THE NOVELISTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 62

THE NOVELISTS

THE GATE OF RINGING SANDS.

By

OTTWELL BINNS.

( Copyright.—For the Otago Witness. ;

CHAPTER XX. Two miles as the crow flies in the hills of Asia may be many miles as a man walks, and so it proved on the journey to that strange house set in the cleft of the lulls. Such track as there might be was lost in the newly fallen snow ■ and with the cold sun glaring down upon the white surface they marched slowly along, finding the way as best they could. Before long the glare became troublesome. Eyes began to ache intolerably, and vision became blurred. From time to time Claverdon marched with his eyes closed ; then opening them anew saw everything through an opalescent fog. He recognised the symptoms and looked at his companions. Nima-Taslii, accustomed to the strong light of open places as he was. had his eyes screwed up. From the fixed frown on his brow it was evident that Waldron was fijiding the glare troublesome, whilst both Narani and Helen Wargrave showed signs of strain. Rahman Ali, now dismounted, hands bound, and held by a rope attached to the middle pony, alone stared across the white waste with untroubled gaze, as the mountain eagle fronts untroubled the blaze of the sun. “ The sooner we are out of this intolerable light the better,” said Claverdon to Dick Waldron. “In an hour we shall be snow-blind.”

“Yes ! And we’ve no means of shutting out the excess of light.” answered Waldron. “ There’s no shadow on the snow-field. If only the way would bend valley-wards we should find relief.” t The course did begin to descend after a time, but before that happened for Claverdon the brightness had died from the world ; 'he could no longer see the sun, and moved in an opalescense that blurred everything in sight, which indeed was like a veil that shrouded all things a foot away Waldron was in little better case, and' both marched by touch rather than by sight, clinging to the ponies, eyelids closer! to exclude the intolerable glare, and Nima-Tashi was left to find the wav.

Long before the end of the march the two white men were temporarily blind; and even when they passed into the shade of a deep valley they found little relief. Claverdon would have camped, but there was no means of making a fire, and a bitter wind blowing from the heights chilled them to the bone, warning them of the danger that waited them if they rested fireless in th e bitter cold. "We w i'l "o forward.” said Nima. “ There will be shelter in that strano-e house.” • °

Tl«o way began to descend again and suddenly the Tibetan stunned. . What is it? ’ asked Claverdon

An odd mound in the snow,” answered Niina, and to Claverdon’s ears came a sound of some one scraning away the snow. After a little time, the Tibetan spoke again : “ There is a ponv there and a man—both dead of the cold. L“t on Tllis ’S an >ll place to linger.” lhev moved forward, and ten minutes later Nima called out : “ Two more mounds. This is a verv graveyard. If we halt here and the snow blows from th e heights we also should die. Far above I see the snow-banners in the wind.” Spurred by sheer necessity of finding shelter, they •'-arched on, ail’d presently" leaving the vallov, mounted p, slope at the crest of which Nima cried out exultantly; Hail, the iewal ! We arrive! My friend ; rememherest thou the cleft where toe nonv stuck as we fled from the death of the Gotm? ... It lies ahead. Maybe it will be well if I go forward and spv on the place? ” “ Yes. but be careful. Nima. Remember two nf us are almost helpless.” “Have no fear! I shall not put mv head in the wav of the wolves. I shall ror , '»rn qnifiklv. ” Claverdon stood waiting, listenmrr for what seemed an intolerable time, his anDreliension —monntinfT with nverr ’ v *nnreiit that passed. Th-n be heard the Tibetan come whistling through the cleft and a moment Inter his laughing shout : “ The God of Luck i K with us. The place stands as empty a s last year’s nest.” Claverdon gave an eiacnlation of relief, and all moved through th<* cleft towards the house with the gong. The ponies were taken inside, and the travellers crowded in one room, Claverdon and his fri»nd being led to a si-ening-bench that they ‘might rest, m comfort. B ,, 'lfl‘>nlv Narani cried out: “ This room is warm ! ’’ Claverdon heard her move quickly, and then she cried again : “ The ashes here are not vet cold.”' Bv t fhe. iewel. that is true,” shouted Nima_ “ Yet but for us the nlace is empty. I swear. Some man must have been here and nassed on. leaving the fire alight.” He turned and left the room, and with ears straining Claverdon heard him pass tbrou"h the house and onen the door on ♦he farther sideT After a little time he returned and gavg news of a discovery.

“There are steps of three men in the snow on the further side. They go towards the nullah up which we came when first we journeyed hither. Some travellers who have passed this way I should say. I will kindle a fire and we will eat and then sleep.’’ But for a long time sleep was denied to Claverdon. His eyes, which Narani had bandaged to shut out the glare of the fire, were extremely painful, and a vague apprehension which troubled his mind helped his wakefulness; but when three hours or more had passed, his chin fell upon nis breast and he drifted into slumber.

