Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1915-04-01

where the cave was. One man did
know the way. but he refused to show
1t. There were spirits there, ruled
by an evil god.
Take me there, you, and will en-
ter without harm. Am not holy?"
That put rather a new face upon the
situation. II the holy man was willing
to risk an encounter with the god, far
be 1t that they should prevent him.
An ordinary seeker would not have
found the entrance in lifetime. UNI
balla had not known exactly where the
cave was, but he knew all that the
cave contained. When they came to
1t Umballa shifted the tang of sui
phur became evident both in his nose
and on his tongue. He understood. 1t
was simply small spring, a mineral.
in which sulphur predominated. He
came out with some cupped in his
hands. He drank and showed them
that it was harmless. Besides, he was
a holy man, and his presence made in
effectual all evil spirits which might
roam within the cave.
Umballa, impatient as he was, had
to depend upon patience. By dint Of
inquiries he learned that wild Moham-
medans had cast the spell upon the
cave, set curse upon its threshold
Umballa tottered and destroyed this
by reasoning that the curse of Mo
hammedan could not affect a Hindu.
Finally, he offered each and all of them
a fortune-and won.
Torches were lighted and the cave
entered. There were many side pas
.sages; and within these the astute UNI
balla saw the true reason for the curse
of the Mohammedans guns and pow
der, hundreds and hundreds of pounds
of black destruction! A lower gallery
the mouth of which lay under a slab
of rock-led to the pit wherein rested
the filigree basket. For a time
Umballa acted like a mailman. He
sang, chanted, dug his hands into the
gold and stones; choked, sobbed. Here
was true kingship; the private treas
ures of a dozen decades, all his for
the taking He forgot his enemies and
their nearness as the fortune revealed
itself to him.
AS his men at length staggered out
of the lower gallery with the basket
slung upon an improvised litter he
espied his enemies marching up the
hill! Back into the cave again. Um-
balla cursed and bit his nails. He was
unarmed, as were his men, and he had
not time to search among the SNUG
gled arms to find his need.
"Heaven-born." spoke up the man
who had known where the cave was,
there Is an exit on the other side.
We can go through that without yon-
der people noticing u.s."
"A fortune for each OF you when you
put this on the sloop!"
Back through the cave they rushed,
torches flarihg. Once a bearer STUN |
bled over powder can, and the torch
holder all but sprawled over him. Um-
balla's hair stood on end. Fear i'm
PEELED the men toward the exit.
There is powder enough here to
blow up all Of Hind. Hasten!"
At the mouth Of the exit the men
with the torches. finding no further
need Of them, carelessly flung them
aside.
"Fools!" roared Umballa; you have
destroyed us!"
He fed. The bearers followed with
the burden. Down the side Of the
they slid Under a pro.
jecting ledge they paused, sweating
with terror. Suddenly the whole island
rocked An explosion followed that
was heard half hundred miles away,
where the gunboat Of the British raj
patroled the shores. Rocks, trees,
sand filled the air, and small fires
broke out here and there. The bulk
Of the damage. however. was done to
the far side Of the promontory, not
where the frightened Umballa stood.
A twisted rife barrel fell at his feet.
ITO the sloop!" he yelled. 1T is all
1verl"
On the far side the other treasure
seekers stood huddled together, scarce
knowing which way to turn. The mir.