The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-11-13

Inc colOntl oDJtcAeuf heh NNHN"'s"
oyerTuled his objections.
But. Kit they will recognize US
They viii not have forgotten me- They
will know that we have come from the
town, despite the fact that TO all ap-
pearances we come from the west
Bruce also shook HIS head II
doesn't look good. Ramabai Why not
we three menY"
"They would be suspicious at once
They would reason. II they saw hath'
lyn Memsahib and my wife with US
that we we're harmless, WIN you trust
me?"
Anywhere" said the colonel. But
they will simply make US prisoners
along with the elephant"
"Ah. but the Colonel sahib forgets
the opium" Ramabai laid his hand
upon the colonePs arm. Let them
make prisoners OF us. The very first
thing they will do will be TO search the
saddle bags. They will find the opium
In a quarter OF an hour they Will be
as dead and we can return"
1T is a good plan" said Eala Khan
when the conversation was fully trans
lated TO him. And once the elephant
is back In the compound I'll send
dozen men back for the rogues, An!
they will play with me; they will steal
into my town, overcome my guards
take the apple OF my eye! Ramabai.
thou are friend indeed. Haste and
Allah fend for thee! Umballa may ar
rive with an army. but he shall not
enter my gates"
Guided by a servant, Bruce and Ra'
mabai set of for the opium den. The
proprietor understood exactly what
/ they desired. There we're times when
men entered his place who we're In
need Of a long sleep, having money
tucked away IN their fantastic cum.
merbunds.
/ So. mounted upon five swift camels,
the party started OF on a wide circle.
| Whether they caught the brigands at
! the well or on the way TO their noun
tain homes was Of no great importance.
| Ramabai was quite certain that tho
result would be the same. The colonel
grumbed a good deal Suppose the
rascals did not smoke what then?"
They will smoke" declared Rama
| bal, confidently. The old rascal Of
whom we bought the opium has enter
tanned them more than once. They
are too poor TO own pipes. Have pa
tience, Colonel Sahib. A good deal de-
pends upon the success Of our adven-
ture this morning If | know anything
about Umballa, he will shortly be on
the march. Dala Khan has given his
word"
Had It not been for liberal use of
opium the night before, the brigands
would not have tarried so long at the
well; but they we're terribly thirsty,
a bit nerve-shattered and craved for
the drug. The CHIEF alone had fully
recovered. He cursed and raved at his
men, kicked and beat them. What!
After all these weeks of waiting, to let
sleep stand between them and thou
sands of rupees? Dogs! Pigs! Did
they not recollect that Bala Khan had
a way Of mailing thieves outside the
walls of his city? Well, he for one
would not wait. He would mount the
sacred elephant and head toward the
caves in the hills. Let them who
would decorate the walls of Bala
Khan. The threat of Bala Khan put
life into the eight followers, and they
were getting ready to move on when
one of them discovered a small cara
van approaching from the west
Camels? Ha! Here was a chance
of leaving Bala Khan's city far in the
rear. And there would be loot besides.
Those helmets were never worn by
any save white men. The chief scowled
under his shading palm. Women! o,
this was going to be something worth
while.
When the caravan came within hall
ing distance the chief Of the brigands
stepped forward menacingly. The
new arrivals we're Informed they were
prisoners, and were hidden to dis
mount at once.
But we are on the way to the city
of Bala Khan" demonstrated Rama
bal
(Which you left this morning!"
jeered the chief. "Dismount!"
But l am selling opium there!"
"Opium!"
Where is it? Give it to us!" cried
one of the brigands.
The chief thought quickly. If his
men would smoke they should suffer
the penalty Of being left at the well to
await the arrival Of the tender Bala
Khan. The white elephant was worth
10000 rupees. He might not be obliged
to share these bagc Of silver. His men
could not complain. They had dis
charged him. Let them have the pipes.
He himself would only pretend to
smoke.
But the first whiff Of the fumes was
| too much for his will power. He
sucked in the smoke, down to the bot
tom OF his very soul, and suddenly
found peace. The superdrug with
which the poppy had been mixed was
unknown to Ramabai, but he had
often witnessed tests of its potency.
! 1t worked with the rapidity of viper
venom. Within ten minutes after the
first inhalation the nine brigands sank
back upon the sand, as nearly dead as
any man might care to be.
At once the elephant was liberated,
and the party made off toward the
town. Colonel Hare, suspicious of
everything these days, marveled over
| the simnlicitY of the trick and the