He awoke suddenly, very conscious of cold. A wind was moaning round the house but in the room all was still and it was easy guessing that all save himself, slept profoundly. He could see nothing, but he had a thought that the room had grown very draughty ; but dismissing .t, as a fancy, he began to nod once more and s’id again into a dreamful sleep, out of which he started to intense wakefulness with a startling sound in his ears—the deep reverberation of a gong ! His first thought was that it was part of his dreams, but almost in th e same instant of time he knew that it was not ; for he heard a door crash, and the sound of feet in the passage outside the room. Some one veritably had struck th e o-ong of death. ° °

He shouted to warn big friends, and tore at the bandange over his eyes. As it came away his eyes became aware of a light in the doorway which seared them as with red-hot iron, bringing tears of pain. Instinctively he closed his eyes again, but not before h e had glimpsed dimly the form of a man in the doorway —whose identity he could onlv guess. A harsh laugh of triumph sounded through the blackness in which he sat ; and a voice spoke with savage peremptoriness —a voice that he recognised for the Red Cossack’s. “ Keep still, fools! The first who moves ” The words were checked by a shout from Nima-Tashi. “ By the gods ” ° There followed sounds—first of a leaping man. then the crack of a pistol, succeeded by a double fall. A noise of struggling men, snarling like wolves, and rolling over on the floor came to Claver.,r* he midst of which he heard Melnikoff shout a gasping order: Get the man—and the woman • ” He. flung himself to his feet and stood swaying. The light which he had seen no longer pained his eyes, and he divined that it had -been extinguished bv the fall of the man who had held it. There was but the faintest light from the dying fire —not sufficient, to trouble his eyes; and indistinctly be saw two men rush into tire room. He moved quickly and struck ferociously nt the shadowy one in front of him. The shadow went down with a crash, and as it did so lie heard Narani cry out Oh, my beloved ! Help ! ” He could not see her, but trampling on the fallen man as he went, he groped bis wav swiftly towards the doorway, and leached it in time to intercept a big man with a burden in bis arms. Waldron I ’ he roared as he strove to drag, the struggling woman from the ravish er’s arms. “ Coming,” answered Waldron. Two seconds later he felt the man squirm and release Narani, whom he himself seized and lifted clear of the struggling men in the doorway. Then there came Nima-Tashi’s voice, gasping, but triumphant: ~ “ Oh, mv friend—” “Here ! ” he shouted, and as he did so the big man who had seized Narani broke vvaldron’s hold and fled the house, “ Steady, Nina- ! ” shouted the Tibetan ‘ Steady, Narani ! ” shouted Waldron in quick warning, and the Tibetan gave a grunting laurii. Curse this darkness I One should have bat’s eyes ! ” A match scraped, and for one brief moment before the pain induced bv the light made him close his eyes tightly. Claver<lon saw Naraiii’s face, white and tense, her eyes glowin'*. He held her close, and shouted to the Tibetan : we all here ? ” . m - v friend, two more fKan all, came the chuckling answer. • ■ But one f vow is meat for the kites.” . Claverdon opened Ms eves again lust in time to see the last flicker of the match before it went out. “ Ther” is a lantern rnTnewh'' _ e, Nima. One of those rascals had it. If you can find it-—” ‘‘Aye ! ’Twill Be useful.” Another mntch scraped, then followed a grunt of satisfaction. “ The lantern is here.' I will light it . . . . There.” Risking the intense pain that he knew must follow, Claverdon opened his eyes; and gave one swift look round. That hurrying glance revealed two men lying on the floor, one unconscious, -the other with

now sightless eyes staring upward, and a look on his dead face which made the beholders shudder. He closed his eyes again and pressed his hands upon them to repress if possible the stabbbing pain. Then he asked in a voice which shook a little: “ He is dead, Nima 1 ’’ “As a stone. He will trouble us no more.” “ Take him outside.” Aye. He is carrion—now ! And the evil that was in him. will surely poison the ravens that peck him.” “Be careful. That man who fled— ’’ “Is fleeing still. Never fear.” Tlie Tibetan carried Melnikoff outside the house, and after a little time returned with a question on his lips. Remains this other one 1 He begins to stir. Shall I flingf him down the nullah? ” “ No ! Carry him out to the snow. He was but a tool of the Cossack’s. When he revives he will make himself scarce.” “ Without doubt. And he will perish in the snow unless he can reach a village. He can be left to those devils of these hills.” It was some time before the Tibetan returned, and when he did he explained the delay cheerfully. “ That bandit found his senses as we went out into the night. So I showed him the Red Cossack, holding him by the neck close that he might see that his master’s spirit had gone to Gehenna. Then I set him to the gap behind the house and bade him begone. He will take the news of the Russian’s death—and there will be an end of the jehad that was planned.” “ Y’es ! . . . And thou has earned gratitude, Nima ! Knowest thou that the man whom the Cossack shot in The Gate was Naraiii’s brother ? ’’ By the Holy One ! No ! ” “ Yet it was so. We shall be in thv debt—” “ There are no debts between friends ! But when thou takest thy woman to wife after the fashion of thy countrymen I would have the felicity of standing by.” “ That is a small thing, but who tcld thee—” “ Mine eyes ! Long before we reached Ringing Sands. Rememberest thou the night when thy woman came back to warn thee in the nullah that lies below this strange house ? She talked in riddles then, but there was one of which we spoke together and that was that Paradise was for the third man. That patch-eyed Cossack was the first, and he is with the devils who sired him; the second was Rahman An—whose wings are clipped; and thou wert the third man who—” “ You saw that, then ? ” laughed Claverdon.. “ Before I knew.”

