The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25

about her palanquin to the very gates.
Not In many a big rain had they had
such excitement.
The fury in Cmballa'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 worshpping
| Pundita. Bruce had saved her this time.
but 1t was not possible that he could
| repeat the feat.
Having convinced Cmballa and the
| council that she would not marry her
prosecutor, the council announced to
/ the populace that on the next fete day
| the queen would confront the lions in
| the elephant arena. What could one
man do against such odds? Lions
| brought from the far Nubian deserts,
| fierce, untamablc.
That night there was conference be-
tween Bruce. Ahmed and Ramabai
"They have taken my guns away. and
| God knows ! can't do the Impossible.
Where the devil were your camels
Ahmed?"
'Cmballa has his spies, Ramabai."
said Ahmed. smiling. as he got into his
bhisti rags. which Ramabai had sur
rendered willingly enough: "Ramahai,
| thou conspirator. what about the powder
mines you and your friends hid when
| the late king siCnifed that he was in
clined toward British protectorate? Eth?
What about the republic thou hadst
dreams Of? Poor fool 1t Is in our
blood 10 be ruled by kings. oppressed;
We should not know what to do with
absolute freedom. There Fear not
Why should l betray thee? The mines
I The arena is Of wood"
But there will be many Of my friends
there" said the bewildered Ramabai
Who was this strange man who seemed
to know everything?
Put the mines in the centre Of the
arena. What we want is merely terror
and confusion. Pouf' Bang There's
your miracle. And little one under
the royal pavilion. And Umballa and
the council sleep in Shaitan's arms.
Welcome, my lambs'' And Ahmed
laughed noiselessly.
by the Lord" gasped Bruce. "But
the fuses? No, no, Ahmed, il cannot be
done"
In the house Of my friend Ial Singh
there Is a cellar full of strange magic
magic with copper wires that spit blue
fires Eth. Sahib? You and | know;
We have travelled"
batteries. here in this Wilderness"
Even SO. To you, Ramabai. the
powder to me. the splitting wires; to
YOU. Bruce Sahib. patience. Tmbala
shall yet wear raw the soles Of his feet
in the treadmil, He shall grind the
I |
Now I must be of. I shall return to-
morrow night, and YOU, Ramabai, shall
gather together your fellow conspira-
tors (who would blow up the paacec
and bring the mines to the arena"
And while kathlyn gaZed through the
marble lattice at the bright stars an
other Cazed at the sunny heavens in a
far country, sprite Of girl with dark,
fearful eyes. Father gone. sister gone;
silence.
But a few yards away from Kathlyn
a man plucked at his chains, praying to
God thar h" might not lose his reason.
with the finished cruelty of the East.
umballa had not visited Col. Hare again.
There is nothing like suspense to
squeeze hope and courage from the
heart OF man.
on the night before the ordeal men
moved cautiously about the elephant
arena. 1t was only after much per-
suasion and argument could Bruce hold
the men. At the testing If Lal Singh's
wires and batteries they had started TO
fly. This was devils fire.
At the end of the arena. in a box
which Bruce was to occupy, by order
of the council lwhere they proposed to
| keep an eye upon and Umballa to wiring
| his hearD, the key to the wires was
laid. This box was directly over
wooden canopy whore the mahouts
loafed between fights. Back Of this
canopy was door which led outside.
| Through this Bruce proposed To lead
kathlyn during the confusion created
by the explosion. They had carried off
the keeper (who was also guardian of
the arena), and the key to this door
reposed in Bruce's pocket.
On the day of the ordeal only the
bedridden remained at home. The
temples. the palaces, the baZaars, all
were deserted as thoroughly as If the
black wings of the plague had swept
through the city. Even the crows and
the kites were there. the one chatter
ing. the other soaring high above.
Ra.nabai was forced to sit with the
council. much to his terror. After much
pleading the council was prevailed
upon to permit him to sit with Bruce.