The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-28

this temple) How she gained the shelter Of the sar-
cophagus she never knew, but gain it she did, anl
covered down within. She could hear the beast trot.
ting round and round, shifting and rumbling in his
throat Then the roaring Of the preceding night was
repeated. The old fellow evidently could not find those
other lions who roared back at him so valiantly. Evil
IDENTIFY fire had no terrors for him. For an hour or
more he patroled the portico, and al this time Kathlyn
did not stir, hardly daring to breathe for fear he might
undertake to peer into the sarcophagus.
Silence. A low roar from the inner shrine told her
that for the present she was safe. Tomorrow she must
hy, whittier did not matter. Toward 4 o'clock she fell
into a dozs and was finally awakened by the sound Of
voices raised in anger. .
Poor sheep! They had discovered the shattered idol
1t did not matter at all that the return Of their ancient
goddess was to bring back prosperity. She had broken
their favorite idol. Damnation would come in q devils
wind that night. .-.
The holy man who had missed the chance Of claim.
ing the miraculous appearance Of Kathlyn as q work OF
his own now saw an opportunity to rehabiitate himself
in the eyes of those who had made his holiness q COM
Portable existence. With a piece OF the idol In his
hand, he reused Ksthlyn and shook the clay before her
face, jabberng violently. Kathlyn understood readily
enough. She had unwittingly committed q sacrlege.
The natives gathered about and menaced her. Kath-
Ign rose, standing in the sarcophagus, and extended her
hands for silence. She was frightened, but 1t would
never do to let them see II. What Hindustani she
knew would in this case be Of no manner Of use. But
we human beings can, by facial expression and gesture,
make known our messages with underestimate BILE clear
ness. From her gestures, then, the holy men gathered
that she could recreate the god. She pointed toward
the sun and counted on her fingers.
The premier holy man, satisfied that he understood
Kathlyn's gestures, turned to the justly angered vii
layers and explained that with his aid their priestess
would, in Eve suns, re-create Vishnu in all his beauty.
Instantly the villagers Frustrated themselves.
Poor things!" murmured Kathlyn. u
The holy men sent the natives away, for It was not
meet that they should witness magic in the making.
They then squatted in the clay court and curiousIy
waited for her to begin. There was a well In the inner
shrine. To this she went with caution. The Hon was
evidently foraging in the jungle. Kathlyn filed the
copper ysSsel with water and returned. Next, she
gathered up what pieces Of the idol she could fnd and
piecsd them together. Here was her model She then
approached one Of the 3akfrs and signihed that she had
need Of his knife. He demurred at first, but at length
consented to part with It She dug up a square piscs
Of clay. In fine, she felt more like the Kathlyn Of old
than she had since completing the leopard In her OUT
door studio. It occupied her thoughts, ut least part Of
them, for she realized that rnayhap hr Life depended
upon her skill In reproducing the hideous idol.
AS the two old hypocrites saw the clay take form and
shape and the mocking face gradually appear, they were
assured that Kathlyn was indeed the ancient ~priestess;
and deep down In their souls they experienced some
thing Of the awe they had often inspired in the poor,
trusting ryot.
Kathlyn had talent bordering on genius. The idol was
an exact replica Of the original ones more, there was q
subtle beauty now where before there had been a frank
responsiveness. Il satisfied the holy men, and the un.
yelling was greeted by the villagers with such Joy that
Kathlyn forgave them and could have wept over them.5
She had made O god for them, and they fell down and
~worshiped IL.
Five more days passed. On the afternoon of the
fifth day Kathlyn was feeding the FIRE. The holy men
sat In the court at their devotions, which consisted In
merely remaining motionlesa. <Kathlyn turned from the
fire to see them rise and Ace In terror. She In turn dsd,
for the lion stood between her and the sarcophagusl
The Lion paused, iashfng his tail. The many recent
connections within and without the temple had finally
reused his ire. He hesitated between the holy men
and 5Kathiyn, and finally concluded that she In the
auttering robes would DO the most desirable.
There was no particular hurrys besides, he was not
hungry. The cat In him wanted to play. He Topped
after Kathiyn easily. At any time he chose q few
swift bounds would bring hlm to her side.
Beyond the temple lay the came stream by whSch.
miles away, Kathlyn had seen the funeral pyre and
about which she had had 50 weird q fantasy. Is this
stream was deep there was d chance for life.
mo mn eosgEauHal