Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28

he had won away from the village
chief The Door fishermen were gold
mad and at present not accountable
for what they did or planned to do. He
advanced that Umballah would have
no difficulty in rousing them to the
at his beck and call no less than TWEEN
" men. armed and ruthless. Some
seventy miles beyond was British ter
ritory. 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 object"
said the colonel.
NO. sahib." replied Ahmed. THE
memsahib has every right in the world
to this treasure. You possess the docu-
ments to prove it. and nothing more
would be necessary to the commits
.ioner"
But. Ahmed" interposed Bruce. we
are none of US British subjects"
What difference will that make
sahib?"
Quite enough England is not in
own subjects. We should probably be
held up till everything was verified at
Alfalfa, 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 it and carry it away by piecemeaL
To carry it away as it is, in bulk. would
be counting suicide"
Ahmed scratched his chin. Trust a
white man for logic.
And. besides" went on Bruce, 1.-The
news would go all over the orient and
the thugs would come like flies scent
ing honey. No; this must be kept
secret If We care to get away with 1t.
It cannot be worth less than a mil
lion. And I've known white men who
would cut our threats for handful of
rupees
For the first time since the expedition
started out the colonel became normal.
a man Of action, cool in the head and
foresignted.
Ahmed. spread out the men around
the camp" he ordered, briskIy. In
struct them to shoot over the head of
any one who approaches; this the first
time. Tho second time, to kill. Bruce
has the right idea; SO let us get busy.
Over there. where that bowlder is The
ground will be damp and soft under 1t,
and when we roll 1t back there will be
no sign OF its having been disturbed
I used to cache ammunition that way.
Give me that spade
At a depth of three feet the basket
was lowered. covered and the bovvlder
rolled into place. After that the col
onel stopped and combed the turf
where the bowlder had temporarily
rested He showed his woodcraft there
II would take keener eye than I'm
ballah 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 The colonel shrug-
ged- He had to trust them; that was
all there was to the matter
A sentinel came rushing up-one of
the keepers
Something is stampedtng the ele-
phantsr he cried.
Ahmed and tho men with him rushed
on. In Ahmed's opinion. considering
what lay before them. elephants were
more important than colored stones and
yellow metal Without tho elephants
they would indeed nnd themselves in
sore straits.
Let US move away from here" ad-
vised Bruce picking up the implements
and shouldering them. He walked sew
erl yards away. tossed shovel and pick
into the bushes, tore at the turf and
stamped on IT. giving it every appear
ance of having been disturbed. The
colonel nodded approvingly It was
a good point and he had overlooked It.
They returned hastily to camp, which
was about 200 yards beyond the
bowlder. Kathlyn entered her tent to
change her clothes, ragged, soiled and
burned. Tho odor of wet burned cloth
10 never agreeable. And she needed dry
shoes. even II there was but an hour or
two before bedtime.
Only ono elephant had succeeded in
boiling. In some manner he had loosed
his peg: but what had started him on
the run they never learned. The other
elephants were svaying uneasily. but
their pegs were deep and their chains
stout. Ahmed and the keepers went
after the tYuant on foot
The noise Of the chase died away.
Bruce was lighting his pipe. The col
onel was examining by the freight a
few emsralds witch he had taken from
the haskst Ramabai was pleasantly