The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-20

lessor TomlinsOn, as he prepared to
leave. rather dazed by the ease and dis
patch with which his case had been
dismissed
But. Clarke l objected as soon as
our visitor had departed, you know /
cannot 90 TO India
! Il know of no reason why you can't.
| We've both been making more money
than is good for US lately. You confess
you have finished all your work and
do not wish to begin more during the
summer. Why should we not take a
long vacation?"
But what business have we in In
dia? Surely we will be on a wild goose
chase looking for this signet'
We'll, for one thing ] am rather lOath
to give up that silver skull which you
| remember Achmon stole from me two
years ago. AchmOn is there and where
he is the skull is. And then Thaida is
| there"
What. Thaida there?" l exclaimed
all my objections to the trip swept to
the four winds.
! | think, Clarke must have noted my
change in attitude, for a troubled look
passed over his face as he replied rather
| indifferently
! Yes, 7 had a short note from her
Il few weeks ago. Like ourselves. she
is oVerburdened with riches and she
announced her intention of travelling
for year or so with woman COM
panion. She should be in Bombay
about the time we reach there"
And so in the swift mutation of time
and space made possible by modern
modes Of travel we We're. three weeks
| from that June day. pacing the deck
OF a +. q O. liner steaming out of the
Back bay. past the frowning guns of
the fort and into the inner harbor of the
| ancient island city of Bombay
| II was all new and strange to me.
the mindreted city. the busy wharves,
the dazzling esplanade with its gay
coated soldiers, and then the busy ba-
zaars swarming with bright-eyed. bust
ness-like Parsees, swarthy Hindus.
white turbaned Mohammedans. with a
plentiful sprinkling of naked children.
had little time. however to feast my
eyes. for an event happened to put all
else out of our minds and to make our
visit 10 India one of feverish haste and
killing anxiety
Our first move was to call at the
/ American consulate to find trace of
Thaida. Yes. she was in Bombay ana
at the Grand hotel. with her compan-
ion. Miss Erskine. We went there
at once, sent up our cards and were
shown TO their room, where in place
OF meeting Thaida's smiling face in
welcome we were received by a Wild
faced. red-eyed young woman who
seemed on the verge of mysteries.
20. you are Mr.. Clarke and Mr. Sex
| tom she cried. Thank God YOU have
come. Now something can be done. |
can gel no help from these stupid Eng
llsh nor the treacherOus natives. O,
Mr.. Clarke, Thaida is gone!"
''Thaida gOne!' we both echoed.
Yes, gone" and Miss Erskine fell
into a passionate fit of weeping and
could tell no more.
BY degrees we Gained her and cot
the story. The day before they had
gone together to the Black Town north
Of The European city. where Thaida de-
sired to get some ivory miniatures she
mad admired on a previous visit They
were returning and Thaida was several
Yards in advance of Miss Erskine who
had stopped at the plaintive wall one
| hears on every side i'm India "a beg
gar's prayers for a meal of rice" when
she looked up and saw Thaida stagger
slightly. put her hands to her head and
suddenly turn the corner She rushed
to the corner and found it to be the
entrance to blind alley coming to an
abrupt end about forty feet in and
thanked on three sides by the bare walls
OF the native houses. from which the
only openings We're the high latticed
windows.
Thaida was nowhere in sight Miss
F,rskine ran wildly about questioning
all the natives she saw, to be answered
only with stupid stares. At last. wild
from anxiety. she returned to the Eu-
rOpean city and put the matter in the
hands of the Bombay police who laZiIy
assured her everything possible would
be done to find the missing one When
ne came she was just about to go to
the American consulate.
and have you no clew whatever"
inquired Clarke. anxiously.
There is one thing, but il may have
been my OWE nervousness. When we
walked across the esplanade / had the
sensation of being followed. / looked
back and saw a tall native few yards
behind us. Then / concluded he was
not native although he wore tur-
ban. for. although he was dark, his
features We're distinctly European. He
was fine looking fellow with a black
mustache. I saw him again in the ba-
zar. but as he paid no attention to
us ! chided myself for being foolishly
afraid"
Then we win find her said Clarke
with a look of angry determination i'm
his eyes
Our first move was to notify the con-
sui and then TO find out what. if any
thing, the police had discovered.
The latter had not been idle. A wom-
an answering the description Miss Err
Sl<ine had given had boarded the Bonn
bay Allahabad train the day before.
The officials at Khandwa. the nearest
junction point. had Immediately been
wired ~ intercept her They found her
on the train with a high-class Hindu.
who indignantly protested the woman
was his sister. and she. on being ques-
toned, admitted she was. Consequent
ly no further action had been taken.
although the description of the woman
answered that of Thaida even 10 the
minor points of dress.
Clarke cursed their stupidity. but his
resolution was Immediately taken. We
would follow. leaving Miss Erskine at
Bombay TO urge on the police and to
advise us should we prove to be on
the wlNng trail
Within the hour we were aboard The
train and speeding in the direction Of
Allahabad at the junction of the sacred
rivers. Jumna and Gauges. Just as we
We're rushing for the train Clarke al
most stumbled over particularly dirty
mendicant who walled the eternal cry
"a be@Gar's prayers for a meal of rice"
Clarke tossed him a two-anna piece
He turned ii over in his palm. spat
Ipon il and threw il upon the ground
Then rising he laid his hand upon
Clarke's arm and whispered: