The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

am not answered., Salu tHlDalla.
A click resounded from the four sides |
and bar disappeared from each OF the |
cages.
That will be all for the present"
said Umballa. Food and water you
will not require. Tomorrow morning |
another bar will be removed"
And he left them.
Overhead the blue sky was growing
bluer and the shadows in the Court Of
Death a deeper black.
Early the next morning the town be-
gan to seethe in the squares. Bala-
khan's army lay encamped outside the
city! Those who possessed treasures
dug pits for them In the cellars Of their
houses. Within the great temple there
was a fiutter among the white robed ones. |
What could they do? They knew not
where the white goddess was. nor I'M
balla. They despatched a peace mes
senger to the camp. but the messenger
was sent back before he had passed the
outposts.
When Bruce. Ramabai, Pundita and
Ahmed halted their elephants before the
temple they were greeted by the now
terrified priests. who begged TO be in
formed what Balakhan proposed to do.
Deliver to us the Memsahib."
The priests swore by all their gods
that they knew nothing Of her
"Hs speaks the truth" volunteered
Ramabai, as the chief priest fell before
one of his gods. "Umballa has doubt
less entered secretly"
What would you advise? For Gods
sake, think of something. Ramabai! He
may be torturing them"
Let us enter the temple" said Rama
bal. ahmed, bring the treasure and
leave It in the care of the priests
A few moments later Ramabai adj
dressed the assemblage. "Balakhan Is
hostile. but only for the sake of his
friends. He lays down this law, how
cver--obey 1t or disobcy IL: The Colonel
Sahib and his daughters are to go free,
10 do what they please with the treas
ure. Pundita. according to the will of
the late king, shall be crowned. Obey
or dlsobey. I warn you that these are
not my dictates, but Balakhan's"
Peace, peace!" The cry arose from
all directions, even from the priests
themselves.
The high priest held up his hand for
silence. I'VE obey on one condition
that the new queen shall in no manner
interfere with our old religion nor at
tempt to force her new religion into
the temple"
To this Pundita agreed.
"Ramabai. soldiers! To the house Of
Umballa, We shall find them there"
cried Ahmed.
Umballa squatted upon his cushions
on the terrace. The second bar had
been removed. The beasts were press
ing their wet nozzles to the openings
and growing deep challenges.
"Once more. and for the last time. will
you reveal the hiding place OF the treas
ure?"
Not a word from the prisoners. II
they told or did not tell II would have
made no difference with the man above.
He was drunk.
1.-THE third BAR"
But 1t did not STIR
THE third bar: remove IT."
The slave who had charge o. the
mechanism which operated the bars re-
fused to act. Perhaps his refusal saved
the lives Of the Colonel and his daugh-
ters. The bastlnado was ordered for the
poor, disobedient wretch. Then he was
thrown out into the street.
And there Bruce found him nd
learned what was toward.
The events which followed were of
balla met upon the parapet in n strug-
gle which promised death or the tread
mill to the weaker. At the same time
Bruce opened the door to the Court OF
Death as the final bar dropped in the
cage. At the sight Of him the Colonel
and his daughters rushed to the door.
Roughly he hurled them outside. slam
ming the iron door upon which the in
tod Ar hav
The young newspaper man to whom
Winnie was engaged and the grizzled
Ahmed sat on the steps Of the bunga-
low in California one pleasant after
noon. The pipe was cold in the hand
OF the reporter and Ahmed's cigar
was dead. which always happens when
one recounts an exciting tale and an
other listens Among the flower beds
beyond two young women wandered,
followed by a young man in pongee.
panama set carelessly upon his hand
some head, his face brown, his build
| slender but round and muscular.
And that, sahib, is the story" sighed
Ahmed.
And Kathlyn gave the treasures to
the poor of Alfalfa? That was fine"
you have said"
They should have hanged this UNI
balla"
mo, sahib. Death is grateful. 1t
is not a punishment 1t Is peace. But
Durga Ram. called Ur- balla, will spend
the remainder of his days in the
treadmill. which is a concrete hell, not
abstract. Always round his ankles
there will be irons. the gals OF the
night chains. Always his wrists shall
be bruised and torn; for sometimes he
| will lose his step and hang by his
wrists So much for ngratitude; so
much for the blindness of revenge"
DO you think England will ever
step imp
Perhaps. But so long as Pundita
rules justly, so long as her consort
abets her. England will not move. Per-
haps, II one of them dies. =
| There! the maids are calling you. And
! I will go and brew the Colonel Sahib's
tea" THE END
(Copyright. 1914 BIZ Harold Mo-
Grdth.1
Skyscraper Problems