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ZLOUIS JOSEPH YAMCE
AUTHOR OF “THE BRASS BOWL” ETC
OtULQOTEUMMS bY GMf -
COPYRIGHT BY LOUB tJQBCPH VHC£
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SYNOPSIS
David Amber starting for a duckahoot-
Ing visit with his friend Qualn comes up-
on a young lady equestrian who has been
dismounted by her horse becoming frigh
ned at the sudden appearance in tho road
of a burly Hindu He declares he is
Beharl Lai ChatterJI ‘‘The appointed
mouthpiece of the Bell addresses Amber
o a man of high rank and pressing a
mysterious little bronze box The To-
kn'’ into his hand disappears In the
wood The girl calls Amber by name
He In turn addresses her as Miss Bophle
Farrell daughter of Col Farrell of the
WrltUh diplomatio service In India and
visiting the Qualns Several nights later
the Qualn home la burglarised and the
bronze box stolen Amber and Qualn go
hunting on an Island and become lost and
Amber Is left marooned He wanders
about finally reaches a cabin and rec-
ognizes as Its occupant an old friend
pained Rutton whom he last met In Kng-
mnd and who appears to be In hiding
When Miss Farrell Is mentioned Rutton 1
strangely agitated ChatterJI appear
and summons Rutton to a meeting of a
mysterious body Rutton seizes a revol-
ver and dashes after ChatterJI He re-
Jjjrn® wildly excited says he has killed
n® Hindu takes poison and when dying
asks Amber to go to India on a mysteri-
ous errand Amber decides to leave at
once for India On the way he sends a
Rabertouche a scientific
friend In Calcutta by a quicker route
Upon arriving he finds a note awaiting
nun It directs Amber to meet his friend
at a certain place The latter tells him
knows his mission is to get Miss Far-
f1 put of the country Amber attempts
to dispose of the Token to a money-len-flr
is mistaken for Hutton and barely
escapes being mobbed A message from
Lebertouche causes him to start for Dar-
Jeeling on the way hs meets Miss
Jarrell and at their Journey’s end asks
5®r to become his wife A Hindu con-
duct Amber to a secret place and In the
?resence of a beautiful woman who mis-
ekes him for Rutton Rater Amber Is
dnirged The Hindus plot rebellion and
at Rabertouche’ Instigation Amber re-
turn to the woman Naraini to discover
the secret of the conspiracy He learn
thjr would make him their king
CHAPTER XVIII (Continued)
1 Again h failed to answer Some-
where near him he heard a slight
noise as of a man moving Impatiently
and then a whisper: “Respond thou
fool!"
"Art thou come O chosen of the
Gateway?” the bell-voice rang
f "I I am come” Amber man-
aged to reply ' —
"Hear ye!” rang the bell “Hear
ye O lords and rulers In Medhyama!
0 children of my Gateway hear ye
well! He Is come! He stands upon
the threshold of the Gateway”
A great druid roared like the crack
Df doom and Amber’s Jaw dropped
For In the high roof of the temple a
ilvfoot slab had been noiselessly
withdrawn and through It a cold shaft
of moonlight fell cutting the gloom
tike a gigantic rapier and smote with
Its Immaculate radiance the true
Gateway of Swords
Not six paces froiq him It leaped
out ot ilia darkness In an Iridescent
sheen an arch a scant ten feet In
height and In span double the width
of a big man’s shoulders woven across
like a weaver’s frame wltli ribbons of
pale Ore But the ribbons were of
steel — steel blades sharp bright
gleaming With their pommels cun-
ningly affixed so that their polnt3
touched and Interlaced yet swung
free they lined the piers of the arch
from base to span and all the grace-
ful sw’eep of the lntrados a curtain of
shimmering trembling steel barring
the way to the mystery beyond Which
was — darkness'
I “O ye swords!” belled the voice
“0 ye swords that have known
no dishonor! 0 ye swords that have
sung In the grasp of my greatest!
