The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-08-19

escaped the brigands; she had fooled
him. And Ranabai had played with
him rs a cat plays With q wounded
mouse. o. they should see this timei
Suddenly he laughed. It echoed
down the corridor and one OF the
treasure leopards roared back at the
sinister sound.
! "Highnesst" timidly.
Enough! ] hold you blameless."
he rushedifrom the palace.
Poor foolsi Let them believe that
they had escaped. There was still the
little sister; in a short time now she
would be inside the city walls. The
Colonel sahib would return; indeed,
yes. There would be no further din.
Guilty regarding the flligree basket of
gold and tgems. STILL he would pnr-
sue them, if only for the mere sport
o.! it II he failed to catch them all
he had to do was to sit down and wait
Tor them to return Of their own voli.
ton.
Ramabia, however. was a menace;
and Umballa wondered how he was
going to lay hold Of him. While walt
Ing for his elephants to be harnessed
he summoned the Council. Rama
bats property must be contiscated and
Ramabai put to death. Here for the
larst time the Council fatty refused to
TALL in with Umballa's plans. And
they gave very good reasons. Yes,
Ramabai was a menace, but till the
soldiery was fully paid, to touch Rama
bal would mean the bursting forth of
the hidden fire and they would all be
CONSUMED.
open the treasury door for me,
then!" !
I'VE dare not. The keepers under
stand. They would loose the leopards.
which We dare not shoot. The law
What is the law to us?" demanded
umballa frankly. Let, US make laws
to suit, our needs. The white man
does. And We need money; We need
each other" pointing a finger sug.
gestiyelyS toward the floor.
F"only when we have the troops" re.
piled tho Council firmly. we have
bent our heads to your will SO far in
everything, but We refuse to sacrifice
these heads because of a personal
Epite against Ramabai. whom we
frankly and wisely fear. We dare not
break into the treasury. The keepers
are unbribable; the priests are with
them. and the people are with the
priests. Bring back the white man and
his daughter first; II that is impossi-
Bile. marry this second daughter, and
we will crown her; and then you may
work your will upon Ramabai. You
have failed in all directions SO: far.
Succeed but nee and we are ready to
follow YOU"
Umballa choked back the hot, i'm.
perious words which crowded to his
lips. These were plain. unyarnished
facts. and he must bow. to the ineyita.
BILE. however distasteful it might be.
For the present, then, Ramabai should
be permitted to go unframed. But
Ramabai might die suddenly and &C.
cidentally in the recapture of the Colo.
mel Sahib. An accidental death would
certainly extinguish any volcanic fires
that smoldered under Alfalfa So, with
this secret determination In mind. Um-
balla set forth.
Ahmed, his mind busy with a thou.
sand things, forgot the thousand and
first, at that stage most important Of
all; and this was'the short cut, a mere
pathway through the Jungle but which
lessened the journey by some thirty
miles. And this pathway Umballa
chose. The three hours. Roadway was
thus pared down to minutes. and at
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