The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

a
big cat Immediately into the moonlight Afr
can lion, out of place here Kathyn herself; his
tail slashed; there n long black streak from his
name to his tail where the nair had risen Kathlyn
crouehed even lower The lion trotted around the
ccphagus, shifting. Presently he lifted his head and
roared. The echoes played baedore and shuttlecock
with the sound The lion again. this time at the
insulting echoes. For few minutes the noise was
deafenng A rumble of distant thunder, and the
storm died away.
By and by she peered out cautiously. She saw the
lion crossing the open space the temple and the
jungle. She him pause bend his mead then lope
away in the direction taken by Rajah.
To Kathyn it seemed that she had longer anything
to do with the body of Kathryn Hare The soul of
another had stepped into this flesh of hers and
now directed its physical manifestations while her own
spirit stood gratefully and passvely aloof Nothing
could happen now the world had grown still and calm
The spirit drew the sleeves snugy about her
arms and laid Kathlyns head upon them and drew her
down into profound sumber
Half mile to the north of the ruined temple there
lay, all unsuspected by Katnyn, vlage-a village be-
longing solely to the poor mostly ryots or ters of the
soil The poor in Asia know but two periods time for
rarely do they possess such thing watch
clock-sunset and sunrise Perhaps the fam
lily may sit while at dusk on his mud doorsill with
MS bubbing water pipe Gf he has one and watch the
A Dad
tobacco is slowly consumed; then he enters the hut
filings himself upon his mating (perhaps a cotton rug
more likely bundle of water reeds) and sleeps
NO one wakes him. habit him at dawn. He
scrubs his teeth with fbrous stick 1t is part of
his religious belief keep his teeth clean The East
Indian (Hindu Mohammedan) has the whites sound
est teeth in the world if the betenut but temperatey
used
Beyond this village lay ruined city, now inhabited
by cobras and sinking jackals
Dawn. few dung fires srnoldered From the door
way of of the mud huts a lean man. his naked
torso streaked with wet ashes his hair hanging
in knots and tanges his emaciated shoulders His
aspect exceedingly filthy; he was Holy Man
which in this mad country signifies physical debasement
patience and forttude such would have adorned any
other human lamprey, sticking himself always
at the thin and board of the poor a vile para
site, but holy
The Holy Man directed his steps to the narrow beat
en- pathway which led to the empe where every morn
ing he performed certain rites which poo benighted
ryots believed day would restore the ruined city
and the prosperity which attends fat harvests. The
Holy Man had soemny declared that it would take no
less than ten to bring about this miracle the
villagers fell down with their foreheads in the dust He
was Brahmin the string hung about his neck he
was indeed holy he who could have dwelt fat of
the land in maharajahs The that can be
So, then the red rims the March shouldered up
above the rolling jungle he into the beaten clay
court which fronted the temple The lion staked only
at night rarely appearing in the daytime. Once
month he was given bullock for the kept tiger and
leopard away, and the villagers dwet in peace. The
lor mad escaped from Allaha where the species
kept as additional sport. Since he had taken up his
abode in the temple there been fewer thefts from
the cattle Sheds
The Holy Man about to assume his squatting po-
siton in the center of the court usual when from
out of the sarcopnagus anguidy form, shrouded
in white The form stretched its lovely arms white
aabaster, and presently the hands rubbed pair of
sleepy eyes. Then the form sat down within the
cophagus, laid its the rim, and weary hid its
face in them.
Tne watcher was the most dumfounded Holy Man in
all India For the first time in his hypocritical life
found faith In himself, in his puerile rites. He had
ccnJured up yonder spirit unaided, alone. He rose,
turned, and never holy faster. When he
arrived painting and voceess, the village WELL where
natives were coming and going with in goatskns
and jars and vessels he fell upon mis- face
to his knees and poured of dust upon his head
Al, all! he called " 1t is almost done my children
1he hrst sign has from the gods have brought
you In human form the ancient priestess!" And he
really believed ne had 80, my children, my little ones
my Kids! have brought her who will now attend to
the sacred hres for these will restore the city MS
OF old the fat the pentude of fruit Since the