The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-09-18

Ahmed: am Bruce. Let US ppeak },
English"
Good" Ahmed came into th
chamber ITO see Bruce saHib I
good. Tomorrow my masters daugh
ter is 10 be carried into the jungle
The msmsahib Is 10 be tiod inside
tiger trap. bait for the cat That is th'
FIRST ordeal"
"Shaitanl" murmured Ramabai.
Go on. Ahmed"
"The cage will be set near the OLE
peepul tree. not far from the soutt
gate. Now. you sahib, and you, Rama
bal, must hide somewhere near, II II
the law that II she escapes the ordeal
from unexpected sources she Is free
nc least TIL the second ordeal. ! know
not what that Is az present or when
II is 10 take place. The troops will be
there. and the populaoe the Council,
the priests. and Umballa. ! shall have
two swift camels near the clump OF
bamboo. may not be there. but
some one viii She must be hurried
on before the confusion dies away.
Must. sahib There must be no second
! ordeal"
But how am / 10 get out OF here?''
asked Ramabai. Guards all about, and
doubtless bidden 70 shoot II | stir!"
Itch! Tch!" clicked Ahmed. He
unwound his dirty turban and slipped
out OF the ragged shirtllke frock.
These and the water skin below. A
bhlsti entered. a bhisti goes out. What
Is simpler than that? Il Is not light
enough for the soldiers TO notice"
Ahmed" said Bruce. holding out
his hand. you're a man"
Thanks, sahib." drily. But hasten!
At dawn tomorrow. or late tonight Ra'
mabai returns with a full water skin.
The memsahib must at least stand the
ordeal OF terror, for she Is guarded too
we'll Yet, IL they we're not going TO
bind her, | should not worry. She has
animal magic in her eye, in her voice.
have seen wild beasts grow still
when she spoke. Who knows? Now. !
sleep"
Bruce and Ramabai had no difficulty
in passing the guards They wisely
made a wide detour to the peepul tree,
which they climbed, disturbing the
apes and the parrakeets.
Somewhere near o'clock they
heard the creaking Of wheels and a
murmur Of voices Shortly into the
range Of vision drew pair Of bullocks,
pulling a tiger trap toward the clear.
ing.
When Bruce saw this damnable
thing he understood, and he shook
with horror and voiceless rage. He
caught Ramabai by the arm so savage
ly that low cry came from the brown
mans lips.
Patience, sahib!" he warned. With
out you what will the memsahib do?
They will tie her in that and liberate
a tiger. The rest lies with you. sahib."
"Ramabai, as God hears me. some
one shall pay for this!"
''Hush!" again warned Ramabai,
hugging his perch.
Later by half an hour Bruce wit |
messed a spectacle such as few white
men, happily for their reason, are per
mitted to see. Kathlyn. in her royal |
robes (for ordeals of this character .
were ceremonials), a necklace of won.
derful emeralds about her throat, /
stepped from her palanquin and stood .
waiting. From other vehicles and con
veyances stepped Umballa, the Coun-
ell. and the yellowrobed priests.
He saw the bejeweled turban of I'm
Dalla bend toward the girl, and it was
hard to resist taking pot at the men.
Kathlyn shook her head, Thereupon
she was led to the trap, her hands
bound, and the rope round her waist
attached securely to the ring.
All. they talked about 1t that night
n the surging bazaars, in the palace,
wherever two persons came together:
low the white hunter had appeared
rom nowhere rushed toward the trap
IS the tiger approached, entered and
lropped the door, blazed away at the
,east, who turned tail and limped of
nto the Jungle. All! 1t was a sight
or eyes. They could laugh behind
Jmballa's back, the gutter born, the
ron-heeled upstart; they could riddle
confidentially) the Council with rude
ests. The law was the law; and none, |
ot even the priests in their shaven |
oils and yellow robes, might slip be- /
ond the law as it read. The first {
rdeal was over. Nor, as the law read,
ould they lay hands upon this brave {
oung man. Al! it was good. Umballa S
lust look elsewhere for his chief wife; Y
ne memsahib would not adorn his
enana. O
Thank you" Kathlyn had said t
Somehow knew you would come" b
nd what she had seen in his eyes t
ad made her tramble visibly for the |,
rst time that day. Y
(TO BE CONTINUEDD h
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