Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-11-12
cHAPT vi.
Tho Temple of the Lion.

Tho Temple Of the Lion.
In the blue of night the temple
looked as though 1t had been sculp-
heavy dsws. touched by the moon
lances. flung back flames of sapphire.
cold and sharp. To Kathlyn the tenn.
pie was of marvellous beauty. She
urged Rajah toward the crumbling
portico.
1t was temple in ruins. like many
in Hind. Broken pillars. exquisitely
carved, lay about, and some OF the tall
windows OF marble lace were punctur-
ed. as II the fist OF some angry god
had beaten through. Under the de-
cayed portico stood an iron brazier
Near this reposed a cracked stone
sarcophagus: an unusual sight In this
part of the world. II was without Its
lid. But one god now brooded here
abouts-Silence. Not a sound any
where. not even from the nearby
trees. She saw noiseless lizard slide
jerzily across a patch of moonshine
and dissolve into the purple shadow
beyond.
What was this temple? What gods
had been worshiped here. And why
was 1t deserted? She had heard her
father tell OF the ruined city of Chitor.
Plaguef Kathlyn shuddered.
Sometimes villages, to the last soul In
them, we're brushed from existence
and known no more to man. And this
might be one of them. Yet Indications
of village were nowhere to be seen.
It was merely a temple. perhaps miles
from the nearest village, deserted save
by prowling wild beasts. the winds, the
sunshine, and the moonshine, She
looked far and wide for any signs OF
human habitation.
She commanded Rajah to kneel So
| held by the enchanting picture was
Kathlyn that the elephants renewed
restlessness land he had reason. as
will be seem passed unobseryed by
her. He came to knee, however. and
she got out of the howdah. Her legs
trembled for space. for her nerves
were in u pitlable condition. Suddenly
Rajah's ears went forward, he rose
and his trunk curled angrily. With 8
whuir he wheeled and shutiled of to
ward the jungle out of which he hac
SO recently emerged.
Halt" cried Kathlyn. What hat
he heard? What had he seen? Halt!
But even as she called the tall gras,
closed In behind the elephant. Wha
water and food she had disappeared
with him,
She paused by the brazier, catchin,
hold OF 1t for support. She Laughed
historically: 1t was SO funny; 1t wa
all SO out OF joint with real things
with everyday life as she had know
1t. Weird laughter returned to moe
her astonished ears. a sinister echo
And then she laughed at the echo, bt
ing in the grip of a species of madness
, In the purple caverns of the tempt
she suddenly became conscious Of ar
other presence. A fash as of moor
light striking two chrysoberyls too
, the madness out OF her mind. Thi
, forsaken temple WAS the haunt OF
leapord or tiger
!. She was lost That magnetism
Z which ordinary was hers was at II
nadir. She hesitated for secon,
!. then climbed into the empty sarcophl
4 gus. crouching low. Strangely enougl
n as she did so a calm fell upon her
r all the terrors of her position droppe
/ away from her as mists from Ii
= mountain peaks. She had. howeve
a gotten into the hiding place none tc
r soon. She heard the familiar pad.pa
). the whiff-whlff of a big cat. Imned
F.; ately into the moonlight came a
f.: African lion. as out OF place here 1
o Kathlyn herself; his tall slashe
A there was a long. black streak fro
d his name to his tail where the hair hf
risen. kathlyn crouched even lowe
l. The lion trotted round the sarcoph
n gus, shifting. Presently he lifted h
I. head and roared. The echoes play
d battledore and shattlecock with Il
sound The lion roared again. th
d time vt the insulting echoes. For