Swords of Jehangar Akbar Alamglr!
Swords of Alludln Humayun Shah
Jehan! Swords of Tlmur-Leng Arung-
zeb Rao Rutton! ”
The Invocation seemed Intermina-
ble Amber recognised almost every
name noted In the annals and legends
of Hindustan
"Hearken 0 my swords! He thy
chosen pra'yeth for entry! What is
thy welcome?”
One by one the blades began to
shiver clashing their neighbors until
the curtain of steel glimmered and
glistened like phosphorescence In a
summer sea and the place was filled
with the music of their contact and
through their clamor boomed the bell:
"O my chosen!” Amber started and
held himself firmly In hand "Look
well look well! Here Is thy portal to
kingship and glory!”
He frowned and took a step forward
as If he would throw himself through
the archway for he had suddenly re-
membered with compelling vividness
that Sophia Farrell was to be won
only by that passage But as he
moved the swords clattered afresh and
swung outwards presenting a bristle
of points And he stopped while the
voice' Indifferent and remote as al-
ways continued to harangue him
“If thy heart 0 my chosen be clean
-unsullied with fear and guile If thy
faith be the faith of thy fathers and
thy honor rooted In love of thy land
If thou hast faith In the strength of
thy hands to hold tho reins of empire
enter having no fear”
“Trick-work” he told himself He
set his teeth with determination
“Hope they don’t see fit to cut me to
pieces on suspicion Here goes” He
moved forward with a firm step until
his bosom all but touched the points
Instantaneously with another clash
as of cymbals the blades were de-
fleeted and returned to their first po-
sltlon closing the way He hesitated
Then “That shan’t stop me!” he said
through his teeth and pushed forward
: heart in mouth He breasted the cur-i-
tain and felt It give the blades yield
ed Jealously closing round his body
like cold caressing arms he felt their
chill kisses on his cheeks and hands
even through his clothing he was con-
scious of their clinging deadly touch
Abruptly they swung entirely free
leaving the entrance clear and he was
drawing a free breath when the moon
glare showed him the swords returned
to position with the speed ot light
He Jumped for his life and escaped
being slashed to pieces by the barest
inch They swung to behind him
and again the drum roared while afar
there aroee a furious eldritch walling
of conches Overhead the opening
disappeared and the light was shut
out In darkness as of the Hall of
Eblls the conches were stilled and
the echoes -ebbed Into a silence that
held sway for many minutes ere again
the bell spoke
"Stretch forth thy hand”-
Somewhat shaken Amber held out
an open palm before him Then out
of nothingness something plopped Into
Amber's hand and his fingers closed
convulsively about It It was a hand
very small small as a child’s gnarled
and hard as steel and cold as Ice
Without anf forewarning two heavy
hands gripped him one on either
shoulder and he was forced to his
knees At the same Instant with- a
snapping crackle a spurt of blue flame
shot down from the zenith and where
It fell with a thunderclap a dazzling
glare of emerald light shot up breast-
high -
To his half-blinded eyes It seemed
for a time to dance suspended In the
air before him A vapor swirled up
from It a thin cloud luminous By
degrees he made out Its source a
small brazen bowl on a tripod
In front of him he could see noth-
ing beyond the noiselessly wavering
flame But presently a hand appeared
as If by magic above the bowl — a
hand bony brown and long of finger
that seemed attached to nothing — and
cast something like a powder Into the
fire There followed a fizz and puff of
vapor and a strong and heavy gust of
Incense was wafted Into Amber's face
Again and again the band appeared
sprinkling powder In the brazier un-
til the stroke clouded the atmosphere
with Us fluent eddying colls
The gooseflesh that had pricked out
on Amber’s skin subsided and hli
qualms went with It "Greek fire burn-
ing in the bowl” he explained the phe-
nomenon “and a native with bis arm
wrapped to the wrist In black Is feed-
ing It Not a bad effect though"
It was perhaps as well that he had
not been deceived for there was a
horror to come that required all his
strength to face He became con-
scious that something was moving be-
tween him and the brazier — something
which he had incuriously assumed to
be a piece of dirty cloth left there
carelessly But now he saw It stir
squirm and upend unfolding itself
and lifting Its head to the leaping
flame an Immense cobra sleek and
white as Ivory 1U swelling hood as
large as a man’s two hands with a
binocular mark on It as yellow as topaz
and with vicious eyes glowing like
twin rubles In Us vile little head
Amber’s breath clicked In his throat
and he shrank back rising but this
Instinctive move hag been provided
against and before his knees were
fairly off the rocky floor he was forced
down again by the hands on his shoul-
ders He was unable to take his eyes
from the monster and though terror
such as man Is heir to lay cold upon
tils heart he did not again attempt to
stir
There was no sound Alone and un-
disturbed the bleached viper warmed
to Us dance with the pulsing flame
turning and twisting ' weaving and
writhing In Its Infernal glare
“Hear ye 0 my peoples!"