I saw thine eyes —also Naiani’s; also I remembered how she had been anxious for thy life—and it was easy to read the signs. Again, when one like thy woman puts forth her woman's power—” “ Nima ! ” It was Naraiii’s voice that cried in friendly protest; but the Tibetan laughed and continued : “ Then the strongest of us is water.” 7 r^ rue ’ friend,” laughed Claverdon. “True,” echoed Narani also, with a laugh. “ But I did not know thou wert so wise. Almost one might think that the words were a confession.” Ho-o! ” laughed Nima. “It i s not I alone am wise. . . There was a woman once, when I was a lama. She was in a nunnery, and for her I was driven from my lamasery, and the nun was hidden in another nunnery deep in my native hills. But I found her, and to-day she nurses my son at my house at Che-to. which is by the. The Gate of Tibet. Therefore am 1 wise in these things—with the wisdom of experience.” Nima-the-Wise,” cried Narani, ” for that wife of thine, there shall be such a jewel ” ‘ To adorn the sun?” laughed the 1 ibetau. And for thyself,” declared Claverdon, when we take Rahman Ali there to Colonel Cavenagh at Delhi there will be rewards.” “Rewards! Poof! What reward like that of the good chance to live a man’s life,, my friend? ” “ None ” agreed Claverdon heartily, whilst from Waldron, seated by the girl whom he had snatched from barbaric hands, came emphatic testimony. “ And that is golden truth ! ” Six days later, worn by hard travel with winter marching at their heels, they entered Baltit, in broad morning, and in the snowy street met one who walked arrogantly, and carried himself as if already' he sat upon a Thum’s throne. As he saw the little cavalcade he stopped suddenly like a man who had seen the writhing hair of Medusa-. His eyes were fixed upon Rahman Ali in stony wonder. Claverdon marked him and recognised him for the Wazir who had talked with Melnikoff dn a night when he himself had played eavesdropper. “What is this? ” broke out the man fiercely, but with a note in his voice that proclaimed apprehension. “Is there need to ask?” retorted Claverdon curtly. “Or has not the news come down the passes ? ” “ News? What news? ” “ The news that the manifestation of the Imam at Ringing Sands did not take place;, and that the man who talked with the Red Ccssack about a Thum’s throne that he coveted is baulked of his desire —•”< also of another.’’ The native’s apprehension flamed in his eyes as be stared at the speaker, then he broke out: “In Allah’s name who art thou? ” For a moment Claverdon delayed his reply. Wild things are always possible in the hills and it was perhaps wise not to push a disappointed man too far. Then be caught sight of a man coming up the street—a man in uniform with two other men at his -heels. He smiled suddenly, and delayed no longer. “ I ?—I am ■ a. man whose throat was tickled by the smoke that night whei?—”

“ Sheitan 1, Thou art the listener of the roof ? ”

“Aye ! And here comes one who will be glad to hear what I heard. Anderton 1 ’

lhe native turned swiftly, saw the man in uniform and the two men with him, and with a shaip oath fled up the street, Claverdon daughed a little grimly as tho officer, halting, stared at him and his little party in wonder. “Who are you ? Why does the Wazir there run as' if the hounds of hell were at his heels ? ”

“To save his neck, maybe. He flees from the Nemesis of ambition gone awry,” said Claverdon with a laugh. “And in"aji boiir you will not find him in tho town.” In God s name who are you, man—and these

You should recognize Miss Wargrave—”

“ Miss Wargrave ! Great Harry ! You don t mean—” “ But Ido ! And this is Waldron ; and that man on the pony is Rahman Ali—” I hew ! Ihere’ve been some hectic rumours about him.” “ All true, and all—busted ! I think 111 borrow yourself and your men. The sooner he is under lock and kev the better. J -kcse hill-men are apt to kindle.” * But who are you ? For the Lord’s sake answer, man ! ”

