“On some tall pile of rocks the emperor would stand for hours, looking, looking everywhere. It has always been said that the telescope had magic within it; that with it the great man could see hundreds of miles. I do not know. Certain it was that many times a man sleeping in the shade during working hours one day found himself in a dungeon or on a chain gang the next. Christophe had seen him from afar.”
“And the telescope?” said Dorn eagerly. “Where is it now?”
“Who knows, Monsieur? Who can say? That was all very long ago. Where too is the ‘Rope of Gold‘?”
“Yes, where?” Dorn echoed.
“But see, Monsieur. It is time we sleep.”
Dorn rolled up in his blankets. But sleep did not come at once. Half an hour later Curlie Carson came creeping back to camp and found him still wide awake.
“Dorn,” Curlie said in a low whisper, “did you see anything to-night?”
“I saw something that was very strange.” Dorn replied.
“Dorn,” said Curlie, “some wise man has written, ‘Believe nothing you hear and only half that you see.’ That which you have seen to-night belongs to the half which is not to be believed.”
Dorn had only the remotest notion of the meaning of these strange words. Yet they brought him a curious sort of comfort.