"Dragging the heavy body of Vadi to the brink of this precipice,
I toppled it over, swaying dizzily as I watched it crash down
into the poisonous undergrowth two hundred feet below.
"I made a rough cache, where I stored the bulk of my provisions;
and, selecting only such articles as I thought necessary for my
purpose, I set out again northward, guided by the sound of
falling water, and having my face turned toward the silver
pencillings in the blue sky, which marked the giant peaks of the
distant mountains.
"At midday the heat grew so great that a halt became imperative.
The path was still clearly discernible; and in a little cave
beside it, which afforded grateful shelter from the merciless
rays of the sun, I unfastened my bundle and prepared to take a
frugal lunch.
"I was so employed, gentlemen, when I heard the sound of
approaching footsteps on the path behind me--the path which I had
recently traversed.
"Hastily concealing my bundle, I slipped into some dense
undergrowth by the entrance to the cave, and crouched there,
waiting and watching. I had not waited very long before a
yellow-robed mendicant passed by, carrying a bundle not unlike my
own, whereby I concluded that he had come some distance. There
was nothing remarkable in his appearance except the fact of his
travelling during the hottest part of the day. Therefore I did
not doubt that he was one of the members of the secret
organization and was bound for headquarters.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250