The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-09-25

| the high priestess beware OF the mug
ger, for he is strong enough to tip
over the raft"
Nearly every village which lies
close to a stream has its family croco-
die. He is very sacred and thriVes
comfortably upon suicides and the
dead which are often cast into the
river to be. purified. The HinduS are
suicidal race; the reverse of the oc-
cidental conception, suicide is a quick
and glorious route to heaven.
The current of the stream carried
Kathlyn along at a fair pace; all she
had to do was to pole away from the
numerous sand bars and such boul-
ders as lifted their rugged heads above
the water.
Round a bend the river widened and
grew correspondence sluggish. She
sounded with her pole. Something
hideous beyond words arose-a fat,
aged, crafty crocodile. His corrugated
snout was thrust quickly over the
edge of the raft. She struck at him
wildly with the pole, and in fury he
rushed the raft, upsetting Kathlyn.
The crocodile sank and for mo-
ment lost sight of Kathlyn, who
waded frantically to the bank, up
which she scrambled. She turned IN
time to see the crocodile's fearful
eyes staring up at her from the wa
ters edge. He presently slid back
into his Shiny bed few yellow bub-
bles, and he was gone.
kathlyns heart became suddenly
and unaccountably swollen with rage;
she became primordial; she wanted
to hurt, main, kill Childishly she
stopped and picked up heavy stones
which she hurled into the water The
instinct to live famed so strongly in
her that the crust of civilization fell
away like mist before the sun. and
for long time the pure savage (Which
lies dormant in us alb ruled her. She
would live, live, live; she would live
to forget this oriental inferno through
which she was passing,
She ran toward the jungle, all I'M
conscious of the stone she still held
| in her hand She lost all sense OF
time and compass; and so ran in a
half circle, coming out at the river
again.
Tho Indian twilight was rising In
the east when she found herself again
looking out upon the water, the stone
still clutched tightly. She gazed at
the river, then at the stone, and again
at the river The stone dropped with
a thud at her feet The savage in
her had not abated in the least; only
her body was terribly worn and wear
led and the robe, muddied and torn,
enveloped her like a veil of ice. Above
her the lonely yellow sky; below her
the sickly river; all about her silence
which held a thousand menaces.
Which way should she go? Where
could she possibly find shelter for the
night?
The chill reused her finally and she
swung her arms to renew the Circula-
ton. Near by she saw tree, in. the
crotch of which reposed platform,
and upon this platform sat shrine
A few withered flowers hung about
tho gross neck Of the idol, and with
cred flowers lay scattered at the base
of dry rushes which some devotee had
forgotten. At least, yonder platform
would afford safety through the night.
So, with the last bit Of strength at her
command, she gathered up the rushes
and climbed to the platform, aTrang-
ing her bed behind the idol She COW
cred her shoulders with the ruShes
and drew her knees up to her chin.
She had forgotten her father, Bruce,
the happy days in far country; she
had but a single thought, to sleep.
What the want Of sleep could not per-
form exhaustion could, and presently
she lay still.
Thus, she neither saw nor heard the
ptous pilgrims who were on their way
to Alfalfa to pray in that temple
known to offer protection against
wild beasts. Fortunately. they did not
observe her.
The pilgrim is always a pilgrim in
India; it becomes, one might say, a
fascinating kind Of sport To most
Of them, short pilgrimages are as tame
as rabbits would be to the hunter of
lions They will walk from Bombay
to Benares, from Madras to Lhassa,
begging and Dragging all the way.
Eventually they become semi-holy,
distinguished citizens in clutter of
mud huts.
They deposited some corn and fruit
at the foot of the tree and departed,
leaving Kathlyn in peace But later
when the moon poured its white, cold
radiance over her face it awakened
her, and 1t took her some time to
realize where she was.
Below, belly deep In the river
J stood several water buffaloes, their