THE THREE SAPPHIRES

BY W. A. FRASER

AUTHOR OF "FOOL'S GOLD," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY
ARTHUR HEMING

NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

Copyright, 1918,
By George H. Doran Company

Copyright, 1918, by Street & Smith Corporation

Printed in the United States of America

THERE WAS A COUGHING ROAR AND A LEOPARD, TURNED BY THE SHOT, BOUNDED INTO THE JUNGLE.

CONTENTS

PART ONE

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI

PART TWO

Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII

PART THREE

Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII

PART FOUR

Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII

ILLUSTRATIONS

THERE WAS A COUGHING ROAR AND A LEOPARD, TURNED BY THE SHOT, BOUNDED INTO THE JUNGLE

PUNDIT BAGH SHOT INTO THE AIR A QUIVERING MASS OF GOLD AND BRONZE IN THE SUNLIGHT

GREAT AS WAS THE ELEPHANT'S STRENGTH, SHE COULD NOT BREAK THE PYTHON'S DEADLY CLASP

THE GRAY STALLION'S THUNDERING GALLOP ALL BUT DROWNING THE BLASPHEMOUS REPROACH

THE THREE SAPPHIRES

PART ONE

Chapter I

From where they were on the marble terrace that reached from the palace to a little lake—the Lake of the Golden Coin—Lord Victor Gilfain and Captain Swinton could see the intricate maze of Darpore City's lights down on the plain, six miles away.

Over the feather-topped sal forest behind the palace a gorgeous moon was flooding the earth with light, turning to ribbons of gold the circling ripples on the jade lake, where mahseer and burbel splashed in play.

Rajah Darpore was leaning lazily against the fretwork marble balustrade just where the ghat steps dipped down under the water. He was really Prince Ananda, the shazada, for down in the city of glittering lights still lived his father, the maharajah; but it had become customary to address the prince as rajah.

A servant came and took their empty sherry glasses.

Prince Ananda was saying in his soft Oriental voice that the Oxford training had set to truer rhythm: "After that gallop up in the tonga I always find it restful to come out here and have my sherry and bitters before dinner."

"It's ripping; I mean that." And Lord Victor Gilfain stretched his slim arm toward the blinking lights of Darpore.

"I hope you're comfortable in the bungalow," the prince said solicitously. "I hadn't time when you arrived this morning to see just how you were placed. I haven't any bungalows up here, either; they're all in the cantonments."

"We're fitted up regal,"