Page:Harold Lamb--The House of the Falcon.djvu/187

 summit close before her vision, even at the distance of some three miles.

So she saw the small dots that came into view around the foot of the tower. By gazing intently, she glimpsed horses and men. It was impossible to make out the clothing of the men, yet Edith fancied that they not resemble those she had seen in Yakka Arik.

While the girl gazed, the Sart gained a vantage point where he could see the hemlock. Straightway, after he had stared long at Edith, he fell to scrutinizing the neighboring forest as if to make certain she was alone.

Unconscious of another presence, Edith felt the surge of rising excitement. Her sally to the mountain side had been inspired by the hope of inspecting the mosque and its entrances without being seen by the Sayaks.

The sight of men at the tower stirred her pulse. Instinct told her they were not men of the valley. Had her father sent a search party as far as the gorge? Was rescue at hand?

Europeans were at Kashgar—Donovan had admitted as much. Could not a party from Srinagar, perhaps under Fraser-Carnie, have heard of the affray in the alley, and have traced her from Kashgar to the mountain wilds?

Edith could have clapped her hands with delight. Instead she became suddenly quiet, with a little sigh of suspense.

Up the slope under the pines Iskander and Mahmoud were walking. By the alert air of the manaps the girl guessed that they had seen her departure from the village and followed. Iskander moved silently through the brush in his soft, morocco boots, holding up the