The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-16

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Ross had never seen a somnambulist,
but he felt sure that this unhappy girl
who now allowed herself to be guided
right up the flower strewn couch at the
feet of the fearful idol representing
Vishnu, beneath the horrible canopy of
cobra heads, was under the influence Of
some drug or magnetic influence which
rendered her for the time q helpless au.
tomaton in the hands of the subtle Brah.
man, in whom, as he came more under
the light Of the hanging lamps, he REQ.
ognized Prohrada. Ross OWNED all by
o flash of intuition. The reyengeful and
greedy priest had somehow drawn Lili-
an to the temple and was now about to
marry her TO Vishnu, and doubtless
trusted to his own devilish art to induce
his victim to become a convert and
bring to the temple her fortune. Ross
had once heard Of something OF the kind,
but had laughed at the thing as impos-
sible. His breath came in pants; his
heart felt chill as he reflected ON his
present impotence to interfere.
He saw, as q man in q dream, the
Brahman very gently lay his victim,
who appeared absolutely ~insensible to
uil uiOuhb hOkp VII ~ uOEal COuCh duu
then he marked her forehead lightly
with the trident sign Of the god at
whose feet she now reolined.
Then Prohrada rose and looked up at
the idol and the row Of m%otionless SER
pent heads, and a smile spread over his
face which. had Ross possessed firearms,
would certainly have been his last.
Then, glanoing nee more at his victim,
he swept out of the hall with lofty crest
and naughty stride, and Ross distinctly
heard the slam Of q heavy door. The
hall was closed then, and now he re.
membered that it was tho custom in the
morning to anoint the idols and to ut
ter certain mantrams, or prayers, and
not till then did the god enter into the
idol, which until this ceremony had
been performed was but a senseless
image, ven to the Hindoo conception.
Ross had como away in such haste
that he had not taken up his watch, and
he was therefore ignorant Of the time
and could only guess how much might
yet be his own. What could, what
should, he do? That white draped figure
lay as lifeless on the floral couch as the
grim idol itself, while there was not O
movement to be seen in the awful row
Of cobra heads which formed that awful
canopy, petrified for the time into the
rightly Of stone. What could be done?
Ross thought for a moment Of charging
the orevice and dropping from the pillar.
But, If he did, what could he then Of.
feot? Clearly he could not ascend with
Lillian, and then if she woke and re-
gained her senses he feared she might
go mad from the awful shock. And how
could they escape from the hall, and
then how did no know what spy holes
might not exist for some lurking priests
to see what vas going on inside? No.
no; that would not do. 1t was yet dark.
The best thing clearly for Ross was to
climb back the way he had come, run
back to the bungalow and rouse up some
Of their native employees and crush"
the temple. That was tho way he put it
to himself. He wasted no time, but was
in al incredibly short time racing back
to the bungalow, maturing his plans as
he went. 1t was not quito dark. to his
great joy, and Oh arriving he reused
up Karney and told him in a few words
all he had seen.
His partner, at first incredulous, was
convinced presently, but he fatty refus-
ed to take violent measures. What
Desecrate a templei And then, no doubt,
the rascals would take care that Lillian
should not be found. Oh, no, that was
far too risky a thing. Besides, if they
proved wrong they might raise the viii
lage against them, and if they were
right probably the same thing would
happen.
Ross lost patience. Ho slapped the
towards face and would have kicked
him, but Charles Karney decamped, ter.
rifed at his partners looks. Ross then
called up himself all the Christianized
natives and employees Of the plantation
and explained tho awful position Of their
young mistress. They felt and appreoi-
ated the situation infinitely more than
Charles Karney could, even had he had
a week to reflect, and, being hastily
armed by Ross, he at the head Of this
impromptu levy went down TO the TEN.
pie at tho double. He hoped by this OK.
traordinary promptitude to take the
Brahmans by surprise, to induce u panic
and to effect n rescue by acoup do main.
The plan was we'll conceived and tho ex-
ecution was brilliant. On arriving be-
fore the gopuram gate Ross knocked,
or rather Numbered, at it, determined
to blow it down with o small bag of
powder If no one IN To his amaze
ment, after some delay it was opened,
and by Prohrada himself. He put on q
naughty and defiant air at the sight OF
the cleaning arms Of the little company
pressing around Ross and asked what
this outrage meant ''It means" gaid
Ross sternly, ''that you must give ND
instantly and %uninjured the Mem Sahib
karney. She was to be found, he add
ed, Sin the hall of idols at the foot of
Vishnu."
Prohrada heard him to the end with
a sarcastic look, and it was impossible
to tell from his demeanor how startled
he was at the exactitude Of Ross infor.
nation, who finished by saying, "Ro.
fuse ant you will be ruined. and your
temple too"
The Brahman paused for breath for
two or three seconds and looked intent.
ly on the ground. Then no raised his
head proudly. "You shall see," he said
haughtily, chow you wrong us. Wait
here a minute" Ross signed to his fol.
lowers, and all crowded in, while the
Brahman, without deigning to look be.
hind him, Immediately disappeared.
Ross felt somewhat uncertain what to
do. He did not wish to involve himself
and his followers in an attack on the
temple if he could posSjnly beIn IL nj.