majestic undulations. The most innocent
landscape on earth, more enticing than the sand-desert--its softer
mystery breathed forth the faint searching perfume of growing things.
Its undertone was well-being. Its overtone was peace.

"Do you suppose they're doing any harm to her, in there?" Cadman asked.

"No," Skag answered, but his face was grim as he spoke.

When they came into it, they found not grass but bamboo, twelve to
sixteen feet high, standing root to root. They camped at a village in
its edge; and before they slept, twenty lads were ready to lead them in
the man-paths, next morning.

The villages had not been visible from the mountain-side, being solidly
double-thatched with bamboo. Garden and fruit-stuffs were underneath;
and animals for milk and butter.

The people were semi-primitive. Physical degeneration was not found.
Indeed their bodily perfection was extraordinary. In mind, they were
like children; happy and friendly, joyful to teach all they knew--joyful
to show all they had. The days rang with clean, childish laughter; but
there was no philosophy. There was no deep concern, no lasting grief, no
hate.

"Skag, my son," said Cadman solemnly, "if a man really wants to depart
from sin--this is the place to come!"

By this time they had passed through several villages, camping
under double-thatch and inside heavy stockade guards. Being unable
to release himself from the thrall of his life-quest, even while
every element of his manhood was deep in the thrall of a "singing
nautch-girl--undefamed--" Skag's trained ears had been extending his
education in what was the cult of cults to him. He had listened longer
than Cadman at night, to those voices of the wild by which the ears of
the gods are offended.

Surely his secret consciousness--during those night-watches--had grappled
with the unknown ahead, reaching impatient fingers to find and save Dhoop
Ki Dhil in time. But he let no flicker of that thought colour his answer.

"I don't know," he said dubiously, "if I'm not mistaken, I've heard some
sinful language at night."

As they got further in, two names attracted their attention--spoken
together like one word--Dhoop Kichari-lal and Koob Soonder. Of course
Koob Soonder--Utterly Beautiful--they first thought could mean none other
than the Bombay nautch-girl whom they sought--yet later they were to
learn the truth. But the last part of the first name--Kichari-lal--they
did not know. Y