E. Phillips Oppenheim

“ He had felt himself dimly to be on the threshold of that fearful world where the body lives and the mind is held by demons. Then he had looked about him with feverish and sick desire for a weapon with which to escape. Anything sooner than the horrible chains of madness—death a thousand times rather, if by any means he could compass, his own self-destruction. ”

“ The perfume of her hair, the soft, silent music of her eyes—with a swift rush of memories these things became suddenly real to him in the deep silence of a brooding and unpeopled land.
When the sun set he was ten miles away, riding with white, hard face and loose hands, breathing sharply, and with a glare in his eyes which was like the glare of a madman. For he was pursued by ghosts, they were on every side of him ”

“ There was a time when the man had clung to life, but that time had gone by. It was for death now that he prayed, for forgetfulness, for oblivion. Of time he had lost all count. There was no change in the days. The same pitiless sun burned and scorched his flesh from midday to sundown. ”

“ He thought of these things until his head was full of horror, and he hated himself and what he was doing with a deadly, sickening hatred. Yet he rode on still into the night.
And behind, across the steppes and up the gorge, a man was waiting for him with breathless and passionate eagerness. The sun had set and the darkness had come. With pain and difficulty he moved his head a little and looked around. Where was Morton, his deliverer? Why did he not come? Every moment now was a golden moment wasted. The night was dark, his guards were asleep. ”

“ Months ago, when first he had heard some vague rumours of an Englishman held in captivity and torture by this cruel and savage people, he had had only one thought—to push on at all hazards and at all risks. He had only half believed their story; even if there were truth in it, he had not expected to discover in their captive the man to find some trace of whom was the avowed object of his expedition. During that long, horrible day he began to realise what the finding of Geoffrey must mean to him. ”

“ With this man's return to life must end the one great desire of his heart. It was like slow madness creeping into his brain. He had never doubted but that he would go home after many dangers and many privations to take her hand in his, to tell her that he had done all that a man could do, that failure was written in the Book of Death beforehand, and then, some day, to plead for his reward. ”

“ But the man's face did not fade away as those others had done. On the contrary, he was drawing nearer, his trembling lips were parted, and a hoarse whisper came from them—
"Geoffrey! Why, Geoffrey, this is horrible! What, in Heaven's name, have they been doing to you?"
Then the sleeping mind of the man awoke and his heart beat thick and strong. He had buried all hope long ago. This was like new life.
"Morton," he whispered faintly. "Speak to me again softly. Let me feel you. I want to be sure that you are flesh and blood. I have had so many fancies in the night-time. ”

“ She drew her skirts coldly away from contact with him.
"Morton," she said, "perhaps it is as well that you have spoken. I can tell you my mind now plainly. If you wish to remain my friend, you will never breathe a word of this again. To you Geoffrey may seem dead; to me he is alive. I am a woman, you know, and I am hard to convince. Facts count for little with me against consciousness. I feel that Geoffrey is alive; I refuse to believe him dead. He may never come back to me, but I shall wait for him—and hope."
"What hope can you have?" ”

“ Away over the stony steppes and across the mountains his false guides were flying in mortal terror of their lives. For this was an unknown country of horrors, at whose portals whole generations of explorers had perished, whose great City was still the home of mystery, the despair and the desire of travellers of all nations. Alone on the face of the earth this people had resisted the march of civilisation, had held firm and unshaken the great barriers which Nature and their own savagery had reared about the sacred capital. ”

“ For every barrel of his empty, still smoking revolver, a dead or dying man lay upon the little plateau around him. He had fought as a man fights who sees his own life forfeited by reason of overmastering odds, yet girds himself to meet death as becomes one of a great race and a great country. ”

“ If there is, I have been a criminal all my life, for I have never cared for any other woman. I don't ask for anything now—no, not even for hope. It is too soon. You have not realised as yet that Geoffrey has gone. ”

“ The man ground his heel upon the stone floor, and his face was set and white.
"Listen, Helen," he said. "I am an idle man. I will humour your fancy. You will not listen to me unless you have speech with someone who has seen Geoffrey's body or can bring you certain word of his death. Very well. Where he went I will go. I will follow in his footsteps until I come to the end. He is dead. ”

“ He thought of the small iron cross which the Queen had pinned to his breast, and which, it had seemed to him, must for ever keep the man against whose heart it beat from even the passing thought of meanness or dishonour. ”

“ A MAN, stripped to the shirt, bruised and disfigured in many places with blood and dirt, lay prostrate upon a sand hillock, his bloodshot eyes turned steadily westwards. He was in dire straits—starving, half mad with thirst, and exhausted with fruitless fighting. ”

“ He looked anxiously towards the hut where all was still.
"You are not alone, Morton?" he whispered. "How many of you are there?"
"Only myself and one guide, an Afghan," the new-comer answered. "The others have all deserted. I started with twenty, and twenty bearers, but they have melted away. We have had to fight twice."
"There are twelve men guarding me," the prisoner whispered, motioning towards the hut. "Soon they will wake and bring me food. If you set me free now, we should not be able to get far enough away. Go and hide till night comes again. ”