United States or Qatar ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
And below on the plate, in fine English characters like an engraving, was the legend, "Erected to the memory of Major Judson Carstair by the monastery at the Head." The man added a word of explanation. "The Brotherhood thought that you would wish to know that your father's body had been recovered, and that it had received Christian burial, as nearly as we were able to interpret the forms.
He was not, evidently, intending to plot the region or to survey any route, or to acquire any scientific data. His equipment lacked all the implements for such work. It was a long time before we understood the impulse that was moving Major Carstair to enter this waste region of the Gobi to the north." The man stopped, and sat for some moments quite motionless.
"When, finally, it was borne in upon us that Major Carstair was seeking a treasure somewhere on the barren plateau of the Gobi, we took every measure, consistent with a proper courtesy, to show him how fantastic this notion was. We had, in fact, to exercise a certain care lest the very absurdity of the conception appear too conspicuously in our discourse." He looked across the table at the girl.
"Major Carstair did not at once impress us. 'What this man needs, he said, 'is blood. That was clear to everybody. One of our, how shall I say it in your language, Cardinals, replied with some bitterness, that the Dalai Lama could hardly be imagined to lack anything else. Major Carstair paid no attention to the irony. 'This man must have a supply of blood, he added.
He sat awkwardly, his big body, in a kind of squat posture, the broad Mongolian face emerging, as in a sort of deformity, from the collar of his evening coat. Then he began to speak, with that conscious effect of bringing his words through various mediums from a distance. "We endeavored to discourage Major Carstair from undertaking this adventure. We were greatly concerned about his safety.
She felt that he had by his bearing mastered the absurd circumstances in which he was placed; she smiled bitterly to think how poor and flippant had been her own thoughtless jest. When Maurice threw the favor on the table, Berenice saw Clara Carstair take it up and give it to Parker Stanford. She watched Wynne and Mrs.
"Then, profoundly puzzled, we endeavored to discover what data Major Carstair possessed that could in any way encourage him in this fantastic idea. It was a difficult thing to do, for we held him in the highest esteem and, outside of this bizarre notion, we had before us, beyond any question, the evidence of his especial knowledge; and, as I have said, his, to us, incredible skill."
"And there is in fact no reason why any one should wish to cross it. It is absolutely barren. We pointed out all this very carefully to Major Carstair when we learned what he had in plan, for as I have said his welfare was very pressingly on our conscience. We were profoundly puzzled about what he was seeking in the Gobi.
"Major Carstair was not turned aside by these facts, and we permitted him to go on." Again he paused as though troubled by a memory. "In this course," he continued, "the Dalai Lama considered us to have acted at the extreme of folly.
Wynne, I have been ashamed of that performance ever since; and I most sincerely beg your pardon. The humiliation is mine entirely." "But where in the world," demanded he, a new thought striking him, "did you get the thing? You know I threw it on the table." "Miss Carstair gave it to Mr. Stanford, and I got it from him." Maurice came a step nearer. "Why?" he asked, his voice deepening.
Word Of The Day