BY
HAROLD LAMB
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
NEW YORK : LONDON : 1920
COPYRIGHT, 1920,
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
Copyright, 1919, by
Frank A. Munsey Company
CONTENTS
I. The Lost People
II. Legends
III. Delabar Discourses
IV. Warning
V. Intruders
VI. Mirai Khan
VII. The Door Is Guarded
VIII. Delabar Leaves
IX. The Liu Sha
X. The Mem-Sahib Speaks
XI. Sir Lionel
XII. A Message from the Centuries
XIII. The Desert
XIV. Traces in the Sand
XV. A Last Camp
XVI. Gray Carries On
XVII. The Yellow Robe
XVIII. Bassalor Danek
XIX. Concerning a City
XX. The Talisman
XXI. Mary Makes A Request
XXII. The Answer
XXIII. The Challenge
XXIV. A Stage Is Set
XXV. Rifle against Arrow
XXVI. The Bronze Circlet
MARCHING SANDS
"You want me to fail."
It was neither question nor statement. It camein a level voice, the words dropping slowly fromthe lips of the man in the chair as if he weighedeach one.
He might have been speaking aloud to himself,as he sat staring directly in front of him, powerfulhands crossed placidly over his knees. He was aman that other men would look at twice, and awoman might glance at once—and remember. Yetthere was nothing remarkable about him, exceptperhaps a singular depth of chest that made hisquiet words resonant.
That and the round column of a throat bore outthe evidence of strength shown in the hands. Abroad, brown head showed a hard mouth, andwide-set, green eyes. These eyes were level andslow moving, like the lips—the eyes of a man whocould play a poker hand and watch other menwithout looking at them directly.
There was a certain melancholy mirrored in theexpressionless face. The melancholy that is thetoll of hardships and physical suffering. This,coupled with great, though concealed, physicalstrength, was the curious trait of the man in thechair, Captain Robert Gray, once adventurer andexplorer, now listed in the United States Army Reserve.
He had the voyager's trick of wearing excellentclothes carelessly, and the army man's trait ofrestrained movement and speech. He was on theverge of a vital decision; but he spoke plac