bearing chests of gifts. The Sixth caught her in his arms as she stepped from the kneeling elephant and-"I quote"-said Kit's father, glancing at the Chronicles that contained this tale "I kissed her warm lips for the first time and looked into her gray eyes and I knew that she was mine and I felt as though a thousand rockets had exploded in my heart."
"How beautiful," mother sighed.
"Did they get married on the Golden Beach of Keela-wee in the jade hut?" cried young Kit.
"No. There was no jade hunt at Keela-Wee then. That came later. But marry they did, and all the chiefs of the jungle came to watch, and all the pirate crew, who were now jungle patrolmen. And 22
who do you supposed was best man? Redbeard! And the chief ushers? Gillaim and The Crusher."
"What a story!" said Kit, rushing out to tell Guran all about it. He paused at the Cave mouth. "Will you tell me about the jade hut and the Golden Beach next?"
"Not today," said his father. "I'm hoarse."
THE GOLDEN BEACH OF KEELA-WEE
In the northeastern stretches of the jungle, near the mountain country, there is a plateau rising about five hundred feet above the jungle floor. It is several miles in length and width and is now as wooded as the jungle below. This thick foliage covers and largely conceals vast ruins which are evidence of a civilization that once flourished there. In olden times, these ruins were magnificent palaces, temples, and gardens, the capital city of the ancient black kingdom of Nyahpura. The powerful mountain princes were feudal vassals to the black emperors of Nyapura whose rule also extended deep into the western jungle, including the portion known as the Deep Woods. This kingdom reached its zenith in the latter half of the seventeenth century under the rule of the mighty Emperor Joonkar. It is said that his palace and gardens and fountains and the elegance of his court rivaled Versailles. Caravans bearing the wealth of the continent poured into Nyahpura. The emperor maintained a powerful army.
Brilliant court festivities displayed the beauty of the ladies and the richness of their jewels and gowns.
Ballets and orchestral music prepared by masters from Europe entertained these gatherings, and hundreds of chefs prepared the week-long banquets with delicacies from the four corners of the earth.
The Emperor Joonkar was a powerful young man, a beneficent, wise ruler, a renowned sportsman and hunter, and a bachelor. He had resisted the busy matchmakers of his court for some years, preferring his freedom among the lovely ladies of the court. But at last, to the relief of all the husbands, a bride was on her way to Nyahpura. She was a young princess, a titian-haired beauty, Sheeba, of the distant mountain state of Adzahbadar. Joonkar had met her only once before, at a conference of rulers, and had fallen madly in love. So it was decided, and she was on the high seas, on her way to Joonkar.
At the edge of his kingdom that bordered the sea, there was a secret cove that for generations had been the personal beach of the emperors. It was always guarded by royal sentries, and all trespassing was punishable by death. The reason for this security was that by a unique geological quirk, the sands of this amazing beach consisted of fifty percent pure gold dust. Hence, the Golden Beach of Keela-Wee.
While awaiting his bride's arrival, Joonkar occupied himself with affairs of state: polo-at which he was an expert-and hunting. He horrified his court with his hunting. For Joonkar was a bold and powerful man, and he preferred to hunt on foot with crossbow, steel arrows and short lance. So it happened one day that his beaters were moving through a part of the jungle that was new to them, and they waved torches and banged on drums to drive animals toward their waiting ruler. It also happened that this was only a short distance from the Deep Woods. This land was under the protection of the Phantom. He had made it an animal preserve, and had forbidden all
"How beautiful," mother sighed.
"Did they get married on the Golden Beach of Keela-wee in the jade hut?" cried young Kit.
"No. There was no jade hunt at Keela-Wee then. That came later. But marry they did, and all the chiefs of the jungle came to watch, and all the pirate crew, who were now jungle patrolmen. And 22
who do you supposed was best man? Redbeard! And the chief ushers? Gillaim and The Crusher."
"What a story!" said Kit, rushing out to tell Guran all about it. He paused at the Cave mouth. "Will you tell me about the jade hut and the Golden Beach next?"
"Not today," said his father. "I'm hoarse."
THE GOLDEN BEACH OF KEELA-WEE
In the northeastern stretches of the jungle, near the mountain country, there is a plateau rising about five hundred feet above the jungle floor. It is several miles in length and width and is now as wooded as the jungle below. This thick foliage covers and largely conceals vast ruins which are evidence of a civilization that once flourished there. In olden times, these ruins were magnificent palaces, temples, and gardens, the capital city of the ancient black kingdom of Nyahpura. The powerful mountain princes were feudal vassals to the black emperors of Nyapura whose rule also extended deep into the western jungle, including the portion known as the Deep Woods. This kingdom reached its zenith in the latter half of the seventeenth century under the rule of the mighty Emperor Joonkar. It is said that his palace and gardens and fountains and the elegance of his court rivaled Versailles. Caravans bearing the wealth of the continent poured into Nyahpura. The emperor maintained a powerful army.
Brilliant court festivities displayed the beauty of the ladies and the richness of their jewels and gowns.
Ballets and orchestral music prepared by masters from Europe entertained these gatherings, and hundreds of chefs prepared the week-long banquets with delicacies from the four corners of the earth.
The Emperor Joonkar was a powerful young man, a beneficent, wise ruler, a renowned sportsman and hunter, and a bachelor. He had resisted the busy matchmakers of his court for some years, preferring his freedom among the lovely ladies of the court. But at last, to the relief of all the husbands, a bride was on her way to Nyahpura. She was a young princess, a titian-haired beauty, Sheeba, of the distant mountain state of Adzahbadar. Joonkar had met her only once before, at a conference of rulers, and had fallen madly in love. So it was decided, and she was on the high seas, on her way to Joonkar.
At the edge of his kingdom that bordered the sea, there was a secret cove that for generations had been the personal beach of the emperors. It was always guarded by royal sentries, and all trespassing was punishable by death. The reason for this security was that by a unique geological quirk, the sands of this amazing beach consisted of fifty percent pure gold dust. Hence, the Golden Beach of Keela-Wee.
While awaiting his bride's arrival, Joonkar occupied himself with affairs of state: polo-at which he was an expert-and hunting. He horrified his court with his hunting. For Joonkar was a bold and powerful man, and he preferred to hunt on foot with crossbow, steel arrows and short lance. So it happened one day that his beaters were moving through a part of the jungle that was new to them, and they waved torches and banged on drums to drive animals toward their waiting ruler. It also happened that this was only a short distance from the Deep Woods. This land was under the protection of the Phantom. He had made it an animal preserve, and had forbidden all
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