The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-02

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Tor the END. A parapet ran round the
court and from there IInbaila ccnid
see everything below. HIS Victims en-
tered the court Without struggling.
They merely stood closely together In
the center.
you sect" said umb2lla. Now,
where have you hidden the treasure"
Kathlyn walked over to. one of the
cages and peered into 1t. A sleek
tiger trotted up to the bars and purred
and invited her to scratch his head.
She did not accept the Invitation, how
ever. knowing the species tolerably
we'll. Usually these courts OF death
had solid steel doors which could be
drawn up or lowered at will. The ami
NAL dens were more like cages.
with no little curiosity she noted
singular arrangement Of the three cen
trail bars. The removal OF these three
bars left an opening sufficiently wide
for the egress OF the largest tiger or
lion.
II am not answered" said Umballa.
A click resounded from the four
sides, and bar disappeared from each
OF the cages.
That will be all for the present"
said Umballa Food and water you
will not require. Tomorrow morning
another bar will be removed"
And he left them.
Overhead the blue sky was growing
bluer and the shadows in the Court OF
Death deeper black.
Early the next morning the town
began to seethe in tho squares. Bala
Khan's army lay encamped outside the
city! Those who possessed treasures
dug pits for them in tho cellars OF
their houses. Within the great temple
there was a ilutter among the robed
ones. What could they do? They
knew not where the white goddess
was, nor Umballa. They dispatched
peace messenger to the camp. but the
messenger was sent back before he
had passed the outposts.
When. Bruce, Ramabai. Pundita. and
Ahmed halted their elephants before
the temple they were greeted by the
now terrified priests who begged to be
informed what Bala Khan proposed to.
Deliver to US the memsahib.'
The priests swore by all their gods
that they knew nothing Of her
He speaks the TRUTH" volunteered
TSamabai. rs the chief priest fell be-
fore. one OF his gods. "Umballa has
doubtless entered secretly"
What would you advise? For Gods
sake, think of something, Ramabai!
He may be torturing them!"
Let us enter the temple" said Ra.
mabai. Ahmed, bring the treasure
and leave it in the caro- OF the priests.
A few moments later Ramabai ad.
dressed the assemblage. "Bala Khan
is hostile, but only for the sake OF his
friends. He lays down this law, how
ever-obey 1t or disobey 1t: The Colo.
mel Sahib and his daughters are to go
free, to do what they please with the
treasure. Pundita, according to the
will of the late king, shall be crowned.
Obey or disobey. I warn you that
these are not my dictates. but Bala
Khan's." to-. -.-,..
Peace. peace!" The cry rose from
all directions, even from the priests
themselves. t"f
The high priest held up his hand for
silence. 1--WE obey, on one condition
that the new queen shall in no manner
Interfere with her old religion nor at
tempt to force her new religion into
tie temple"
To this Pundita agreed.
"Ramabal, soldiers! To the house
OF Umballa! We shall find them
there!" cried Ahmed.
Umballa squatted upon his cushions
on the terrace. The second bar had
been removed. The beasts we're press.
ing their wet muzzles to the openings
and growing deep challenges.
Once more, and for the last time,
will you reveal the hiding place OF the
treasurer"
Not a word from the prisoners. II
they told or did not tell 1t would have
made no difference with the man
above. He was drunk.
h me tnlTu UaT'
But 1t did not stir.
1.-THE third bar; remove it,"
The slave who had charge OF the
mechanism which operated the bars
refused to act Perhaps his refusal
saved the lives of the colonel and his
daughters. The bastinadO was or
dered for the poor. disobedient wretch
Then he was thrown out into the
street.
And there Bruce found him and
learned what was toward.
The events which followed were OF
breathless rapidly. Ramabal and I'm
balla met upon the parapet in strug.
gle which promised death or the tread
mill to the weaker. At the same time
Bruce opened the door to the Court
of Death as the final bar dropped in
the cage. At the sight OF him the
colonel and his daughters rushed to
tho door. Roughly he hurled them
nutcida claiming the iron door lIDon