The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-01

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bdwith the boat which they had oni
inst brought back
Ramabai picked up his discarded
rife.
aThey are frightened" explained the
chief.
well, they can contain their fright
till we are in safety" Ramabai de-
clared. Warn them"
Hurry, everybody! ! feel It in my
bones that that black devil has the
treasure. Get these men into the
boats. Here. pick up those oars. Get
in, Kit; you, Winnie; come every
body!"
Kathlyn gazed sadly at her father.
Treasure, treasure; that first. She was
beginning to hate the very sound of
the word. The colonel had been nerv-
Gus, impatient, and irritable ever since
the document had been discovered.
Till recently Kathlyn had always be-
lieved her father to be perfect, but
now she saw that he was human, he
had his fawed spot. Treasure! Before
her or Winnie! So be it.
Colonel" said Bruce, taking a
chance throw, I'VE are less than q
hundred miles from the seaport. Sup
pose We let Umballa clear out and we
ourselves head straight up the coast?
It is not fair to the women to put them
to any further hardship"
Bruce, have sworn to God that
Umballa shall not have that treasure.
Ramabai, do you understand what 1t
will mean to you II he succeeds In
reaching Alfalfa with that treasure,
probably millions? He will be able to
buy every priest and soldier In Allaha
and still have enough left for any ex-
travagance that he may wish to plunge
in"
"Sahib," suggested Ramabai, let US
send the women to the seaport In care
of Ahmed, while we men seek Umbal-
IA"
Good" Bruce struck his hands to-
gether. THE very thing"
II refuse to be separated from faith
err" declared Kathlyn. IF he is deter
mined to pursue Umballa back to AL
laha, must accompany him."
And T." added Winnie.
Nothing more to be said," and
Bruce signed to the boatmen to start,
"If only this breeze had not come up!
We could have caught him before he
made shore"
Umballa paced the deck of the sloop,
thinking and planning. He saw his
enemies leaving in the rescued boats.
Had he delayed them long enough? AS
matters stood, he could not carry away
the treasure. He must havo help, an
armed force of men he could trust. On
the mainland were Ahmed and the 10y.
al keepers; behind were three men
who wanted his life as he wanted
theirs. The only hope he had lay in
the cupidity of the men on the sloop.
If they could DO made to stand by
him. there was fair chance. Once
he was of mind to heave the basket
over the rail and trust to luck In find
ing it again. But tho thought toro at
his heart. He simply could not do it
Perhaps he could start revolt, or
win over the chief Of the village. He
had known honest men to fall at the
sight of gold, to fight for 1t, to commit
any crime for it-and, if need be. to
die for it. But the chief was with his
enemies. Finally he came to the con.
clusion that the only thing to be done
was to carry the treaure directly into
the chiefs hut and there await him.
He would brIbe the men with him suf.
ficiently to close their mouths. If All.
med was on the shore, the game was
up. But he swept the mainland with
his gaze and discovered no sign OF
him.
AS matter OF fact, Ahmed had ar.
ranged his elephants so that they could