Adventure Magazine Cover — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Temple “That gives us a total force of twenty-one Sikhs. But go ahead—pardon me.” “We found ten girls with the caravan— fifteen camels in all. We shot every man in the crowd; the girls were all Mongol or Chinese. No one escaped. But we saw no: sign of any flocks or herds or villages in the farther valleys. Beyond doubt, the tribe has gone bodily upon some such errand——” “As the destruction of Sheng Wu and the caravan,” added Day bluntly. Severn dropped: into a chair and took a cigaret. He was badly shaken by the supreme excitement of his recent dis- covery—and yet he realized they must for- get the past and face the future. Kilgore glanced around, his face grave. ’ “Day has hit the mark, lads! We broke off a seance here; therefore Esrun will guess at what’s. happened—whether he can pick our brains or not, I can’t say. Odds are he will instruct the novices with the tribe to come here and finish us off. If he directs the campaign, we’re in for it, should we stay here! “Tl take first shot; then you fellows speak your minds. We have two courses open. We can take the supplies here, load up the camels in the caravan and those behind the temple, and we may get clear away. - Or else we may remain. In that case we'll have first to fight the Darkan tribe, then all the Mongols within a hundred miles—and we’ll have no hope of succor or aid. Question—fight or run, Sir Fandi?” “By the sin of the sack of Chitor!’”’ swore the lordly Rajput angrily. “Am I a thief to come and strike in the night, and then run? I stay!” “Same here,” said Day. ‘Besides, we haven’t any loot to speak of, yet.” Severn nodded. Kilgore lighted a fresh cigaret and also nodded. “Unanimous. We stay! Having de- cided to remain, shall we strike out in the morning, leaving this citadel of defense - unguarded, to polish off Esrun?” Severn spoke up. “You know where this Esrun is?” “No. Somewhere about the lake in the box cafion. We’ll have to find him. Both Sir Fandi and I have seen the lake, but we've not explored it.” , “Vou think he is one man, alone?” “We think so. We really know very - little; but that is the supposition.” — of the Ten 147 “Very well.” Severn, now quite cool, smiled in his gentle fashion. “I am not a fighter. I am an investigator, an explorer. I will go to the lake and find Esrun——” “Accepted, but you shan’t go alone,” snapped Kilgore. “It’s a damnable place; the night mist off the lake is anesthetic in effect, and there are rifts among the rocks that go down to smoke and fire in the earth’s heart. I suggest——” “I go,” said Sir Fandi, stroking at his beard complacently. “If Mr. Severn will accept me, I can guide him to the lake.” “Gladly!” dssented Severn. “So proposed and carried,” hurried on Kilgore. “Now, what about these ten girls who'll get here at dawn? What can we do with ’em?” “Give them rooms to themselves,” spoke up Day, “explain matters, and supply ’em with guns. Believe me, these yellow women can fight! I know.” So the matter was arranged, and in five minutes the comrades-in-arms were seeking rest.for the remainder of the night. Severn slept fitfully; indeed, his brain was too excited by what he had discovered to readily admit of slumber. He was anxious to make an exact copy of that bilingual inscription in the table or altar. He ad- mitted that his theory had been hasty and presented certain difficulties; yet it carried out the statements of Polo, Rubruk and the invariably authentic Abu'lfaraj : In his mind’s eye he could-see the wan- dering Nestorians converting the Mongol chief, baptizing him Yuhanna, consenting to his retaining the dual réle of Christian and lamaistic priest, and reporting to their Bagdad metropolitan that this John the presbyter—for so they would translate the word lama—was aconvert. Asound theory, for the Nestorians had metropolitans through China and Turkestan, and so strong a church that the plan had even been put forward of the Christian Mongols coming from the east to join the Crusaders in the recovery of Palestine. And this, then, was the church of Prester John! Severn fairly ached to go over every inch of the place, get measurements and rubbings, confirm his hasty theory by sound investigation—but now time pressed. There was other and more immediate work to his hand, and he must do it first. Personal safety came ahead of theories. So gradually his riotous brain quieted, } | EOPIC OOO cS