The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-01
CHAPTER XVI.
Ended Troubles.

tempted TO proceed with 1t they would
be- followed and sooner or later set
upon BY Umballa and the men he hao
won away from the village chief the
poor fishermen we're gold mad and al
present not accountable for what they
did or planned to do. He advanced that
| Umballa would have no difficulty in
rousing them to the pitch OF murder.
Umballa would have at his beck and
call no less than twenty men, armed
| and ruthless. Some seventy miles
beyond was British territory, and
wherever there was British territory
there were British soldiers. With
them they would return, leaving the
women In safety behind
THE commissioner there will OBJ
ject." said the colonel.
NO. sahfb." replied Ahmed. Tho
memsahib has every right in the world
to this treasure. You possess the doc
umcnts to prove 1t, and nothing more
would be necessary to the commission
err"
But, Ahmed" interposed Bruce. we
are none of us British subjects
What difference will that make. sa.
hib?"
Quito enough. England is not in
the habit of protecting anybody but
her own subjects. We should probably
be held up till everything was verified
at Allnha; and the priests there would
not hesitate to charge us with forgery
and heaven knows what else. Let us
| bury the basket, by all means; return
| for 1t and carry it away by piecemeal.
To carry it away as 1t is, In bulk,
would be counting suicide
Ahmed scratched his chin. Trust a
white man for logic
And, besides" went on Bruce, tho
| news would go all over the Orient and
the Thugs would come like flies scent.
ing honey. No; this must be kept Sc
cret il We care to get away with it. 1t
cannot be worth less than million
| And I've known white men who would
cut our threats for a handful of ru'
PEGS"
For the first time since the expcdi
ton started out the colonel became
normal, man OF action. cool in the
head and foresighted Tho hardships
Of his incarceration. the many dangers
| through which he had passed and the
| constant worry over his daughters had
had their effect upon his mental and
| physical being. Heretofore he had
| been content to let others lead ana
blindly follow, apparently hoping little
for ultimate success and freedom. Now
he was the colonel of old. the intrepid
| and resourceful man whom Ahmed
mad followed in many hunting expe'
dition.
"Ahmcd, spread out the men around
tho camp" ho ordered. briskly. In
struct them to shoot over the head OF
anyone who approaches; this the first
time. The second time, to kill. Bruce
has the right idea; so let us get busy
| Over there, where that boulder is. The
ground will be damp and soft under it
and when we roll 1t back there will be
no sign Of its having been disturbed J
used to cache ammunition that way
| Give me that spade"
It was good to kathlyn's ears to hear
her father talk like this.
At depth of three feet the basket
was lowered, covered and the boulder
rolled into place. After that the colo
mel stopped and combed the turf where
the boulder had temporarily rested
He showed his wonderful woodcraft
there. II would take n keener eye than
Umballa possessed to note any disturb
ance. The safety OF the treasure ulti.
mately, however, depended upon the
loyalty of the keepers under Ahmed
They had been with the colonel for
years; yet f.. The colonel shrugged
I He had TO trust them; that was all
there was to the matter. Here was
treasure that might we'll test the hon.
esty of any man. No one could fore
tell whether the loyalty OF his keep
ers would stand up against tempta'
ton such as this. But there was no
alternative, he must trust them.
A sentinel came rushing up-one OF
the keepers.
Something is stampeding the ele.
phants!" he cried.
Ahmed and the men with him rushed
of. In Ahmed's opinion, considering
what lay before them, elephants were
more important than colored stones
and yellow metal. Without the ele.
plants they would indeed find them.
selves in sore straits.
LET us move away from here" ad.
vised Bruce, picking up the nipple.
ments and shouldering them. He
walked several yards away. tossed
shovel and pick into the bushes, tore
at the turf and stamped on it. giving
It every appearance OF having been dis.
turbed. Tho colonel nodded approving.
ly. 1t was good point and he had
overlooked it.
They returned hastily TO camp,
which was about two hundred yards
beyond the boulder. Kathlyn entered
her tent to change her clothes, ragged,
soiled and burnt. The odor OF wet
burnt cloth is never agreeable. And
she needed dry shoes. even If there