Page:Sidnay McCall--The dragon painter2.djvu/50

 Uchida put them down on the floor beside him and threw the cloth carelessly above. He was more moved than he cared to show. He strove now to speak simply, directly, and with convincing earnestness. Kano had settled into his old attitude of dejection.

"One morning, not more than six weeks ago," began Uchida, "the engineering party which I command had climbed some splintered peaks of the Kiu Shiu range to a spot quite close, indeed, to that thin waterfall which you remember"

"One might forget his friends and relatives, but not a waterfall like that!" interrupted Kano.

"Suddenly a storm, blown down apparently from a clear sky, caught up the mountain and our little group of men in a great blackness."

"The mountain deities were angered at your presumption," nodded Kano, well pleased.

"It may be," admitted the other. "At any rate, the winds now hurried in from the sea.