The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-07

5olssf The sisarnesf 81 tks rid
though dark tho roundnesa Of thu
throat and arms. "a.
Three Thousand rupeesia
The old mahout purred and
smoothed his palms together. Three
Thousand rupees, . raiah's ransomi
He wopld own his elephant; his wife
should ride III a sgilded palanquin, and
his children should wear shoes. Three
thousand rupees! He folded his arms
and walked gently TO and fro.
Five thousand rnpees!" said um-
Iballa, impelled by he knew not what
TO make thist;bid.
A ripple of surprise ran over the
crowd. The regent, the powerful Dur.
ga Ram, was bidding in person for his
zenana.
Kathlyn's nerves tingled with life
again, and the sudden bounding Of
her heart stitied her. Umballa! She
was surely lost. Sooner or later he
would recognize her, s}
The mahout stood up, delighted. He
was indeed fortunate. He salaamed.
"Huzoor, she Is gentle" he said.
The high-caste who had bid 5000
rupees salaamed also.
"Highness, she is yours he ( said.
II: cannot bid against my regent
1t was the custom to mark a pur.
chased slave with the caste of her
purchaser. Umballah.S still not irecog-
nizing her, waved her aside toward
the Brahmin caste markers, one OF
whom daubed her forehead with a vel:
low triangle. Her blue eyes pierced
tho curious brown ones.
THE sahib at the river" she whis.
pered in broken Hindustani. MANY
rupees Bring him to the house Of
Durga RAM This in case Ali failed.
The Brahmin's eyes twinkled. Her
Hindustani was execrable. but "sahib'
and river" were plain to his under.
standing. There. was but one sahib
by the river, and he was the white
hunter who had rescued the vanished
queen from the ordeals. He nodded
almost imperceptibly. 1nwardly he
smiled. lie was not above giving the
naughty upstart a Thugee's twist. He
spoke to his neighbor quietly. as.
signed to him his bowls and brushes,
rose and made off.
Follow me-" said Umballa 10 the
happy mahout. Presently he would
have his bags Of silver. bright and
twinkling. u
Fate overlook All, who in his mad
race TO Hare's camp fell and badly
spralned his ankle. Moaning, less
from the pain than from the attend.
ant helplessness, he was carried into
the hut of n kindly ryot and there
ministered to.
The Brahmtn, however. filled with
greed and a sly humor. reached his
destination in safety. Naturally Gun.
ming, double tongued,y sly, ingratiat.
ing, after the manner ofFall Brahmins,
who will sink TO any base level In or.
der to attain their equivocal ends, his
actions were unhampered by any sense
of treachery toward umballa. a
Thugee's twist to the schemes Of the
street rat umballa, who wore the
Hrahmin string. to. which he had; no
right! The Brahmln chuckled as lie
paused at the edge Of Bruce's camp.
A fat purse lay yonder. lie ap,
prouched.' his outward demeanor a
mixture of pride and humility.
Bruce had returned but half an hour
before, mind weary. bone tired. He
sat with his head in his hands, his ell.
bows propped upon his knees. His
young heart was heavy. He had
searched the bewildering jungle as
one might search plot of grass be.
fore ones door, blade by blade. A hun.
dred times he had found traces of her;
hundred times he had called out her
name, only to be Knocked and gibbered