The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-05-29
tcopzr.ehs By Harold M.ear..h,

was an 1901 so hldeOuSly done in wood
that the prince of hell would have ia
ken 1t to be the personification of a
damned soul could he have glimpsed it
In the temple of Alfalfa The gods
face was black, his lips and mouth hor-
ribly and significantly red; his eyes
were polished emeralds, his arms were
OF gilt, his body like that of a toad
His temporal reign in Alfalfa was some
where near four hundred years, and
no doubt his emerald eyes had seen a
crimson trail behind his car as many
hundred times.
He was married frequently. Some
poor, benighted, fanatical woman
would pledge herself and would be
considered with awe till she died. But
In these times no one flung himself
under the car; nothing but the incense
of crushed flowers now followed his
wake. His grin, however, was the
same as of old. Wood, paint, gilt and
emeralds! Well, we enlightened Euro
peans sometimes worship these very
things, though we Indignantly deny it.
Outside the temple stood the car,
Enthusiastically carved, dull with rubbed
gold leaf. You could see the sockets
where horrid knives had once glittered
In the sunlight. Xerxes no doubt
founded his war chariots upon this
idea. The wheels, six in number, two
In front and two on each side, were
solid, broad, and heavy, capable OF
smoothing out a corrugated winter
road. The superstructure was an or
nate shrine, which contained the idol
on it's peregrinations to the river,
About the car were the devotees
some holding the ropes, others watch
ing the entrance to the temple. Pres
emily from the temple came the gurus
or priests, bearing the idol With
much reverence they placed the Idol
within the shrine, the pilgrims took
hold firmly of the ropes, and the cal
ratified and Numbered on its way tc
the river.
OF Juggernaut and his car more
anon.
The street outside the garden OF
brides was in reality no thoroughfare
though natives occasionally made use
OF 1t as short cut into town. There
fore no one observed the entrance oil
an elephant. which stopped close tc
the wall, seemingly to melt into the
drab OF It, On his back, however, the
howdah was conspicuous. Behind tht
of ~
was about to turn away in despair
when through the wicker gate she saw
Winnie, attended by one OF the zenans
girls, enter the garden. 1t seemed az
II her will reached out to bring Winnie
to the wall and to hold the other young
woman where she was.
But the two sat in the center Of the
garden, the thoughts of each far away
The attendant felt no worry In bring
ing Winnie into the garden. A cry
from her lips would bring a dozer
guards and eunuchs from the palace
And the white girl could not get out
alone. More than this, she gave Win
ME liberty in order to trap her If pos
sible.
By and by the native girl pretended
to feel drowsy in the heat Of the sun
and her head fell forward a trife. II
was then that Winnie heard low
whistle, an old familiar whistle such
as she and Kit had used once upon g
time In playing "a spy" She sat vi
rigidly. 1t was hard work not to cry
out. Over the wall the drab trunk OF
an elephant protruded, and something
white fiuttered into the garden.
Winnie rose. The head of the native
girl came up instinctively; but as Win
ME leisurely strolled toward the pal
ace. the head sank again. Winnie
turned and wandered along the walls
apparently examining the flowers ant
vines. but all the while moving nearer
and nearer to the bit of white paper
which the idle breeze stirred back and
forth tentatively. When she reached
the spot she stopped and plucked some
flowers, gathering up the paper as she
did SO. And, still In the STOPPING pos
ture, she read the note, crumpled 1t
ssAau oeuhCu ~ lutO uOlc III tHG Wall
Poor child. Every move had been
watched as cobra watches its prey.
She was to pretend illness at once
Plans had been changed. She stood
up, swayed slightly, and staggered
back to the seat. In truth. she was
pale enough, and her heart beat so fast
that she was horribly dizzy.
"A doctor!" she cried. forgetting thai
she would not be understood
The native girl stared at her. She
did not understand the words, but the
signs were enough. The young white
woman looked i'll; and Umballa would
deal harshly with those who failed tc
stem the tide Of any illness which
might befall his captive. There was q
commotion behind the fretwork Of the
palace. Three other girls came out
and Winnie was conducted back to the
.nnmana