Claverdon laughed. “I am Claverdon, from Ringing Sands.” " Claverdon I ” The man’s surprise was comic. I d never have known you in a year And from Ringing Sands ? Lord ! w hat a- yarn you must have to tell ! The name of that place has had us on the gjiess for weeks— and on the jump, too ! lhe ch let wid be delirious when he sees you-and Rahman Ali, not to mention Miss AVaigiave here. But it is time to march, these are a curious folk and their \ice needs discouragement. Let us go. before the rabble recognizes Ali. . . . That mi Kht have its inconveniences just now.” _ they moved on. watched by many curious eyes, and half an hour later Claverdon told the story of the The Gate of Ringing Sands for the first time to a man as young as himself, but with a wide of the Border. When lu- had finished the other spoke crisply“Congratulations. Claverdon. You’ve done, a big thing! We’ve heard whispers ,lim ours of Lord-knows-what trouble comfbl'r Y e hadn>t a no t>on what form it was to take . . But you’ve scotched that for good. Ard to have lifted Rahman Ali out of the hills beyond i s an achievement. „ 1 , e a . lesson to every cockerel in the Hills who i s inclined to crow too loudiv ; • • • Heavens, man, I envy you. You’ve uoned out the biggest trouble that’s promiS m r VearS ' Jt ‘ s odds that we here Lfiled ' aVe bCen sCup P ered i f - vou had

n'n,- m °i nth , ater ln Cav enagh’ s office at Delh! he to d the story a second time, with Narani by the window for a second nearer. Cavenagh. a good listener, did not interrupt until th e verv end Then he ejaculated :

Great! . . . And that Bolshevik C< ssack is dead! That’s a good thing f or High Asia ! And Rahman Ali’s a prisoner.'' That means neace in the outer marches. And Miss Wargrave is safe and the jehad is frosted—that stand 3 for peace ot mind for the Sirkar and for the big-wigs at- home. If I may say so it’s a considerable achievement, my son.” '•T? - VOll > s ’ r ! May I ask a question ' - “Permission granted!” laughed Cavenagh. “You’ve earned it.” Claverdon glanced at Narani. who was looking out of the window. Did you know that Narani was werking with us, when I told vou of my visit to her, before I went North? ” Cavenagh laughed. “ I bad a notion. Certain information reached me auonvmously at times, and made me curious as to its source. I went to some trouble to find out the said source—” You found out? ” broke in Narani. Yes! lhe Colonel laughed. “In my safe there I have a fairly complete dossier relating to the Countess Olga Andrevitch. Naturally, when I learned the truth I lay low, and did not interfere with 5 out shall we say—benevolent neutrality? ’ “ Y’on knew Rahman Ali was a friend of mind ? ” I knew vou were acquaintances,” answered the Colonel smilingly. “ You know that I encouraged his mad aspirations?” “ Heavens, no! Countess.” I did. He confided in me; and I erconra<7ad him—that I might ruin Ivan Melnikoff.” “As agent provocateur! A venial sin from the point of view Claverdon has afforded me to-day.” I want Rahman Ali s life. I betraved him—br.t I do not want him to die. And I have that promise from—” She looked at Claverdon, who spoke nromptly. “ That is so, sir. The promise was made in difficult circumstances. I think it should be honoured.” “ You have some excuse for asking—you two! 1 think we might find a domicile for him in Burma. I will do what I can. I am no subscriber to tho doctrine of Via Victis. . . . Anvth’ng e’se ? ” “ Yes, sir. I should like the usual leave.” “ Usual leave ? ” ‘‘Yes, sir!” Claverdon laughed, “You said you had the Countess's dossiei —a fairlv complete one. I think you said ? ” “ Yes, that is so.” “ Does it include the information that she is going to change her name? ” “Great Jove! You don’t say?” The Colonel left his chair with a bound. “Congratulations, Countess ! Congratulations, Louis! Lor’—” He broke off and laughed. “ You two . ... you two . . . you strike me dumb! ” “ We thought you might give the bride away.” “Of course! Of course! I don’t know anything about the business. But that’s a detail. I can learn like any other man.”. Claverdon laughed. “ The ceremonial

) jtails ar e set forth in the prayer-book. Ijaldron’s at tho club, cramming the part best man ; and Miss Wargrave is to be i solitary bridesmaid.” “ All nicely planned 1 Hey ? And fiat big ruffian Nima-Tashi, what part is plotted to him? ” •* A watching brief 1 He’s too primitive. If he opened his mouth—Heaven knows what might come forth. But he is a man of the very best according to his lights, and —” ” 'lop-hole! ” agreed Cavenagh. “If he’s at the feast I’ll make him tell the story of this romance. Lord, it will be worth hearing! ” And it suiely was —as Nima-Tasbi told it.

(The End.)