The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-12

failed to catch them all he had to do
was to sit down and wait for them to
return OF their own volitioE.
Ramabai, however. was a menace;
and Umballa wondered how he was
going to lay hold of him. While waiting
for his elephants to be harnessed he
summoned the Council. Ramabai's
property must be confiscated and'Rama-
bal put to death.
Here for the first time the Council
fatty refused to fall in with Cmballa's
plans And they gave very good rea-
sons Yes. Ramabai was a menace, but
till the soldiery was fully paid to touch
Ramabai would mean the bursting forth
of the hidden fire and they would all be
consumed.
open the treasury door for me.
them"
We dare not. The keepers UNDER
stand, They would loose the leopards.
which we dare not shoot. The law
What is the law to u.s." demanded
Umballa frankly. Let us make laws
to suit our needs The white man does.
And We need money; We need each
other" pointing finger suggestively
toward the floor.
only when we have the troops" re-
piled the Council firmly. we 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 white man and his
daughter first, If that is impossible
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"
Umballa chokcd back the hot. i'm
perious words which crowded to his
lips. These were plain, unvarrlshed
facts, and he must bow to the inevita-
BILE. however distasteful it might he.
For the present. then, Ramahai should
be permitted to go unframed. But
Ramabai might die suddenly and acci-
dentally IN the reCapturc of the Colonel
Sahib. An accidental death would GER
tainly eXtinguish any volcanic fires that
smoldered under Alfalfa. So, with this
secret determination IN mind. tmballa
set forth.
Ahmed. his mind busy with a thou
sand things. forgot the thousand ant
first, at that stage most important of
all: and this was the short cut. mere
pathway through the jungle but which
lessened the journey by some thirty
miles. And this pathway Cmballa
chose. The three hours Roadway was
rnI I.,xr,,. ~ nd ~
proper time Umballa would appear not
| behind the pursued but in the road in
front of them.
| bility of the Colonel and his party get
ting beyond the meeting Of the path
and the road, that IL II he kept going
forward all through the night, which
by the way, was exactly what the
astute Ahmed did. But Kathlyn's curl
osity the next morning neutralized tn
advantage gained.
A group Of masked dancers, peri
patctic was the cause. Confident thai
| they had Outstrippcd pursuit, she say
no reason why she should not witness
the dancing.
| How Umbala came upon them sud
denly, like n thunderbolt. Confscat ct
| the Elephants. how they fled tn a ncarb.
temple, bribed the dancers for mask,
and garments fled still further into thu
wooded hills and hid there with small
arms ready needs hut little telling
Umballa returned to the city satisfied
He had at least deprived them Of thei
means OF travel. Sooner or later the.
would founder in the jungle, hear a
the arrival of the younger daughter
and return.
/ Ahmed was grave I.al Singh ha'
gone. Now that the expedition hat