The Moon Pool & Dwellers in the Mirage. Abraham Merritt

      CHAPTER I.

      SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT

       Table of Contents

      I Waited for an hour, examining the curious contents of the room, and amusing myself with shadow-fencing with the two swords. I swung round to find the Uighur captain watching me from the doorway, pale eyes glowing.

      “By Zarda!” he said. “Whatever you have forgotten, it is not your sword play! A warrior you left us, a warrior you have returned!”

      He dropped upon a knee, bent his head: “Pardon, Dwayanu! I have been sent for you. It is time to go.”

      A heady exaltation began to take me. I dropped the swords, and clapped him on the shoulder. He took it like an accolade. We passed through the corridor of the spearsmen and over the threshold of the great doorway. There was a thunderous shout.

      “Dwayanu!”

      And then a blaring of trumpets, a mighty roll of drums and the clashing of cymbals.

      Drawn up in front of the palace was a hollow square of Uighur horsemen, a full five hundred of them, spears glinting, pennons flying from their shafts. Within the square, in ordered ranks, were as many more. But now I saw that these were both men and women, clothed in garments

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