Amber Jumped The voice had
seemed to ring out from a point di-
rectly overhead
He looked up and discovered above
him vague In the obscurity the out-
lines of a glgantlo bell banging mo-
tionless The green glare shining on
Its rim and partly illuminating Us
empty hollow (he saw no clapper) re-
vealed the sheen of bronze of which
It was fashioned
Out of Its Immense bowl the voice
rolled like thunder: '
"Hear ye 0 my' peoples!”
A responsive murmur ascended from
the company round the walls:
"We hear! We hear O Medhyama!"
“Mark well this-man 0 children of
my Gateway Mark well! Out of ye
all I have chosen him to lead thee In
the work of healing for I thy mother
I Medhyama I Bharuta I the body
from which ye are sprung call me by
whatever name ye know me — I am laid
low with a great sickness
Yea I am stricken and laid low with
a sickness”
In the brazier the flame leaped high
and subsided and with It the cobra
leaped and sank low upon Us colls
“I thine old mother have called ye
together to help In my healing From
my feet to my head I am eaten with
pestilence yea I am devoured and
possessed by ttie evil Even of old
was it thus with thy mother long
since she complained of the Plague
that Is Scarlet — moaned and cried out
and turned In her misery But
ye failed me Then my peoples were
weaklings and their hearts all were
raven the Scarlet Evil dismayed
them they fled from Us power and
left It to batten on ms la my sick-
ness" A deep groan welled In uncounted
throats and resounded through the
cavern
“Will ye fall me again 0 my chil-
dren ?”
“Nay nay O our mother!"
"Too long have I suffered and been
patient In silence Now I must be
cleansed and made whole aa of old
time yea I must be purged altogeth-
er and the evil cast out from me It
Is time Ye have heard ye
have answered make ready for the
day of the cleansing approacheth
Whet thy swords for the days of the
healing for my cleansing can be but
by steel Yea thy swords shall do
away with the evil and the land shall
run red with the blood of BhamwC the
blood of thy mother it shall run to
the sea as a liver bearing with it the
Red Evil So and no otherwise shall
I thine old mother be healed and made
whole again”
Amber was watching the serpent-
dazed and weary as If with a great
need of sleep Even the salvos of
shouts came to him as from a great
distance To the clangor of the bell
alone he had become abnormally sen-
sitive every fiber of hla- being shud-
dered responsive to Its weird nuances
It returned to Its solemn and stately
intoning
"Out of ye all have I chosen and
fixed upon one who 'shall lead ye
Through bis shall my strength be
made manifest my will be made
known to my peoples His must ye
serve and obey to him must ye bow
down and be humble 8ay are ye
pleased? Will ye have him my chil-
dren ?"
