The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-03
cHAPTERSVI.
.SThe sTemnle n Ithe lIon.l


The Temple OF the Lion.
In the blue o. night the temple
looked as though II had been, scllp:
Itured out ofSmist. Here and there the
heavy dewss touched BY the moon
ilances, flung back flames of sapphire.
cold and sharp. To Kath lyn the tenn.
pie was Of marvellous beauty! She
urged Rajah toward the cramblIngl
lportico
IT was a temple in ruins. like raany
In Hind Broken pillars. exqlisitely
carved, lay about, and some Of the tall
windows Of marble lace were plncturi
cd, as &c the fist Of some angry god
had beaten through. Under the de
cayed portico stood an iron braziers
Near this reposed a cracked stone
sarcophagus: an unusual sight In tliis
part Of the world. Ut was without itsl
lid. But one god now brooded. here;
abouts-Silence. Not sound any;
where, not even from the nearby
trees. She saw q noiseless lizard slide
jerkily across a patch of moonshine!
and dissolve into the purple shadow
beyond.
Whatswas this temple? What gods
had been worshipedi here. And why
was It deserted? She had heard her
father tell Of the ruined city Of Chitors
Plague? IS. Kathlyn shuddered,l
Sometimes villages, ID the last. soul In
them, were brushed from existence
and known no more to man. And this
might be one of! them. Yet indications
offs village were nowhere to be- seen.
It was merely a temple. perhaps miles
from the nearest village deserted save
by! prowling wild beasts the winds, the
sunshine, and the moonshine. She
looked far and wide for any signs of
human habitation.
S She commanded ,Rajah to kneel! So.
held by the enchanting picture was
kathlyn that the elephants renewed
gestlessness tand he had reason, as
Will be seem passed unobserved by
her, He came to knee, however, and
she got out OF the howdah Her legs
trembled for a. space. for her nerves
were in a Spitiahle condition. Suddenly
Rajah's ears went forward, he rose;
and his trunk Scurled 3angrily. With "a
whuf he lWhee led and sshuftled on to.
ward the Jungle out OF which he had
SC! recently emerged.
aHalt! I" cried EKathlyn. What had
sheibeard !? What had he seen I? s.Halt!si
SHut even as she called the tall grass;
closed In behind the elephant. What
water and food she Ihad disappeared.
with him. n sis az
She paused by the .brazier catching
( hold or IL for SUPPORT. She laughed
Sllystericaliy: 1T was SO funny; IL was
/ all so out of 5oint with real things!
with everyday life as she had known
Iitit Weifd Slaugh ter returned to mock
der astonished ears, a sinister echo:
And then she laughed attthe echo, be.
ing I'M the grip. Of a species ofimadness,
In the purple ltcayerns Of 5the temple
\ she suddenly became conscious Of AM
other presence. flash as ioft noon
light striking two schrysoberyls took
the madness :outi Of her minda4iThis
Gorsaken temple was the haunt of a
steapord ora tiger. I'D 5iTdSl
She was lost !. That ii magnetism
which ordinarily was hers was at its
tnadir. She hesitated for q second,
then climbed into the empty sarcopha.
gus, crouching low! Strangely enough.
as she did SO calm fell upon her.
iG1l the sterrors Of her position dropped
away from her as mists from the
( mountain peaks. She had, however,
I gottenEinto the hiding place none too
soon. She heard the familiar PAD! pad !,
the whiff-whiff of a big cat. Immedi.!
Sately into the moonlight came I an,
African lion, as out Of place here as
Kathlyn herself; his tail slashed, I
there was a long, black streak from,
his name to. his tail where the hair had
risen: Kathlyn cropched even lower
The lion trotted round the sarcopha:;
gus, smiling. Presently he lifted his
head and reared. The echoes played
battledore and shuttlecock with the