The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-02

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 difficulty
regarding the fligree basket Of gold and gems. Still, he
would pursue them, If only for the mere sport of 1t. II
he failed to catch them all he had to do was to sit down
and wait for them to return Of their own volition.
Ramabai, however, was a menace; and Umballah Won
dered how he was going to lay hold Of him. While wait
ing for his elephants to be harnessed he summoned the
council. Ramabai's property must be c~on6scated and
Ramabai put to death. Here for the first time the coun-
ell fatty refused to fall in with Umballah's plans. And
they gave very good reasons. Yes, Ramabai was a men
ace, but till the soldiery was fully paid, to touch Ramsbai
would mean the bursting forth of the hidden fire and
they would all be consumed.
"Open the treasury door for me, then!'
ave dare not. The keepers understand. They would
loose the leopards. which we dare not shoot. The
law ."
"What Is the law to us?" demanded Umballah frankly.
"Let us make laws to suit our needs. The white man
does. And we need money; we need each other" point
Ing a finger SUCCESSFULLY toward the floor.
"Oply when we have the troops" replied the council
firmly. eve have bent our heads to your will so far in
everything, but we refuse to sacrifice these heads because
Of a personal spite 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
WnlCe ma ana MS daughter nrSCi II CnaC Is lmpOSSlDlS'
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 once and we
are ready to follow you"
e Umbanah choked back the hot, imperious words which
crowded to his lips. These were plain, unvarnished facts,
and he must bow to the inevitable, however d~istasteful it
might be. For the present, then, Ramabai should be per-
mitted to go unframed. But Ramabai might die suddenly
and accidentally in the recapture Of the Colonel Sahib.
An accidental death would certainly extinguish any vol
canic fires that smOldered under Alfalfa. So, with this
secret determination in mind, Umballah set forth.
Ahmed, his mind busy with a thousand 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 Umballah chose. The three
hours Roadway was thus pared down to minutes, and at
the proper time Umballah would appear, not behind the
pursued but in the road in front Of them.
There was, to be sure, a bare possibility of the Colonel
and his party getting beyond the meeting of the path and
the road-that is, If he kept going forward all through
the night, which, by the way, was exactly what the
astute Ahmed did. But Kathlyn's curiosity the next
morning neutralized the advantage gained. .
A group of masked dancers, peripatetic. was the cause.
Confident that they had outstripped pursuit, she saw no
reason why she should not witness the dancing.
How Umballah came upon them suddenly, like a thun-
derbolt, con6scating the elephants; how they fed to a
nearby temple, bribed the dancers for masks and gar
ments, fed still farther into the wooded hills, and hid
there with small arms ready, needs but little telling.
Umbalah returned to the city satisfied. He had at least
deprived them Of their means of travel. Sooner or later
they would founder in the jungle, hear of the arrival If
the younger daughter. and return.
Ahmed was grave. Lal Singh had gone. Now that
the expedition had practically failed, his place was back
in the shoe shop in the bazaars. Yes, Ahmed was grave.
He was also a trihe disheartened. The fakir had said
that there would be many disappointments, but that in
the end . . He might be a liar like all the other
Hindus. Yet surely one part Of his foreteIling was cor
rect: many disappointment.
Exit" said her father. Ahmed warned you not to
STOP"
81 am sorry
It was on the tip Of her tongue to retort that his own
carelessness was the basic cause Of the pursuit; but she
remembered in time what her father had been through.
There is a village not far" reminded Ahmed. " They
are a friendly people. 1t is quite possible, with the
money we have' to buy some horses. small but sturdy.
But there Is one thing I do not understand, sahib."
"And what Is that?' asked the Colonel.
"The readiness with which Umballah gave IN ths M
suit. It's a long walk; let us be getting forward"
Late that afternoon they were all mounted once mora
on strong tractable ponies, with water and provisions,
And the spirits Of all rose accordingly. Even Ahmed be-
came cheerful. .ars
"Weu make 1t, please Godr' said the Colonel. "Giye
me a telegraph Office. That's all / need just now"
Two days, sahib," said Ahmed, "we viii reach tina
sea-"
They rode all through the night, stopping only at dawn
for breakfast and a cat nap after. Then forward again
till they came upon a hunters rest house, deserted. Here
they agreed to spend the night. Beyond the rest house
were half a dozen scattered mud huts, occupied BY aa.
tves who pretended friendliness, lulling even the keen
Ahmed into a sense of security. But at dawn, when
they aWoke ~cheerfully to pick up the trail, they found
their horses and provisions gone.
The Colonel Bruce, and Ahmed, still armed, never
having permitted the rifles out of their keeping, set our
sr1mly In pursuit of the thieves, while Kathlyn proceeded
to forage on her own initiative.
She came presently upon a magnificent ravine, half a
mile in depth. There was a broad ledge some fifteen feat
below. 1t was evidently used as a goat path, for near
at hand stood a shepherds hut. Stirred by the sp;rit
Of investigation, she made preparations for descent bv
attaching the rope she had brought along to a stout
powder.
Panthersl
They were coming I'M the nathwoy hah;ns $50 /.