Without an Instant's delay a cry
of ratification rang to the roof "Yea
O our mother! him we will Berve and
obey to him bow down and be
humble”
The voice addressed Itself directly
to the kneeling mn He stiffened and
roused —
"Thou hast heard of the honor we
confer upon thee — I Medhyama thy
"0 My
mother and these my children thy
brothers Ye shall lead and rule in
Bharuta Are ye ready?”
Half hypnotized Amber opened his
mouth but no words came His chin
dropped to his breast
"Thy strength must be known to my
peoples they must see thee put to the
proof thy courage that they may know
thee to he the man for their
Ye are ready?”
He was unable to move a finger
"Stretch out thine arms!”
He shuddered and tried to obey
The voice rang Imperative
"Stretch forth thine arms for the
testing!”
Somehow mechanically he succeed-
ed In raising his arms and hpldlng
them-Tlgld before him Alarmed by
the movement the cobra turned with
a bias waving his poisonous head But
the Virginian made no offer to with-
draw his hands His eyes were wide
and staring and his face livid
A subdued murmur came from the
men clustered round the Idols In
seml-darkness
The bell boomed forth like an organ
"O hooded death 0 death
who art trained to my service! Thou
before whom all men stand affrighted!
Thou who canst look Into their hearts
and read them as a scroll that Is un-
rolled - Look deep Into the
heart of my chosen! Judge If he be
worthy or wanting Judge if he be false
or true Judge him O death!”
Before Amber the great serpent was
oscillating like a pendulum its little
tongue playing like forked red light-
ning Its loathsome red eyes holding
his own
“Look well O death and Judgo
him!”
The dance of the hooded death
changed In character grew more fren-
zied the white writhing colls melted
Into one another In dizzying confusion
figure merged Into figure like smoke
The suspense grew Intoler
able
"Hast thou Judged b'n O death?"
Instantly the white e-bra reared up
to Its utmost and remained poised over
Amber barely moving save for the al-
most Imperceptible throbbing of the
hood and the Incessant darting ot the
forked tongue
"If be be loyal then spare him”
The hood did not move Amber’s
flesh crawled with unspeakable dread
”'lf he be faithless then
strike!”
For another moment the cobra
maintained the tensity Then slowly
cruel head waving hood shrinking
eyes losing their deathly luster coll
by coll It sank
A thick murmur ran the round of the
walls swelling Into an Inarticulate
cry which bent upon Amber’s ears
like the raving of a far-off surf From
his Ups a strangled yob broke and
every muscle relaxing he lurched for-
ward Alarmed In a trice the cobra was up
again hood distended to the bursting
point head swinging so swiftly that
the eye could not follow It In another
breath would come the final thrust
A firearm exploded behind Amber
singeing his cheek with Its flame He
fell over sideways barely escaping
the head of the cobra which with Its
hood blown to tatters writhed In con-
vulsions Its malignant tongue strain-
ing forth as It In one last attempt to
reach his hand
A second shot followed the first and
then a brisk confused fusillade Am-
ber heard a man scream out In mortal
agony and the dull sound of a heavy
body falling near him but coincident
with the second report the brazier had
been overturned and Its light extin-
guished' as If sucked up Into the air
CHAPTER XIX
Rutton’e Daughter
In darkness the blacker for the sad-
den disappearance ot the light some-
body stumbled over Amber — Btumbled
and swore In good English The Vir-
ginian sat up crying out as weakly as
a child: "Labertouche!” A voice said:
E3
Chosen!”
‘Thank God!” He felt strong hands
lift him to his feet He clung to him
who had helped him swaying like a
drunkard wits a-swlrl In the brain
thus roughly awakened from semi-
hypnosis "Here” said Labertouche’s voice
"take my hand and follow We’re In
for It now!”
