The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-08-28

did not quite like the way he said
those words. His voice lacked its
usual heartiness and spontaneity.
Where did you get this medal, ia
ther?" she asked.
That's what started out to tell
you"
Were you afraid we might wish to
wear it or have it made over?" laughed
Winnie, who never went below the
surface of things.
mo. The truth is, | had almost for
gotten it. But the preparations for
India recalled it to mind. 1t repre-
sents royal title conferred on me by
the king of Alfalfa. You have never
been to India, Kit Alfalfa is the name
we hunters give that border kingdom.
Some day England will gobble it up;
only waiting for good excuse"
What big thing did you do?" de-
manded Kathlyn, her eyes still filled
with scrutiny.
What makes you think it was big?"
jestingly.
Because" she ans ered, seriously.
you never do anything but big things.
AS the lion is among beasts, you are
among men"
Good lord!" The colonel reached
embarrassedly for his pipe, lit it,
pulled few minutes, then laid down
the pipe. India Is full Of strange
tongues and strange kingdoms and
principalities, Most of them are domi-
mated by the British raj, some are
only protected, while others do about
as they please. This state"-touch-
ing the order-"does about as it did
since the days of the first white rover
who touched the shores of Hind. 1t is
small but that signifies nothing; for
you can brew mighty poison in a
small pot. Well, happened to save
the old kings life"
81 knew it would be something like
that" said Kathlyn. Go on. Tell it
ALL"
The colonel had recourse to his pipe
again. He smoked on till the coal was
dead. The girls waited patiently
They knew that his silence meant that
he was only marshaling the events In
their chronological order.
1.-THE king was a kindly old chap,
simple, yet shrewd, and with that
slumbrous oriental way of accom-
plishing his ends, despite all obstacles.
Underneath this apparent simplicity
l discovered grim, sardonic humor.
Trust the oriental for always having
that packed away under his bewilder-
ing diplomacy. He was all alone in
the world. He was one of those rare
eastern potentates who wasn't ham,
pered by parasitical relatives. BY
George, the old boy could have given
his kingdom, lock, stock and barrel,
to the British government, and no one
could say him nay. There was good
deal of rumor the last time was there
that when he died England would step
in actually. The old boy gave me
leave to come and go as / pleased, to
hunt where and how | would. / had a
mighty fine collection. There are
tigers and leopards and bears and fat
old pythons, 40 foot long. OF course,
it isn't the tiger country that central
India is, but the brutes you find are
bigger. / have about so beasts there
now, and that's mainly why I'm going
back. Want to clean it up and ship
EN- to Hamburg, where I've large
standing order I'm going first to Cey.
lon, for some elephants"
The colonel knocked the ash from
his pipe.
"The old boy used to do some trap.
ping himself, and whenever he'd
catch fine speciman he'd turn it over
to me. He had hunting lodge not
far from my quarters. One day All
med came to me with message say.
ing that the king commanded my pres
ence at the lodge, where his slaves
had trapped fine leopard. Yes. my
dears, slaves. There is even slave
mart at the capital this day. A bar,
barrie fairy land, with its good genii
and It's bad djlnns.
THE Arabian Nights" murmured
Winnie, smuggling close to Kathlyn.
"The oriental loves pomp." went on
the colonel. He can't give you q
chupatti-"
whats that?' asked Winnie.
Something like bareback. Well, he
can't give you that without ceremonial
When arrived at the lodge with Alb
med the old boy-he had the complex
ion of prima donna-the old boy sal
on his portable throne, glittering with
orders. Standing beside him was a
chap we called Umballa. He had been
street rat. A bit of impudence had
caught the kings fancy, and he
brought up the boy, clothed, fed him
and sent him away down to Umballs
to school, When the boy returned he
talked Umbal1a morning, noon, ant
night, till the soldiers began to cal
him that, and from them 1t passed on
to the natives, all Of whom disliked the
upstart. Hanged if / can recall his
real name. He was ugly and hand
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