Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

98 “ Avarang. Don’t fear that he will give you away. He lost track of you and be- came worried. He hunted me up. I knew if that beggar couldn’t find you, something must be wrong. Then we learned from an Usbek peasant that he had seen a Sayak woman come from the house and go to the mosque—” Abruptly he thrust her back. ‘““ Iskander and two others have come in,” he whispered sharply. ‘ Edith, go back to the wall. Hide.” The girl, her heart beating tumultuously, lost no time in slipping back into the shad- ow of the wall. A slight projection of the granite blocks offered a shallow nook for her slender body. John Donovan waited, while Iskander, Mahmoud, and another—the Sayak chief— approached. They had seen him and ad- vanced to where he stood. Iskander front- ed him with folded arms. To the white man’s greeting he returned no answer. “Where is Mees Rand?” he asked slowly. Donovan eyed him steadily, trying to. guess how the Arab had come to look for the girl and how much he knew of her ac- tions. The presence of Mahmoud and the chieftain was ominous. Still, he was rea- sonably sure that Edith’s disguise had not been penetrated. For a space the two measured each other silently. ‘“‘ Where is the white woman?” said Is- kander again. Donovan shrugged. ‘‘ Does not Aravang know?” “ He knows nothing.” The Arab tugged at his beard, as was his habit when aroused. ‘‘ Speak, Dono-van Khan. I know that she is here. The guards at the door brought me a pair of woman’s slippers, left behind when all had gone. I have seen the slip- pers before. They belong to Mees Rand.” Listening, in her nook a dozen feet away, Edith thought of the pair she had discarded at the gate. Why had she not kept them on? She had instinctively followed the example set by the Sayak boy. The Arab drew a hand from the breast of his robe. In it were the tiny upturned footwear of the white woman. Donovan looked from the slippers to Iskander’s harsh THE ARGOSY. face, from him to Mahmoud and tha chief. “The door is guarded,” observed the manaps softly. ‘“ And there is but one door. If you do not summon the woman, we will find her.” Donovan weighed the alternatives swift- ly, and made up his mind. “ Edith!” he called from set lips. The girl hesitated only a second. It was hard to step from her place of concealment to face the three Sayaks. But she trusted John Donovan. When she neared the Arab, he tore the veil from her face with his free hand. Mahmoud and the other peered at her. A sibilant breath escaped the hakim—resem- bling the hiss of a snake about to strike. It was echoed by the chief. Iskander scrutinized the native garb of the girl, and his eyes narrowed. “You came secretly,” he said slowly. “You were here during the festival of the sun.” ‘I was here,” she said boldly. The admission seemed to surprise the two others, when it was translated to them. For a moment they stared at her. Then they conferred among themselves. John Donovan stood a little part, waiting. Edith gazed at him anxiously, but he made no sign. She saw that the muscles of his jaw were set. . : Mahmoud had interrupted Iskander, speaking swiftly with an angry gesture. The manaps listened and turned to his chief. Although no word was exchanged between the two, an understanding was formed. To Edith the situation appeared menac- ing, yet the quiet of the four men reas- sured her somewhat because she did not know that an Oriental masks his anger under calm. She now heartily regretted her foolishness in disobeying Donovan. She wondered why he was so silent. Surely he could speak, assure the Sayaks that she had not meant to spy upon their secrets! Iskander then addressed Donovan. ‘““QO Dono-van Khan, this is a woman of your people. You know the law. Perhaps you will think it wise to leave the mosque rather than remain.” comicloool C©