He caught Amber’s hand and
dragged him yielding and unquestion-
ing rapidly through a chaotic rush of
unseen bodies
The firing had electrified the tense-
strung audience With a pandemo-
nium of shrieks oaths shouts orders
unheard and commands unheeded a
concerted rush was made from every
quarter to the spot where the doomed
man had been kneeling No man could
have said where he stood or whither
he ran — save one perhaps That one
was at Amber's side and had laid his
course beforehand and knew that both
their lives depended upon his stick-
ing to It without deviation To him a
rush of a hundred feet In a direct
line meant salvation ttie least devia-
tion from It death
He was now recovering rapidly and
able to appreciate that they stood a
good chance of winning away for the
natives were all converging toward the
center of the cavern and apparently
none heeded them Nevectheless La-
bertouche releasing him put a revol-
ver In his hand
“Don’t hesitate to Bhoot If anyone
comes-this way!” he said “I’ve got to
get this door open and ”
He broke off with an ejaculation of
gratitude for while he had been speak-
ing his fingers busily groping in the
convolutions of the sculptured pedes-
tal had encountered what he sought
and now he pulled out an Iron bar two
feet or so In length and as thick as
a' woman’s wrist Inserting this in
a socket as one familiar with the
trick he put his weight upon It a
carved sandstone slab slid back silent
ly disclosing a black cavernous open-
ing “In with you” panted Labertouche
removing the lever "Don’t delay”
Amber did not He took with him a
hazy Impression of a vast vaulted hall
filled with a ruddy glare of torchlight
a raving rabble of gorgeously attired
natives In its center Then the open-
ing received him and he found himself
In a black hole of an underground
gallery— a place that reeked with the
dank odors of the tomb -Labertouche
followed and with the
aid ot a small electric pocket lamp dis-
covered another socket for the lever
A moment later the slab moved back
Into place Labertouche chuckled
"Come along” he said and drew ahead
at a dog-trot
- They sped down a passage that
delved at a sharp grade through solid
rock Now and again it turned and
struck away In another direction
Once they descended — or rather fell
down— a Bhort steep flight of steps
At the bottom Amber slopped
“Hold on!” he cried
Labertouche pulled up Impatiently
‘‘What’s the matter?”
“Sophia—!”
“Trust me dear boy and come
along”
It was some time later that Laber-
touche extinguished his lamp and
threw a low word of warning over
his shoulder Synchronously Amber
discerned far ahead a faint glow of
yellow light As they bore down upon
It with unmoderated speed he could
see Jthat It emanated from a rough-
hewn doorway opening off the pas-
sage Labertouche pushed Amber on
ahead Stooping the Virginian en-
tered a small rude chamber hollowed
out of the rock of Katlapur A crude
lamp In a bracket furnlBhed all Its Illu-
mination filling It with a reek of hot
oil Amber was vaguely aware of the
figures of two women — one standing
in a corner the other seated dejected-
ly upon a charpoy her bead against
the wall As he lifted his head after
passing under the low lintel the wom-
an In the corner fired at him point
blank
The Virginian saw the jet of flame
spurt from her hand and felt the bul-
let's Impact upon the wall behind his
head He flung himself upon her in-
stantly There was a moment of furi-
ous struggle while the cell echoed
with the reverberations' of the shot
and the screaming of the woman on
the charpoy The pistol exploded again
as he grappled with the would-be mur-
deress the bullet passing up his
sleeve creased his left arm as with a
white-hot iron and tore out through
the cloth on tiis shoulder He twisted
brutally the wrist that held the weap-
on and the woman dropped It with a
cry of’paln
"You would!” he cried and threw
her from him putting a foot upon the
pistol
She reeled back against the wall and
crouched there trembling her cheeks
on fire her eyes aflame with rage
“You dog!" she shrilled In Hindi — and
spat at him like a maddened cat Then
he recognized her
“Naraini!” He stepped back in hts
surprise bis right band seeking In-
stinctively the wrist of his left which
was numb with pain
His change of position left the pistol
unguarded and the woman swooped
down upon It like a bird of prey but
before she could get her fingers on its
grip Labertouche stepped between
them fended her off and quietly pos-
sessed himself of the weapon
"Your pardon madam” he said
gravely
Naraini retreated Bhaklng with fury
and Amber employed the respite to
recognize Sophia Farrell In the woman
oil the charpoy She was still seated
prevented from rising by bonjs about
her wrists and ankles and though un-
naturally pale her anguish of fear and
despair had set Its marks upon her
face without one whit detracting from
the appeal of her beauty He went to
her Immediately and as their eyes
met hertf flamed with joy relief and—
he dared believe — a stronger emotion
"You — you’re not hurt Mr Amber?"
