THE FACE AT THE DOORWAY.
The sullen face of the Ruby King was lighted up with a smile of deep
relish. His savage nature was pleased to its depths to see the effect
this simple but exquisite torture had upon the Englishman within his
grasp. Again he drew back a pace, and waited a moment for Jack to
recover himself. Next he waved to the men who were holding Thomas
Haydon to bring their prisoner closer to the bound captive. They did
so, and now the position of those gathered in the ruined courtyard was
as follows. Jack faced the doorway, and the Ruby King and the
half-caste, with their followers clustered behind them, were on his
left. His father, under charge of the guards, was on his right, and
the fire, which was now at its highest, lighted the whole scene in
most brilliant fashion.
Now U Saw raised his arm and stepped forward. His evil grin shone out
once more. He was enjoying himself to the full. Jack braced his back
against the post and clenched his fists as tightly as the ropes around
his wrists would allow, and set his teeth to endure without flinching.
His eyes were staring straight before him, into the blackness of the
ruined doorway.
Suddenly into that patch of darkness there flashed a face, peeping in
on the scene, and as suddenly vanishing. Jack gave a great start and a
gasp. Was the torture turning his brain? He had known that face, but
it was not the face of any living man. It was the face of Me Dain,
their brave guide, who had fallen headlong into the raging torrent,
close-grappled with his foe. Jack's movement was hailed by a grim
chuckle from the ring of hostile faces. They misjudged it altogether.
U Saw once more held the cobra forward, and glanced with savage
meaning at both father and son. Thomas Haydon watched the evil
creature with fascinated eyes, and saw that the Ruby King was
loosening ever so slightly, and little by little, his grasp of the
head, so that the venomous reptile was working forward through the
leathern grip towards Jack's breast.
By tiny degrees the cobra worked itself on and on, but Jack saw it
not. His eyes were strained into the outer darkness. What had it
meant, that face? Was it a mere fancy, or was there more behind it
than he dreamed of? Then, with another great start of his frenzied,
overwrought body, he saw something else, a thing which none saw save
himself, for every eye was fixed on the deadly, wriggling serpent,
fighting to get his venomous fangs into that smooth white breast.
There slipped into the light of the fire a little round gleaming tube
of steel. Six inches beyond the doorway was it thrust, then held still
and steady. Jack knew it for the muzzle of a Mannlicher, and realised
with a swelling heart what it meant. He turned his eyes on the dark
face of the Ruby King, who, with an air of infinite enjoyment, was
giving the writhing reptile a little and a little more liberty, and
Jack knew that U Saw was a dead man.
A moment later the rifle spoke. There was a sharp jet of flame, a
crack, and a scream. The three were practically simultaneous, and the
scream rose from the wildly-parted lips of the Ruby King as he whirled
round and staggered against Saya Chone, a slip of lead driven through
his brain.
The fate of the half-caste was striking and dreadful. The
mortally-smitten man flung out his right arm, and the cobra was swung
full against the man who stood beside him, and, at the same instant,
the Ruby King's grasp was loosened. Here was the chance for which the
creature, irritated to the utmost fury, had longed. It struck, struck
with all its might, and drove its deadly fangs deep into the throat of
the half-caste.
The latter staggered back with a frightful yell, and tore the horrible
reptile from its grip, and cast it away. But the work was done, and
the full-filled poison sacs had emptied their store of venom into the
blood of Saya Chone.
All this happened in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye; and
before a hand could be lifted among the retainers, a whirling
hurricane of lead smote with crushing fury among the close-packed
group of Kachins which had been clustered behind the leaders. A stream
of bullets was poured into them as swiftly as magazines could be
worked, and half their number went down headlong. None of the rest
stayed to face this awful and mysterious foe. To them it seemed as if
evil spirits must be encompassing their destruction, and they fled
from this dreadful attack, which leapt upon them so suddenly from the
darkness and the silence. Those who could move ran for a low place in
the ruined wall, climbed it frantically, and fled into the darkness,
yelling and terror-stricken.
Now there burst into the courtyard three familiar figures. Buck Risley
led the way, Jim Dent followed, and Me Dain raced after.
"Say," cried Buck, "we only dropped on this little fandango just in
time. Stand steady, Jack." With a few swift strokes of his knife he
severed Jack's bonds, and the English lad staggered aside, and was
caught by his father. They exchanged a strong, silent hand-grip, but
neither could speak.
Jim Dent, a reloaded Mauser pistol in hand, was standing on guard. But
they had nothing to fear from the groaning wounded, nothing from the
Ruby King who lay with his evil smile fixed for ever on his dark face,
nothing from the half-caste, now writhing in the agonies of a terrible
death.
"Say, Professor, this is great to see you again!" cried Buck joyfully,
as Mr. Haydon seized his faithful follower's hand.
"Buck, Buck, this is wonderful," said Mr. Haydon in a shaking voice.
"You have come to our rescue at the moment of our utmost need. And
Dent and Me Dain. A thousand thanks. But what are words to tell you
how we feel?"
