The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-07-17
Copyright: 1914: BY Harold Mac Greth.l
CHAPTER XVI

ana sooner or later set upon by Umballah and the
men ne hao won away from the village chief. The DOOR
""""e 81 goo mad and at present not accountable
Wh "n@t tneV old or planned to do. He advanced that
OmDaIiah would have no difficulty in rousine thor IN
tne pitch OF murder. UmbaTah would have at his beck
and call no less than twenty men, armed and rutbIess
Some seventy miles beyond was British territory, and
wherever there was British territory there vera Rr;ti.h
soldiers. With them they would return, leaving tina
women in safety behind.
The Commissioner there will object" raid tina
Colonel.
No .Sahib," replied Ahmed. "The Memsahib has
every right in the world to this treasure. You possess
the documents to prove it, and nothing more would be-
necessary to the Commissioner.
But, Ahmed" interposed Bruce, we are none Of
us British subjects"
What difference will that make, Sahib2"
quite enough. England is not in the habit of pro-
'ecung ANYBODY but her own subjects. We should prob
ably be held up till everything was verified at Alfalfa.
ana the priests there would not hesitate to charge US
with forgery and heaven knows what else. Let us bury
the basket, by all means; return for it and carry it away
~ plecemeaL To carry it away as it is, in bulk, would
be counting suicide"
Ahmed scratched his chin. Trust a white man for
logic.
~ And, BESIDES" went on Bruce, " the news wouyd ~
all over the orient and the thugs would come like aiAs
seeming money. No; this must be kept secret II W @
care 10 get away with 1t. 1t cannot be worth less than
= mnnon. And I've known white men who would cut
our threats for a handful of rupees"
For the first time since the expedition started out the
Colonel became normal, a man Of action, cool in the
head, and foresighted.
Ahmed, spread out the men around the camp" he
ordered briskly. Instruct them to shoot over the
mead or any one who approaches; this the first time.
The second time m kin Pr,ca hos +bo u;ul. 81.
let us get busy. Over there, where that bowlder is. The
ground will be damp aud soft under 1t, and when we
ron 1t back there will be no sign Of its having been
disturbed. I used to cache ammunition that way. Give
me that spade"
AT a depth of three feet the basket was lowered. GOV.
cred, and the bowlder rolled into place. After that tia
Colonel stopped and combed the turf where the bowlder
had temporarily rested. He showed his woodcraft there.
1t would take a keener eye than Umballah possessed
to note any disturbance. The safety of the treasure
ultimately, however, depended upon the loyalty of the
keepers under Ahmed. They had been with the Colonel
Tor years; yet . . The Colonel shrugged. He had
TO trust them; that was all there was to the matter.
A sentinel came rushing up-one of the keepers.
Something Is stampeding the elephants!" he cried.
Ahmed and the men with him rushed off. In Ahmed's
opinion, considering what lay before them, elephants
were more important than coored stones and yellow
metal. Without the elephants they would indeed find
themselves in sore straits.
Let us move away from here" advised Bruce, pick
ing up the implements and shouldering them. He walked
several yards away, tossed shovel and pick into the
bushes, tore at the turf and stamped on 1t, giving it
every appearance of having been disturbed. The Colonel
nodded approvingly. 1t was a good point and he had
overlooked It
They returned hastily to camp, which was about 200
yards beyond the bowlder. Kathlyn entered her tent
to change her clothes, ragged, soiled, and burnt. The
odor of wet burnt cloth is. never agreeable. And she
needed dry shoes, even IL there was but an hour or two
before bedtime 49,. a. -
Only one elephant had succeeded in boiling. In some
manner he had loosed his peg: but what had started him
on the run, they never, learned. The other elephants
were swaying uneasily, but their pegs were deep and
their chains stout. Ahmed and the keepers went after
the truant on foot. ,.r.J 10y r
The noise Of the chase died away. Bruce was light
ing his pipe. The Colonel was examining by the fire.
light a few emeralds which he had taken from the baS-
ket. Ramabai was pleasantly gazing at his wife. Kath.
Ign and Winnie were emerging from the tent, when a
yell greeted their astonished ears. The camp was sur
rounded. From one side came Umballah, from the other
came the mutineer. Kathlyn and Winnie flew to their
fathers side. In between came UmbaIlah, with Bruce
and Ramabai and Pundita effectually separated. UNI
ballah and his men closed in upon the Colonel and his
daughter. Treasure and revenge!
Bruce made a furious effort to join Kathlyn,a but the
numbers against him were too many. 1t was all done
80 suddenly and e~ftectualy, and all due to their own
earelessness.
exit" said her father, our only chance is to refuse
to discover to Umballah where we have hidden the bas-
ket. Winnie, if you open your lips it win be death
yours. Kits, mine. To have been careless like thisl
o, Kit, on my honor, IL Umballah would undertake to
convey us to the seaport I'd gladly give him all the
treasure and all the money I have Of my own. But we
know him too well. He win torture us aH.''
II have gone through much; I can go through more"
calmly replied Kathlyn. But / shall never wear 1
precious stone again, II / live. I abhor theml"
aI am my fathers daughter said Winnie.
Put the howdahs on the two elephants UmbaIah
ordered.
The men obeyed clumsiy, being fishermen by. occupa-
tion and mahouts by compulsion.
Kathlyn tried in vain to see where they were taking
Bruce and the others. Some day, lie she lived, she was
going to devote a whole day to weeping. for she never