Part 10 (1/2)

She shook her head impatiently A hand stole forth froered with nails like rosy pearls; above the wrist was coiled a golden dragon icked little crimson eyes The slender white hand touched Ruth's head, turned it until the strange, flecked orbs looked directly into the azed--and deep Then she who had naer, touched the tear that hung upon Ruth's curled lashes, regarded it wonderingly

Sonition, of memory, seemed to awaken within her

”You are--troubled?” she asked with that halting effort

Ruth shook her head

”THEY--do not trouble you?”

She pointed to the huddled heaps strewing the hollow And then I sahence the light which had streaolden stars paled, trealaxies of tiny, clustered silver suns

Frohted

”No--no,” she gasped ”I weep for--HIM”

She pointed where Chiu-Ming lay, a brown blotch at the edge of the shattered men

”For--him?” There was puzzlement in the faint voice ”For--that? But why?”

She looked at Chiu-Ming--and I knew that to her the sight of the cru of kin to her There was a faint wonder in her eyes, no longer light-filled, when at last she turned back to us Long she considered us

”Now,” she broke the silence, ”now so It bids me take you with lided to the crevice We looked at each other, seeking council, decision

”Chiu-Ming,” Drake spoke ”We can't leave him like that At least let's cover him from the vultures”

”Come” The woman had reached the mouth of the fissure

”I'm afraid! Oh, Martin--I' hands to her tall brother

”Coain There was an echo of harshness, a clanging, pereed his shoulders

”Come, then,” he said

With one last look at the Chinese, the la about hi until we passed her; then glided behind us

Before we had gone ten paces I saw that the place was no fissure It was a tunnel, a passage hewn by huon lines, its roof the mountain

The swathed woman swept by us Swiftly we followed her Far, far ahead was a wan gleahostly curtain, a full h it and were out of the tunnel

Before us stretched a narrow gorge, a sword slash in the body of the towering giant under whose feet the tunnel crept High above was the ribbon of the sky