The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19

hrrhy on her feet she turned
to thank the wild eyed hillman. But
her best Hlndustani land she was able
to speak and understand quite little by
now fell on ears which heard but did
not sense what she said.
The man, mild and harmless enough
for all his wild eyes. shrank back. for
no woman If his kind had ever looked
like this. Kathlyn. with a deal of fore
boding, repeated the phrase and asked
the way back to the hunters rest house.
He shook his head-he understood moth
ing.
But there Is one language which is
universal the world over, and this is
sign language. Kathlyn quickly stopped
and drew in the dust the shape of the
rest house. Then she pointed in the
direction whence she had come. He
smiled and nodded excitedly. He I'M
derstood now.
Next. being unarmed, she felt the need
Of some sort OF weapon. So she drew
the shape Of rife in the dust. then
produced four rupees. all she had. The
shepherd gurgled dellghtedly, ran into
the hut and returned with a rifle Of
modern make and belt Of cartridges.
With gesture he signified that 1t was
how To- use II.
He took the rupees and kathlyn took
the rife vaguely wondering how it came
into the possession of this poverty
stricken hllman. OF one thing she was
certain--it had become his either
through violence of his own or of others.
She examined the breech and found a
dead shell, which she cast out The rifle
carried six cartridges and she loaded
skifully. much TO the astonishment Of
the hillman. Then she swung the butt
to her shoulder and fred up at the ledge
where the panthers had last been seen.
The hillman cried out in alarm and
scuttcd away to his hut. When he
peered forth again Kathlyn made a
friendly gesture and he approached tim
idly. once more she pointed to the dust
at the picture Of the rest house. and
then, 10y many stabs of his finger in the
air h. succeeded in making the way
back sufficiently clear to kathlyn. who
smiled. shouldered the rifle and strobe
confidently down the winding path; but
also she was alert and watchful
There was not bit OF rust on the
rife and the fact that one bullet had
sped smoothly convinced her that the
weapon was serviceable Some careful
hunter had once possessed it, for it was
abundantly oiled. To whom had it be-
longed?
1t was of German make, but that Sig
nified nothing. 1t might have belonged
to an Enelshman, n Frenohman or a
Russian; more likely the latter, since
this was one If the localities where they
crossed and recrossed with their note
books. To he utilized against that day
when the Bear will drop down from the
north and tackle the Lion.
Kathlyn had To go down to the very
bottom Of the ravine. She must follow
the goat path no matter whore it wound
for this ultimately would lead her to the
rest house. As she started up the final
incline, through the ccdars and pines
she heard the bark of the wolf, the red
wolf who hunted in packs Of twenty or
thirty. in reality far more mcnacng
than a tiger or a panther, since no
hunter could XIII whole pack.
To this wolf, when hunting his kill
the tiger gave wild" berth, the bear took
to his cave and al fleet footed things
of the junelos fled In panic.
kathlyn climbed as rapidly as she
could. She dared not mount "A tree, for
the red Wolf would outwlt her. She must
go on. The bark or yclp had been a
signal; but now there came to her ears
the long howl She had heard ii often
in the great forests at home. 1t was
the call Of the pack that there was t.
be Kill She might shoot half dozen
Of them and the living rend the dead
but the main pack would follow on anu
uNcrtakc her.
Sh" swung on upward, catching n sap
lin" here, limb there, pulling herself
over hard bits of going. once she turned
ana hrod chance shot in the direction
"t IN" bowling, Far away came tn,
roar If one II the mountain lions. an,
III" pack II red wolves became suddenl,
ana inagically silent. Kathlyn mad,
good use Of this interval. But present.,