The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-20
dc door TO civilization Iay but 3 few


was not q little doubt. Perhaps she
had mistaken the look in his eyes.
back there In the desert, back In the
first day when they had fed together,
from the ordeals. And yet
On Shis part, Bruce did not particu.
larry welcome the sea. There might
be another man somewhere. No won.
an SO beautiful as kathryn could pos
sibly be without suitors. And when
the Journey down to the sea was re.
suined he became taciturn and moody,
and K%athlyn's heart correspondingly
heavy.
The colonel was quite obliyious to
this change. He swung his legs free
Of the primitive stlrrups and whistled,
the airs which had been popular in
America at the time of his departure.
There was no 1ightness in the ex.
pressions Of Ramahai and Pundita.
They were about to lose these white
people forever, and they had grown to
love, nay. worship them. More. they
must return to face they knew not
what.
AS for Ahmed, he displayed. his orr.
entalism by appearing u~nconcerned.
He had made up his mind not to re-
turn to America with his master.
There was much to do in Alfalfa. and
the spirit Of intrigue had laid firm hold
OF him. He wanted to be near at hand
when Ramabai struck his blow. He
would break the news to the Colonel
Sahib before they sailed.
1t was four o'clock when the, caravan
entered the little seaport town. "A few
tramp steamers lay anchored in the
ofing. A british flag dropped from the
stern Of one of them. This e Bonn.
bay; and Bombay, in turn. meant Suez.
tho Mediterranean, and the broad At.
lantic.
The air was still and hot, for the In.
dian summer was now beginning to
lay Its burning hand upon this great
peninsula. The pale dust, the white
stucco of the buildings, blinded the
eye.
They proceeded at once to the single
hotel. where they found plenty Of &c.
commodation. Then the colonel hur.
ried off to the cable Office and wired
Winnie. Next he ascertalned that the
british ship Simla would weigh anchor
the following evening for Bombay
that there they could pick up the Delhi,
bound for England. There was moth.
ing further to do but wait for the an.
;; swer to the c%olone1's cable to Winnie,
which would arrive somewhere about
noon of the next day.
And that answer struck the hearts
Of oil Of them with the coldness Of
death. Umballa had beaten them.
Winnie had sailed weeks ago for ALA.
ha in search of father and sister!
Ahmed spct out his betel nut and
squared his shoulders. Somehow he
had rather expected something like
tsis. The reason for Umballa's half.
hearted pursuit stood forth clearly.
"Saliib, 1t is fate" he said. 1--WE
must return at once to Alfalfa. Truly,
the curse Of that old guru sticks like
the blood leeches Of the Bengal
swamps. But as you have faith In
your guru, I have faith in mine. Not
a hair of our heads shall be harmed"
II am a very miserable man, All.
med! God has forsaken mel" The
colonel spoke with stole calm; he was
more like the man Ahmed had former.
ly known.
mo, Allah has not forsaken: he has
forgotten us for a time" And Ahmed
strobe out to make the arrangements
for the return.
Bruce" said the colonel, 1T is time
for you to leave us. You are q man.
You have stood by us through thick
and thin. ! cannot ask you to share
any Of the dangers which now confront
us, perhaps more sinister than any we
have yet known"
Don't you want me?" asked Bruce
quietly.
kathryn had gone to her room to
hide her tears.
want you! But no." Tho colonel
wrung the young mans hand and
turned to go back TO Katlilyn.
; wait a moment, colonel. Suppos.
ing I wanted to go, what then? Sup.
posing I should say to you what l dare
not yet say to your daughter. that l
love her better than anything else in
all this wide world; that 1t will be
happiness to follow wherever she goes
even unto death?"
The colonel wheeled. Bruce, do you
mean that?"
With all my heart, sir. But please
say nothing to Kathlyn till this affair
! ends, n way or the other. She might
be stirred by a n of gratitude, and
later regret 1t. When VIC get out OF
this-and 1 rather believe in the
prophecy OF Ahmed's guru or fakir-
then I'll speak. I have always been
rather a lonely man. There's been no
real good reason. l have always dc.
sired to be loved for my own sake, and
not for The money ! have"
Money! repeated the colonel.
Never had he in any way associated
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