"We know just how you feel, Professor," said Jim Dent. "We're only too
glad we turned up in time to put a stopper on their fiendish tricks.
Now the word is march."
"Right, Jim," said Buck; "off we go. Come on, Me Dain."
The Burman was bending over the body of the Ruby King, and stripping
off his rich silken girdle.
"I come," he said, and they trooped across the courtyard together.
Jack had not spoken a word. He had clasped the hands of his faithful
friends, but he was too overwrought and bewildered to be able to frame
his feelings into speech. He stumbled as he walked, for his limbs were
numbed from his bonds, and his father and Buck supported him. Near the
doorway the native woman waited for them. Her guard had fled, and she
had at once sprung to join her companions in flight.
Their path ran across the open space before the pagoda. Here the
ponies of U Saw and his men had been picketed, and were now left
without watchers, for all had been drawn to the courtyard. Three of
these were caught and saddled, and led with the party till the ruins
were cleared and the open hill-side was gained.
"Now we're right," breathed Jim Dent. "I don't reckon there was much
to fear from that lot we sent scuttling. They're dangerous enough as a
rule, but this time we rattled 'em all to pieces. Still, I'm glad to
be in the open."
"Me Dain!" cried Jack, who was rapidly becoming himself again. "Is it
really you, alive and in the flesh? How did you escape after that
frightful fall from the ledge?"
"I had very good luck, sahib," chuckled the Burman, "very good luck.
The Kachin was under when we drop down, and that break my fall. I very
near drowned, but at last I got on bank. Then I go on up the pass, and
run to the other sahibs."
"Here's the road," said Jim Dent. "There's no moon, but we can see all
we want by the stars. Up you go."
Jack, Mr. Haydon, and the native woman were set on the ponies, and
then the little cavalcade moved briskly forward, talking as they went,
and exchanging experiences.
Me Dain's story made it plain that he had cleared the mouth of the
pass just before U Saw and his men blocked the way. He had put his
best foot forward and regained the camp, made in a solitary glen among
the hills, where Buck and Jim awaited him. The three of them had
started back at once well armed, but had travelled on foot in order
the more easily to escape observation. Thus the night had fallen by
the time they had gained the outskirts of the ruined city. They saw
the flare of the fire, and heard the voices of the encampment. Little
by little, and with the utmost care, they crept upon the Kachins and
brought aid in the very nick of time.
"Say, I don't guess we need trouble much about these little blue-kilts
any more," remarked Buck Risley.
"Not in the least, Buck," replied Mr. Haydon. "The death of their
leaders sets them at once free from their allegiance. I've no doubt in
the world but that the survivors will hurry back home and plunder U
Saw's house."
"And how did that little half-caste come off?" asked Jim Dent. "I hope
he had something for his trouble."
"Say, Jim," cried Buck, "didn't you twig that? It was about the best
touch in the show. The snake they'd got ready for Jack worked loose
when you dropped the King, and nipped the half-caste, and he hit the
long trail right away."
"Serve him right, the little varmint," was Jim's comment.
They had covered a league or more from the deserted city, when the
tinkle of running water fell on Jack's ears.
"That sounds like a brook," he said. "I'm fearfully thirsty."
"So am I," said his father. A brook it was, and they halted beside it
and drank their fill.
"Better stop here till daylight," said Me Dain. "Not easy to find the
way over hills in the dark." So it was agreed to make a camp beside
the brook. The fugitives were quite willing, for they were exhausted
by fatigue, and when they had eaten a little of the food which Me Dain
had carried in a wallet across his shoulders, and drunk once more of
the water of the brook, they lay down and slept the deep sleep of
utter weariness. Their fresher companions, Buck and Jim, took turns to
watch through the night.
By an hour after dawn they were all on the move, and did not halt
again till they reached the secluded hollow where the pack-ponies,
securely hobbled, were quietly grazing. In a trice Me Dain had a fire
blazing, and he and Buck soon made ready a good meal. When the meal
was over they sat in the shade of a clump of bamboos and discussed
affairs.
Suddenly, with a grunt of surprise as if at his forgetfulness, Me Dain
sprang up and fetched the wallet which had been slung over his
shoulders. He laid it before Mr. Haydon, and began to draw forth a
long band of rich, glittering silk.
"Why, you've brought U Saw's girdle, Me Dain," said Mr. Haydon.
"Yes, sahib," said Me Dain, a broad smile lighting up his dark face as
he looked up at his old master. "And for why? You lose a big ruby. U
Saw got it."
The meaning smile on his face broadened.
Mr. Haydon slapped his knee with a crack like a pistol shot. There was
no need of words between them.
"By Jove, Me Dain!" he cried, "I shouldn't be surprised if you are
right."
"Right, quite right," said Me Dain. "U Saw never leave great stone
like that at home. Carry it everywhere. U Saw trust no man."
By this time the others had grasped the meaning of this conversation.
Was the great ruby in U Saw's girdle?