"Not at all The bullet went out
through my sleeve And you?” He
dropped on his knees with hts pocket-
knife severing the ends of rope that
bound her
“I’m all right” She took his hands
helping herself to rise “Thank you”
she said her eyes Bhlnlng a flush of
color suffusing her face with glory
"Did you cut those ropes Amber?"
Labertouche Interposed curtly
“Yes Why?”
The Englishman explained without
turning from his sombre and morose
regard of Naraini “Too bad — we’ll
have to tie this woman up somehow
She’s a complication 1 hadn’t foreseen
Here you’d better leave me
to attend to her — yon and Miss Farrell
Go on down the gallery — to the left
I’ll catch up with you"
The pistol which he still held lent
to his demand a sinister significance
of which he was perhaps thoughtless
But Sophia Farrell heard saw and sur-
mised "No!” Bhe cried going swiftly to the
secret agent "No!” She put a hand
upon bis arm but he shook It off
"Did you hear me Amber?” said La-
bertouche still watching the queen -‘‘What
do you mean to do?” insist-
ed Sophia “You can’t— you mustn't—”
"This Is no time for half-measures
Miss Farrell” Labertouche told her
brusquely "Our lives hang In the bal-
ance — Mr Amber's yours mine
Please go”
(TO BE CONTINUED)
What Chance Hat He?
Johnny — “Grandpa do lions go to
heaven?" Grandpa — “No Johnny
Johnny — “Well do ministers?” Grand-
pa — “Why of course Why do you
ask?” Johnny — “Well suppose a Hoe
eats a minister?’— Life
WOMAN
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Gayboze — When my wife saw the
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gered herl
Martini — I’m 'not surprised Yon
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man I
Don’t Expect Kindness
There are six sorts of people at
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kindness The narrow minded think
of nobody but themBelves the lazy are
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peals for kindness the poor have
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natured fool Is not capable of serving
you — Home Notes
A HIT
What She Gained by Frying Again
A failure at first makes us esteem
Anal success
A family In Minnesota that now en
Joys Postum would never have known
how good it Is If the mother had been
discouraged by the failure of her
first 'attempt to prepare it Her son
tells the story:
“We had never used Postum till last
spring when father brought home a
package one evening Just to try It We
had heard from our neighbors and In
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they liked It
“Well the next morning Mother
brewed It about five minutes Just as
she had been in the habit ot doing
with coffee without paying special at-
tention to the directions printed on
the package It looked weak and
didn't have a veryjiromlslng color but
nevertheless father raised his cup
with an air of exceptancy It certain-
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I'm afraid It wasn't a very pleasant
one for he put down his cup with
look of disgust
Mother wasn't discouraged though
and next morning gave It another trial
letting It stand on the stove till boil-
ing began and then letting It boll for
fifteen or twenty minutes and this
time we were all so pleased with It
that we have used It ever since
"Father was a confirmed dyspeptic
and a cup of coffee was to him like poi-
son So he never drinks It any more
but drinks Postum regularly He Isn't
troubled with dyspepsia now and 1
actually growing fat and I’m sura
PoBtum la the cause of It All the chil-
dren are allowed to drink It and they
are perfect pictures of health" Name
given by Postum Co Battle Creek
Mich
Read the little book “The Road to
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Ever read he ibora letter? A new
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