that letter." "What if I destroy it?" "I will have you arrested." "I am leaving tonight," said Aunty Harding, firmly. "Oh, yes? It is a long way from here to the station. You have a lot of luggage. You propose to catch the midnight train?" "I have made my own arrangements arrange-ments with a native contractor, thank you." "I understand, then, that you propose pro-pose to go away at midnight, leaving leav-ing your niece to her own devices." "Yes." "Well, that is perhaps outside my province. But there is no question about my responsibility in connection connec-tion with Captain Norwood. He is a distinguished young officer, in temporary tem-porary difficulty, who needs all the legitimate help he can get He is well connected, and popular. He is the younger brother of the very distinguished dis-tinguished Earl of Ashlawn. Numbers Num-bers of people would be shocked If Norwood were disgraced. You have a letter belonging to Captain Norwood, Nor-wood, that he possibly needs. Think that over, Mrs. Harding. It is now up to you. Good evening." CHAPTER win Norwood went the round of the sentries. There were only four of them They had already received orders from Sergeant Stoddart. Norwood Nor-wood repeated the instructions: "There are thieves in the neighborhood, neigh-borhood, and there is a rumor that there might be a raid on the camp. It isn't likely to be anything serious, but look out for it. Don't kill anyone any-one if you can help it In any event you are to challenge three times' and then fire your first shot in the air. I am expecting visitors, who may perhaps approach stealthily stealthi-ly because their business is secret. |