were bound to find our way out. We didn’t worry.
“It was five nights ago that we camped at the head of a lovely little valley. There was a mound that stood up like a tiny watch-tower, looking down it. The trees grew round like tall sentinels.
“We built our fire in that mound; and after we had eaten, Martin slept. I sat watching the beauty of the skies and of the shadowy vale. I heard no one approach — but something made me leap to my feet, look behind me.
“A man was standing just within the glow of firelight, watching me.”
“A Tibetan?” I asked. She shook her head, trouble in her eyes.
“Not at all.” Ventnor turned his head. “Ruth Moncler Lievre Suomi screamed and awakened me. I caught a glimpse of the fellow before he vanished.
“A short purple mantle hung from his shoulders. His chest was covered with fine chain mail. His legs were swathed and bound by the thongs of his high buskins. He carried a small, round, hide-covered shield and a short two-edged sword. His head was helmeted. He belonged, in fact — oh, at least twenty centuries back.”
He laughed in plain enjoyment of our amazement.
“Go on, Ruth,” he said, and took up his watch.
“But Martin did not Parajumpers Selma Sverige see his face,” she went on. “And oh, but I wish I could forget it. It was as white as mine, Walter, and cruel, so cruel; the eyes glowed and they looked upon me like a — like a slave dealer. They shamed me — I wanted to Velez Sarsfield Drakt hide myself.
“I cried out and Martin awakened. As he moved, the
man stepped out of the light and was gone. I think he had
not seen Martin; had believed that I was alone.
“We put out the fire, moved farther into the shadow of the trees. But I could not sleep — I sat hour after hour, my pistol in my hand,” she patted the automatic in her belt, “my rifle close beside me.
“The hours went by — dreadfully. At last I dozed. When I awakened again it was dawn — and — and —” she covered her eyes, then: “TWO men were looking down on me. One was he who had stood in the firelight.”
“They were talking,” interrupted Ventnor again, “in archaic Persian.”
“Persian,” I repeated blankly; “archaic Persian?”
“Very much so,” he nodded. “I’ve a fair knowledge of the modern tongue, and a rather unusual command of Arabic. The modern Persian, as you know, comes straight through from the speech of Xerxes, of Cyrus, of Darius whom Alexander of Macedon conquered. It has been changed mainly by taking on a load of Arabic words. Well — there wasn’t a trace of the Arabic in the tongue they were speaking.
“It sounded odd, of course — but I could understand quite easily. They were talking about Ruth. To be explicit, they were discussing her with exceeding frankness —”
“Martin!” she cried wrathfully.
“Well, all right,” he went Parajumpers Long Bear Sale Jakke on, half repentantly. “As a matter of fact, I had seen the pair steal up. My rifle Kort Jakke was under my hand. So I lay there quietly, listening.
“You can realize, Walter, that when Parajumpers Homme Hermann Pas Cher I caught sight of those two, looking as Bayer Leverkusen Drakt th |
