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

She Had But a Single Thought, to
Sleep.
licked his beautiful sides, purrlng; for
the night was so still and the beast
was so near that she could see him
quite plainly. He stretched himself,
took another drink, and trotted off to
the jungle.
Then came herd of elephants, for
each species seemed to have an ap-
pointed time. The buffalo emerged
and filed away into the dark. The ele-
plants plunged into the water, squeal-
ing, making sport, squirting water
over their backs and rolling, head I'M
der; and they buffeted one another
amiably, and there, was baby who
seemed to get In everybody's way and
the grownups treated him shabbily.
BY and by they, too, trooped off. Then
came wild pigs. and furtive antelope,
and foolish, chattering apes.
At last the truce water became de-
serted and Kathlyn lay down again,
only to be surprised by huge ape
who stuck his head up over the edge
of the platform. The surprise was
mutual. Kathlyn pushed the idol to-
ward him. The splash Of it in the wa.
ter scared off the unwelcome guest,
and then Kathlyn lay down and slept.
A day or SO later Bruce arrived at
the temple Day after day he had
hung to the trail. picking 1t up here
and losing it there. He found Rajah
the elephant, the hoWdah gone. and
only the ornamental headpiece dis,
covered to Bruce that he had found
his rogue. Rajah was docile enough;
he had been domesticated so long that
his freedom rather irked him.
Bruce elected from the mourning
holy men the amazing adventure in
all its details. Kathlyn had disap
peared in the jungle and not even the
tried hunters could find her. She was
lost. Bruce. though in his heart OF
hearts he believed her dead, took W
the trail again. But many weary
weeks were to pass ere he leaned
that she lived.
He shook his fist toward Alfalfa. 20
Durga Ram, one of these fine days
you and shall square accounts!"
Kathlyn had just completed for her
self dress of grass. Three years be
| fore she had learned the trick from
the natives of Hawaii. The many
| days Of hardship had made her thin
ner, but never had she been so hardy
so clear-eyed, so quick and 1.-THE in hel
actions. She had lived precaEiously
stealing her food at dusk from the
fields of the ryots; sugar cane, raw
vegetables, plantains, mangoes. Some
times she recited verses she remem
bered In order that she might breal
| the oppressive silence which always
surrounded her.
She kept carefully out of the way o.
all human beings, so she had lost al
hope of succor from the brown PEG
pie, who had become so hateful to hel
as the scavengers of the jungle. There
was something to admire In the tiger
the leopard, the wild elephant; bu
she placed all natives (perhap:
wrongly In a class with the unclear
| iackals and hyenas.
Tanned deeply by wind and sun
Kathlyn was darker than many a ma
tive woman. Often she thought O
! Bruce, but hope of his finding her hae
long since died within her. Ever,
night when she climbed to her plat
form she vowed she would start soutl
the next morning; south, toward tn,
land where there were white people
but each morning found her hesitant
| Behind her tree there was a clear
ing, then tumble of thickly CROWNS
trees; beyond those was anothe
clearing, upon which stood a deserte,
elephant stockade. The grass hat
grown rank in it for want of use. Sh,
was In the act Of putting on grass san