The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

and call no less than twenty men,
armed and ruthless.
Some seventy miles beyond was Brit
18Th territory. and wherever there was
British territory there were British SOL
ders. With them they would return,
leaving the women in safety behind.
"The Commissioner there will OBJ
tct." said the Colonel.
No. sahib." replied Ahmed. "The
memsahib has every right in the world
to this treasure. You possess the docu-
mcnts to prove It, and nothing more
sioner.'
But. Ahmed" interposed Bruce, "we
are none Of us British subjects"
What difference will that make
sahib?'
quite enough. England is not in the
habit Of protecting anybody but her own
subjects. We should probably be held
up TIL everything was verified at AL
hha, and the priests there would not
hesitate to charge us with forgery and
heaven knows what else. Let us bury
the basket by all means; return for 1t
and carry it away by piecemeal. To
carry ii away as 1t Is, in bulk. would
b. counting suicide.
Ahmed scratched his chin. Trust a
white man for logic.
And besides" went on Bruce, "the
news would go all over the Orient and
III" thugs would come like flies seeming
honey. No: this must be kept secret II
W. care to get away with 1t. 1t cannot
b. worth less than million. And I've
known white men who would cut our
throats for a handful of rupees"
For the first time since the expedi-
tion started out the Colonel became nor
NAL man Of action, cool In the head
and forcsighted
Ahmed. spread out the men around
the camp" he ordered briskly. I'm
struct them to shoot over the head Of
any one who approaches: this the first
time. The second time to kill Bruce
has the right idea so let us get busy.
Over there. where that boulder Is. The
aound will he damp and soft under II,
'and when we roll 1t back there will he
no sign Of It's having been disturbed
used to cache ammunition that way.
Give mo that spade"
At depth of three feet the basket
was lowered covered and the boulder
'''l'' llll' pldNt' 4NIN'I 'iidN tii' ''''''i
stopped and combed the turf where the
boulder had temporarily rested. He
showed his woodcraft there. II would
take a keener eye than Umballa pos
seSSed TO note any disturbance.
The safety of the treasure ultimately
however. depended upon the loyalty OF
the keepers under Ahmed. They hat
been with the Colonel for years. yet
:. The Colonel shrugged. He hat
to trust them; that was all there was
to the matter.
A sentinel came rushing up-one Of
the kr"pcrs
Something Is stampeding the ele'
'phants'' he cried.
Ahmed and the men with him rushed
Off In Ahmeds opinion, considering
what lay before them, elephants wer'
more important than colored stones ant
yellow metal. Without the elephants
they wolId indeed find themselves II
sore straits
"Loi ns move away from here" ad
NS"a Bruce, picking up the Implement
and Sh'nlcrng them.
II" walked several yards away, tossed
MoN'' ma pick into the bushes, tore a
me 'l'f ana stamped on 1t. giving 1
every lNHuarancc of having been dis
lurh'd The Colonel nodded approx
! WS'5 II was a good point and he hat
. Overlooked il.
Ih"' l.lrncd hastily to camp, whicl
was ""'1' 200 yards beyond the boulder
h'lh''n entered her tent to change he
c'o'h's, uggcd, soiled and burnt. Tn
"or ~ W", burnt cloth Is never agree
dne ana she needed dry shoes even