Meade County news., 1914-12-17

dals when she saw, to her dismay, the
approach of men and elephants. Two
elephants were ridden by mahouts
Two other elephants were being jos
tied toward the stockade, evidently
new captives. They proceeded pas
sively, however, for elephants submit
to captivity with less real trouble than
any other wild beast Kathlyn
crouched low in the grass and waited
till men and elephants entered the
stockade; then she ran quickly to-
ward her haven, the platform in the
tree. She never went very far from
this, save in search of food. She had
also recovered the idol and set it back
In its place. 1t was not. fortunately,
a much frequented spot 1t was for
the benefit of the occasional pilgrim.
the ryots having shrines more con-
veniently situated.
She nestled down among her rushes
and waited. She could not see the
stockade from where she now was,
but she could hear shouts from the
mahouts.
Recently she had discovered a
leopard's lair near the stockade and
was very careful to avoid it, much as
she wanted to seize the pretty cubs
and run away with them. By this time
she knew the habits, fears, and ha-
treds of these people CT the jungle.
and she scrupulously attended to her
affairs as they attended to theirs.
Sometimes the great striped tiger
prowled about the base Of the tree,
he never attempted to ascend to the
platform. Perhaps he realized the
uselessness of investigation, since
the platform made it impossible for
him to see what was up there. But al
ways now, to and from the truce wa
ter, he paused, looked up, circled the
tree, and went away mystified
Only the grass eating beasts came
down to water that night, and Kath-
lyn understood by this that the men
and the elephants were still in the
stockade.
The following morning she went
down to the stream to bathe; at the
same time the parent leopards came
for drink. They had not cared to seek
their lair during the night on account
of the fires; and, worrying over their
cubs, they were not in the most agree
able mood
Kathlyn saw their approach in
time to reach her platform. They
snarled about the tree, and the male
climbed up as far as the platform.
Kathlyn reached over with stout
club and clouted the brute on his ten
der nose.
A shot broke the silence and bull
let spat angrily against the tree trunk.
Two cats fed. Immediately there came
a squealing and trumpeting from the
stockade.
This is what had happened: The
chief mahout had discovered the cubs
and had taken them into the stockade
just as another hunter had espied the
parent leopards. The rife shot had
frightened one of the wild elephants
With mighty plunge he had broken
the chain which held him prisoner to
the decoy elephant and pushed
through the rotten stockade, heading
straight for the river.
Kathlyn saw his bulk as it crashed
straight through the brush. 1t shut
fed directly toward her tree. The
ground about was of clay, merging
into sand as 1t sloped toward the river
The frantic runaway slipped, crushed
against the tree trunk, recovered him
self, and went splashing into the wa
ter.
Kathlyn was flung headlong and
only the water saved her from severe
bodily harm When she recovered her
senses she was surrounded by a group
Of very much astonished Mohamme-
dams.
They jabbered and gesticulated to
one another and she was conducted to
the stockade. She understood but two
words-"Allaha" and slave"
(TO BE CoNTINUED)