The Swoop of the Vulture.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10718, 25 September 1912, Page 2

The Swoop of the Vulture.

'GUP SERIAL.)

CHAPTER XfX. A .VOMKNTOUS OUK-iTiOA. At- ;i quarter to ton tho next morning, just as tho geld king \vji:s finishing a very leisurely breakfast, Saunders, his body servant and domestic factotum, came in with a curiously folded note, on a silver .salver. Tho peculiar twist of tho paper caught his eye at once, and his eyelids lifted ever so lightly—a movement that did not es-

cape the observant gape of Saunders. "Noto, sir," ho softly said, as he presented the salver. "Brought by a foreign party—lndian, I think. Wouldn't leave it with the- porier, an he had to send up for me. 'Would ivot give it into anybody's hands but yours or mine, sir, so as you wore having breakfast, and not at Jiome to people of that sort, I went down and got it." "Of course you. would, Saunders," replied his master, as he took tho. note, "but what sort of person do you suppose I'm not at home to?"

j "Beg pardon, sir, if I've done wrong iu not bringing him up, but I didn't like, his appearance. He wears white trousers, two inches too short for him, and a lot too tight for thin legs like his; elastic side boots, which no respectable person wears nowadays, two sizes too big for him; single-breasted frock coat, not too new, buttoned up to his neck; no collar, and a white, turban, with, a little brass sort of ornament hanging in front."

"That doesn't interest me very particularly, Saunders," said his master, lying with the perfect ease that is only born of long practice. "T really don't want to know how the gettleman is dressed • but if he is still waiting, you cam show him up" Ho was opening tho note as ho spoke Saunders, true to the traditions of his kind, watched his master's face very narrowly as he read it. but he might as well have been looking at the face of a graven image. Mr Siemens twisted the mote, up awl dropped it beside his plate. Ho took cigarette, lit it. and said slowly:

"(My appointment with Mr Davidson is for ten-thirty, isn't is?"

"Yes, sir," said Saunders. "Very woll ; you can toll this person to come, then telephone to the stable, and have the brougham ready at tenthirty." Saunders murmured another "Yes, .sir," made an angular sort of bow, and disappeared. As soon as the door had closed, Mr Siemens lit a match. and held the note and burning match over .hi-, coffee, and stirred it-in.. Then he pushed his ehnir ip'-av from tho table, leaned back, and puffed slnwlv and meditatively until Saunders re- I appeared, saving: ;'. : "This ;<! tho person who brought the I

note, sir." Then lie -stepped aside, and Mam Dns.s eamo into tho room, raised his hands to his turban, and salaamed. "That will do. Saunders. You can ess about the brougham now, " and come back in twenty minutes," said Mr Siemens, looking at his watr.h. "Very good, sir." murmured Saunders, taking a couple of quick glances, one at his master, the other at his visitor, and closing the door quietly liehiud him.

Ram Dass stood erect and motionless by the door. His eyes looked downward, and his hand,'-, hung loosely at his sides. Mr Siemens puffed at .his cigarette for a Hew moments, took another glance at the morning paper propped up in front of him, then said, rather abruptly, in Urdu; the linguafranca of Hindustan :

"Then I am to understand that what the princess said to me yesterday was true, or approaching tho truth?"

It was true, sahib, quite true," replied Ram Dass, speaking with as little expression as a phonograph might have done. "My master does not send idle messages to your most honorable self."

"No, I suppose it would hardly be worth his Avhile, or mine." replied the millionaire ; '"but as you havo waited for an answer, what did he tell you to say to me about tho letter?"

"Thtt commands of the sahib were 'to tell the lord of many millions that to those who see with the eyes of faith, it is possible to see more in the darkness than in the light, and that tho princess has .seen. That is all." As Ram Dass said this he took n couple of steps aside, and stood in front of the door so that it could not lie opened unless he moved, Hedley Siemens dropped his cigarette on his plate, rose, and went to one of the ■windows overlooking tho park. For two or.three minutes he gazed out as though looking into vacancy. Then he turned quickly, and said : "Ram Dass, what is your price? I

can make you rich, so rich that you will never have another care between

BY OWEN MASTERS.

Author of "His Heart's De-si: e," "One Impassioned Hour," "Captain Emlyn's Bride." "The Deverell Heritage," "The Jrotima.stor'f Daughter " etc.

| hero and Nirvana, and 1 will do it. ; if you t;'ll mo what you know thai I j want to know." j As ho spoke he took his right hand out o.f his junket, and made a swift sign with it. It am Dass .salaamed again, and said, in his gentle, monotonous voice : "My lord is of the elect, io whom knowledge has been granted, and yet ho would ask for more knowlwlg" from his slave? What can 1 toll him that lie doesn't already know!- 1 "

"You can tell me what 1 asked for, Ram Dass," he replied, looking keenly into the dark, inscrutable eyes, "and you know what I ask for before I say it. Is Jenner Halkine. dead?

will give a thousand pounds for a truthful answer to that."

"It is not for me to toll, rahib. Those, who have passed through tho gateway of the temple of knowledge may die and yet live. To those who know much, many things are possible which to others would seem impossible."

"I understand," said Mr Siemens, with a somewhat uneasy laugh. "If yoti won't take, my thousand pounds for a straight answer to a straight question, I can only conclude that you know more than you care to say. Very well, R-am Dass, I like to meet a man who can't be bought —though, mind you, if your master has a. million I have twenty."

| Ram Das raised .his head, and lookI ing tho master of millions straight in tho eyes, said as quietly as before: i "Protector of the poor, gold is of worth in one life only, but knowledge grows from life to life. The pilgrim must leave his gold on the edge of the grave, his knowledge he may take with .him., I have enough. I can live. Why should J ask for more?" If Hedley Siemens had not been the the strange combination of dreamer, student, and money-maker that he was, if he had only been one of those men who have the faculty* of piling thousands on thousands, he would have laughed at Earn Dass, and increased his offer from a thousand to ton thousand, hut he was able to read the inner meaning of his words, so he. said: "Ran Dass, I am content. Your master has told me more through your lips than lie did. in his letter. My answer is, that through the darkness I will try to see the light." "The words of my lord sahib shall be as though they were spoken in the ear of my master," replied Ram Dass, raising his hands again to his turban, and salaaming. "Very good," replied Mr Siemens. "I shall be there at seven." He had been looking from the window as he said this. When he turned. Ram Dass had vanished. He had not heard the doer open or shit.:, but he was gone.

"I thought so," lie went on, taking another cigarette from his case and lighting it. "I suppose that wa- -

sort of .final hint that I am to a certain extent playing with fire, and may possibly burn my fingers. Still, it's worth it. I wonder what it all means, and if her bewitching highness really is—no, I shan't believe it until I. see it. Light through darkness! Ouite an Eastern way of suggesting a little mystery. Where did she learn it? "What a pity that there is that other one—the only one. If I had never seen hr, Cara JSatieff should have her 'heart's desire; and between us. posj sibly with the assistance of our friend Izah-Ramal, -we. should come very [near to running the world, if not [ physically, at least mentally. (To be Continued.)