Adventure Magazine Cover, November 10, 1924 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

Om information. The advice of the Chinese prince-poet, not to watch your neighbor too closely when he is in your melon patch, about defined his attitude. And it is sur- prizing how much a man can avoid seeing, if he is determined not to expose another’s secrets. He laughed at himself. He could not resist the impulse to continue in the lama’s company, although it was likely enough that sooner or later his presence in disguise might endanger the lives of the entire troupe. He was perfectly aware that he had received no definite proof of the lama’s honesty, pretty nearly sure that his own change of attitude was due to the same psychology that had won the applause of the crowd, and finally excused himself— with a laugh at his own speciousness—on the ground that he and Dawa Tsering and the dog were indispensable. But when he had been shown into a small room at the rear of a temple enclosure, that seemed to have been deserted by its Hindu owners and, by some mysterious means, reserved for the lama’s use, the lama came to him, accompanied as usual by Samding, and, after looking at him for a moment, seemed to read his mind, and promptly blew Ommony’s conclusions to pieces. “My son, I do not need you, or the dog or Dawa Tsering. All three are good, but I am not the molder of your destiny. Is there another way you would prefer to take?” “T’d rather go with you,” said Ommony, “but I give you clearly to understand I’m spying on you.” The lama looked amused. His wrinkles moved as if he had tucked away a smile in their recesses. “‘My son, to spy is one thing; to absorb enlightenment is something else. A man might spy for all eternity and learn nothing but confusion. For what purpose did you spy on me in the beginning?” Ommony jumped into that opening. Frankness at last! “T think you know without my telling. I began with the sole intention of finding my way into the Abor Valley to look for traces of my sister and her husband, who van- ished in that direction twenty years ago. The piece of jade fell into my hands, and you know how that led to my meeting you. Then I heard a story about little European girls smuggled into the Abor Valley. I 123 have seen these girls that you have in your company. Explain — them. Clear up the mystery.” The lama seemed to Besitate “T could talk to you about the stars,’’ he said presently. ‘Yet if you should medi- tate about them, and observe, you would learn more than I could tell you. My son, have you meditated on the subject of your sister?”’ “On and off for twenty years,” said Om- mony. ‘“‘And you now pursue the course your meditation has discovered? It appears to me that is the proper thing to do.” “You mean, if I follow you Ill find out?” “TI am no fortune teller. Electricity, my son, was in the world from the beginning. How many million men observed its effects before one discovered it? Gold was in the world from the beginning. How many men pass where it lies hidden, until one digs and finds it? Wisdom was in the uni- verse from the beginning, but only those whose minds are open to it can deduce the truth from what they see.”’ “Do you know what became of her?” Ommony asked abruptly.: The tone of his voice was belligerent, but the lama ignored that. He answered with a sort of masked look on his face as if he himself were still pondering the outcome: “Tf I were to tell you all I know, you would inevitably draw a wrong conclusion. There are pitfalls on the way to knowledge. Suspicion and pride are the worst; but a desire to learn too quickly is a grave im- pediment.” During about three breaths he seemed to be considering whether to say more or not; but he leaned an arm on Samding’s shoulder and walked out of the room without speak- ing again. CHAPTER XXI THE LAY OF ALHA Sooner or later we must learn all knowledge. It is therefore necessary to begin. And for a beginning much may be learned from this: That men in pain and men in anger are diverted from either sensation by a song—and very readily—From the Book of the Sayings of Tsiang Samdup. HEREAFTER life for two months was a dream of many colors through which the lama led without explaining any of it. At times Ommony: abandoned hope of learning what the lama’s purpose was; at Comicbook CO 5}