A. E. W. Mason

Name: The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine
Author: A. E. W. Mason

The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

Summary

“The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine”, published in 1907, is a work by A. E. W. Mason. It explores elements such as Phillips, Kohara and Khan.

Quotes from The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (A. E. W. Mason)

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ These seven gaily robed youths assembled secretly in a lonely and desolate ruin nine miles from Kohara had come thither not merely for prayer. The prayer would be but the seal upon a compact, the blessing upon an undertaking where life and death were the issues. But there was something more; and that something more gave to the scene in Phillips' eyes a very startling irony. He knew well how quickly in these countries the actual record of events is confused, and how quickly any tomb, or any monument becomes a shrine before which "the faithful" will bow and make their prayer. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ Captain Phillips said to himself, and he rode forward now with a watchful eye. The hills began to close in; the bosom of the valley to narrow. Nine miles from Kohara it became a defile through which the river roared between low precipitous cliffs. Above the cliffs on each side a level of stony ground, which here and there had been cleared and cultivated, stretched to the mountain walls. At one point a great fan of debris spread out from a side valley. Across this fan the track mounted, and then once more the valley widened out. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ In front of them all knelt an old man in the brown homespun of the people. Phillips, from the doorway, could see his great beard wagging as he prayed, and knew him for one of the incendiary priests of Chiltistan.
The prayer was one with which Phillips was familiar: The Day was at hand; the infidels would be scattered as chaff; the God of Mahommed was besought to send the innumerable company of his angels and to make his faithful people invulnerable to wounds. Phillips could have gone on with the prayer himself, had the Mullah failed. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ The prayer ceased, the worshippers rose abruptly to their feet and turned as one man towards the doorway. Phillips saw, face to face, the youth robed in green, who had knelt at the head of his companions. It was Shere Ali, the Prince of Chiltistan. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ For only a week ago I was asked by a poor man up the valley to secure your Highness's intercession. It seems that he is much plagued by a fairy who has taken possession of his house, and since your Highness is related to the fairies, he would be very grateful if you would persuade his fairy to go away."
"I know," said the Khan gravely. "The case has already been brought to me. The fellow will open closed boxes in his house, and the fairy resents it." ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ It was not he at all who brought his news to Kohara. Neither letter nor messenger, indeed, ever reached the Resident's door, although Captain Phillips learned something of the letter's contents a day before the messenger was due. A queer, and to use his own epithet, a dramatic stroke of fortune aided him at a very critical moment.
It happened in this way. While Captain Phillips was smoking a cheroot as he sat over his correspondence in the morning, a servant from the great Palace on the hill brought to him a letter in the Khan's own handwriting. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ The others had gathered there, the six young men and the priest. They were armed and more than one had his hand ready upon his swordhilt. "But you have friends, I see," he added grimly. He began to wonder whether he would himself ride back to Kohara that afternoon.
"Yes," replied Shere Ali quietly, "I have friends in Chiltistan," and he laid a stress upon the name of his country, as though he wished to show to Captain Phillips that he recognised no friends outside its borders. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (1907)

“ They were facing a small rough-hewn obelisk of stone which stood at the head of a low mound of earth at the far end of the court. Six of them were grouped in a sort of semi-circle, and the seventh, a man clad from head to foot in green robes, knelt a little in advance and alone. ”

A. E. W. Mason

Summary

Quotes from The Broken Road — XXXI: An Old Tomb and a New Shrine (A. E. W. Mason)

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature