The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-18
kathlyn Takes Refuge In the PaIan.
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himself, sought the chain for which
he had come, and reluctantly stepped
out into the corridor again.. He
would return soon to this door. But
for that fool Of a white man who had
saved the king from the leopard, he
would have opened this door long
since. And as walked to the outer.
door he thought briefly of the beauty
Of Kathlyn. She was dead, and dead
likewise was his passion for her.
Beyond the gate to the garden of
brides Ahmed and Lal Singh waited
with elephants. From here they would
make tho north gate, transfer to new
elephants, and leave Allaha and its
evil schemes behind. They created
no suspicion. There were many ele.
plants about the palace this day. In
one Of tho howdahs sat Bruce, armed;
in the other, Pundita, trembling with
dread. So many times had silva, that
evil spawn, interviewed that Pundita
would not believe all was we'll till
they had crossed the frontier.
%They will be coming soon. sahib,"
said Ahmed.
Bruce wiped the sweat from his
palms and nodded.
Now, when Umballa and his captain
of the guard departed with the be.
trothal chain they did not firmly close
the outer door, which shut OF the
leopards from the main palace. The
leopards were Immediately freed and
began their prowling through the cor.
ridors, snarling and growing Us they
scented the air through which the two
men had Just passed. One paused by
the door, impatiently thrusting out
paw. The door gave.
In the throne room the mockery OF
the betrothal was gone through, and
then the calm Ramabai secretly signi.
fed that the hour for escape was at
hand; for everywhere now that the
ceremony was done, vigilance would
be lax.
Immediately the high priest an.
nounced that the successful candidate
would beconducted to the palace zena.
na and confined there till the final
ceremonies were over.
Umballa dreamed Of what he had
seen.
To Ramabai was given the exalted
honor of conducting the king and his
betrothed to their respective quarters.
Once in the private passageway to the
harem, OF, zenana, .Ramabai threw eau.
ton to the winds.
I'VE must go a. roundabout way. to.
the. garden of brides. which will be de.
serted. Outside the gate Bruce Sahib
and Ahmed and Lal Singh await with
elephants. Once we can join them We
are safe, And in months time I
shall return"
+ Meantime one of the leopard keep
ers rushed frantically into. the throne
room, exclaiming that the seven guar.
dian leepards were at large. Even, as
he spoke one OF the leopards appeared
In the musicians balcony. The panic
which followed was not to be de.
scribed A. wild scramble ensued to.
ward all exits. 80
The tugitiYes entered the /, royal
senana. Kathlyn proceeded at once
e: the exit which led to the garden Of
brides. There she waited for her IA.
Their and Ramabai, who had paused
by the door Of one of the zenana cham.
bers. Between them and Kathlyn lay
the plunge. ,-f
Ramabai addressed the lady Of the
zenana, telling her that IL guards
should come to state that Kathlyn was
concealed in her own chamber. To
this the young woman readily agreed.
Suddenly a leopard appeared behind!
the colonel and Ramabai. Kathlyn,
being first to discover the presence
OF the animal; cried out a warning.
Ely Kit! Save yourselrl 1 am ac-
cursed called the colonel.
Ramabai and the young woman at
the chamber door hurriedlyi drew the
fIi