The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-20

the priests returned to him, their heads bent before him
a little. 1t represented a salaam, as much as they had
ever given to the king himself. A glow ran over UNI
ballah.
"Highness, we agree. There will be terms"
al will agree to them without question"
Life and power again; real power! These dodderiny
fools should serve him, thinking the while that they
served themselves.
Half the treasury must be paid to the temple"
"Agreed!' Half for the temple and half for him
self; and the adjustment of the seven leopards. With
this stipulation: Ramabai is yours, but the white people
are to be mine"
The priests signifed assent.
And Umballah smiled in secret. Ramabai would be
dead on the morrow.
There remains the king" said the chief priest.
Umballah shrugged.
The chief priest stared soberly at the lamp above his
head. The king would be, then, UmbaIIah's affair.
is ill?"
H is moribund. .Silence!' warned Umbalah.
The curtains became violently agitated. They heard
the voice Of the young priest outside raised in protest,
to be answered by the shrill tones of a woman
You are mad!"
And thou art a stupid fool!'
Umballah's hand fell away from his dagger.
1T is a woman" he said. Admit her"
The curtains were thrust aside, and the painted dane
ing girl who had saved Umballah from death or capture
Ill the II O1 HIS own COllrlVlnS, ruSned l. her DlaCK
hair was studded with turquoise, a necklace of amber
cleaned like gold around her neck, and on her arms and
ankles a plenitude of silver bracelets and anklets. With
her back to the curtains, the young priest staring curl
ously over her shoulder, she presented a picturesque
tableau.
"Well?" said UmbaIlah, who understood that she was
here from no idle whim.
"Highness you must hide with me this night"
"Indeed?'
6 ~ dio - ooo1l-
Umballah sprang forward and seized her roughly.
"What has happened"
II was in the zenana, highness, visiting my sister,
whom you had transferred from the palace. All at once
we heard shouting and trampling of feet, and a moment
later your house was overrun with men. They had
found the king in the hut and had taken him to the
palace. That they did not find you is because you came
here"
"Tell me ALL"
cit seems that the majordomo gave the poison to
Ramabai, but the white goddess. ."
"The white ~goddess!' cried Umballah, as if stung
by a cobra's fang.
"Ay, highness. She did not die on that roof. Moth
ing can harm her. 1t is written"
And I was never told"
She lived, lived, and all the terrors he had evoked
for her were as naught! Umballah was not above
superstition himself for all his European training. Sure
ly this girl Of the white people was imbued with some
thing more than mortal. She lived! .@e
SO on!' he said, his voice subdued as was his soul.
"The white goddess by mistake took Ranabai's Cob
let and was about to drink when the tnajordomo seized
the goblet and drained the poison himself. He confessed
everything, where the king was, where you were. They
are again hunting through the city for you. For the
present you must hide with me-"
The white woman must de- said Umballah, in q
voice like one being ~strangled. i.
To this the priests agreed without hesitation. This
white woman whom the people were calling a goddess
was a deadly menace to that scepter Of theirs, super
stnion.
What has gone is a pact?'
"a pact, Durga RAM" said the chief priest. With
Ramabai spreading Christianity, the abhorred creed
which gave people liberty Of person and thought, the fu-
ture OF his own religion stood in imminent danger. "a
pact" he reflected. "To you, Durga Ram, the throne;
to us half the treasury and all the ancient rites Of our
creed restored"
81 have said it,"
Umballah followed the dancing girl into the square
before the temple. he turned and smiled ironically.
The bald foolsl