St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1914-10-03

; the priests, and Umballa. I shall have
two swift camels near the clump Of
bamboo. I may not be there, but
some one will. She must be hurried
OF before the confusion dies away.
| Must, sahib. There must be no second
ordeal"
"But how am to get out Of here?''
asked Ramabai. Guards all about, and
| doubtless hidden to shoot II ! stir"
Itch! Tch!" clicked Ahmed. He
unwound his dirty turban and slipped
out Of the ragged shirtlike frock.
These and the water skin below. A
bhisti entered. bhisti goes out What
10 simpler than that? It Is not light
enough for the soldiers to notice"
Ahmed" said Bruce, holding out
his hand, you're a man."
Thanks. sahib," drily. "But hasten!
At dawn tomorrow, or late tonight, Rar
mabai returns with full water skin.
The memsahib must at least stand the
ordeal Of terror, for she is guarded too
we'll Yet, if they were not going to
bind her, should not worry. She has
animal magic in her eye, In her voice.
have seen wild beasts grow still
when she spoke. Who knows? Now, I
Sleep"
Bruce and Ramabai had no difficulty
in passing the guards. They wisely
made wide detour to the peepul tree,
which they climbed, disturbing the
apes and the parrakeets.
Somewhere near o'clock they
heard the creaking of wheels and a
murmur Of voices. Shortly into the
range Of vision drew pair Of bullocks,
pulling a tiger trap toward the clear
ing.
When Bruce saw this damnable
thing he understood. and he shook
with horror and voiceless rage. He
caught Ramabai by the arm SO savage
~ that low cry came from the brown
mans lips.
Patience, sahib!" he warned. with
out you what will the memsahib do?
They will tie her in that and liberate
q tiger. The rest lies with you. sahib."
"Ramabai. as God hears me, some
one shall pay for this!"
"Hush!" again warned Ramabai,
hugging his perch.
Later by half an hour Bruce wit,
messed spectacle such as few white
men, happily for their reason, are per.
mitted to see. Kathlyn, in her royal
robes (for ordeals Of this character
were ceremonials), q necklace Of won
derful emeralds about her throat.
stepped from her palanquin and stood
waiting. From other vehicles and con-
veyances stepped Umballa, the Coun-
Gil. and the yellow-robed priests.
He saw the bejeweled turban Of UNI
ba1la bend toward the girl, and It was
hard to resist taking pot at the men.
Kathlyn shook her head. Thereupon
she was led to the trap. her hands
bound. and the rope round her waist
attached securely to the ring.
All, they talked about It that night
IN the surging bazasrs. In the palace,
wherever two persons came together:
how the white hunter had appeared
from nowhere, rushed toward the trap
- the tiger approached. entered and
dropped the door. blazed away at the
beast, who turned tail and limped OF
Into the Jungle. All It was q sight
for eyes. They could laugh behind
Umballa's back. the gutter born. the
iron-heeled upstart: they could riddle
(confdentially) the Council With rude
1ests. The law was the law; and none,
not even the priests In their shaven
polls and yellow robes. might slip be-
yond the law as 1t read. The first
ordeal was over. Nor. as the law read.
could they lay hands upon this brave
young man. Al! it was good. Umballa
must look elsewhere for his chief wife:
the memsahib would not adorn his
zenana.
Thank you," Kathlyn had said.
Somehow I knew you would come"
And what she had seen in his eyes
had made her tremble visibly for the
first time that day.
She was conducted back to the
palace. The populace howled and
cheered about her palanQuin to the
very gates. Not in many a big rain
had they had such excitement.
The fury in Umballa's heart might
have disQuieted Bruce had he known
Of its existence.
Kathlyn, arriving in her chamber,
flung herself down upon her cushions
and lay there like one dead, nor would
she be comforted by the worshiping
Pundita. Bruce had saved her this
time. but It was not possible that he
could repeat the feat.
Having convinced Umballa and the
council that she would not marry her
prosecutor, the council announced to