The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-01

1 We shall pc on the way south De-
fore the others land."
IAN, extra handful of gold for you!
Get the oars out! Let US hurry"
More. holy. one; these men will
obey me-"
"They nhall all be we'll paid"
Umballa had reached the point
where he could not plan without
treachery. He proposed to carry the
basket into the jungle somewhere,
oury 1t, and make way with every man
who knew the secret; then, at the
proper time. he would return for it
with brave caravan. his own men or
those whose loyalty he could repur.
:hase.
The landing was made, the basket
conveyed to the bullock cart. which
was emptied OF its bait and leopard
trap; the bullocks were brought out
and harnessed-all this activity before
the fishing boats had covered half the
distance.
81 see light" murmured Umballa,
He tried to act coolly, but when he
spoke his voice cracked and the blood
In his throat nigh suffocated him.
Sand, holy one!"
well, what OF sand?"
You can dig and cover up things in
sand and no one can possibly tell. The
sand tells nothing"
They drove the bullocks forward
mercllessly till they came to what I'm.
balla considered a suitable spot. A
pit was dug, but not before Umballa
had taken from the basket enough
gold to set the men wild. They were
his. He smiled inwardly to think how
easily they could have had all Of 1t!
They we're still honest
The sand was smoothed down over
| the basket 1t would not have been
possible for the human eye to discover
the spot without perfect range. UNI
balla drove down a broken stick d.
rectly over where the basket lay. He
had beaten them; they would find
nothing. Now to rid himself of these
| simple fools who trusted him.
Tho man who longed to become the
chiefs successor was then played upon
LY " p6l IAC WV AaSGOAAS 90
each others throat; q perfect elimina.
ton. Umballa advised him to rouse
his friends, declare that the white PEG.
pie had taken the gold away from the
holy man, to whom it belonged as
! agent.
Thus. in this peaceful fishermen's
village began the old game of gold and
politics, for the two are inseparable.
Umballa, in hiding, watched the con.
test gleefully. He witnessed the rival
approach his chief, saw the angry
gestures exchanged, and knew that dis
scnsion had begun. The men OF the
village clustered about.
Where have you hidden it," de-
handed the chief. 1T belongs to the
sahib.'
Hidden what?"
The treasure you and the false holy
one took from the forbidden cave!"
False holy one?"
"Ay, wretch! He Is Durga Ram, the
nan who murdered the king of ALA
ha-"
The mutineer laughed and waved
his hand toward the smoking ruins
Of the promontory.
Look for it there" he said, under
mountains of rock and dirt and sand
Look for It there! And who is this
white man who says the holy one is
false?"
Il say 1t, you scoundrel!" cried the
colonel advancing; but Bruce re.
strained him, seeing that the situation
had taken an unpleasant and sinister
trend.
Patience, colonel; just little diplo-
macy" he urged.
but the man lies!"
THAT may be, but Just at present
there seem to be more men standing
back of him than back Of our chief
here. We have no way of getting
warning to Ahmed. Waltz"
"Jackal," spoke the chief wrathfully,
thou liest!"
"Ah! thou has grown too fat with
rule"
"Ay!" cried the men back Of the mu.
tinous one.
"Sahib," said the chief, without los
ing any of his natural dignity, the
man has betrayed me. see the lust OF
gold in their eyes. Evil presage. But
you have saved the life Of my child
and mine, and will throw my strength
with you"
Father, can't you see?" asked Kath'
lyn.
See WHAT"
1.-THE inevitable. 1t was in my heart
all the way here that we should meet
with disaster. There is yet time tc
leave hero peacefully"
But her pleading fell upon the ears
of a man who was treasure mad. He
would not listen to reason. Ahmed
could have told Kathlyn that the old
guru stood back of her father. push
ing, pushing.
"IIe is mad" whispered Bruce, but
we cannot leave him"
What would do without you,