Meade County news., 1915-02-11

Streets.
"An affair of state!" was all the ma
tives could get in answer to their in
quiries. Men came flocking to the
roofs. But the moonshine made all
things ghostly. The car of the god
Juggernaut was visible, but what lay
in its path could not be seen.
Umballa was not popular that night.
But this was private affair, Well he
knew the ingenuity and resources OF
his enemies at large There would be
no rescue this night. Kathlyn Mem
sahib should die; this time he deter
mined to put fear into the hearts OF
the others.
Having drunk his kings peg. he was
we'll fortified against any personal
qualms. The passion he had had for
Rathlyn was dead, dead as he wanted
her to be.
Whom the gods destroy they first
make mad; and Umballa was mad.
The palanquin waited in vain out
side the wall of the garden of brides
waited till ripple of the news eddied
about the conveyance In the shape OF
greatly agitated Lal Singh.
He is really going to kill her!" he
painted. HE lured her to her sisters
side. then captured her. She is to be
placed beneath the car Of Juggernaut
within an hour. 1t is to be done Sc
cretly. The people are guarded and
held In the bazaars. Ahmed, with an
elephant and armed keepers, will be
here shortly. have warned him. Um'
balla runs amuckl"
Suddenly they heard voices in the
garden. first Umballa's, then Kathlyn's.
Sinister portents to the ears Of the
listeners, father and lover and loyal
friends. The former were for break
ing into the garden then and there;
but a glance through the wicket gate
disclosed the fact that Umballa and
Kathlyn were surrounded by fifteen or
twenty soldiers. And they dared not
fire at Umballa for fear Of hitting
Kathlyn.
The palanquin was hastily carried
out of sight.
At the end of the passage or street
nearest the town was a gate which
was seldom closed. Through this one
had to pass to and from the city.
Going through this gate, one could
make the hill (where the car Of Jug
gernaut stood) within fifteen minutes,
while detour round the walls OF the
ancient city would consume three
quarters Of an hour Umballa ordered
the gate to be closed and stationed a
guard there. The gates changed be
hind him and Kathlyn. This time he
was guarding every entrance. II his
enemies were within they would
naturally be weak In numbers; out
side, they would find 1t extremely diff
cult to make an entrance. More thar
this, he had sent troop toward the
colonel's camp.
The gates had scarcely been closed
when Ahmed, his elephant and hi
armed keepers came into view. Th'
! men sent Pundita back to camp, ant
I the actual warfare began. They az
r preached the gate. demanding to be al
g lowed to pass. The soldiers refused
Y Instantly the keepers flung themselve
/. furiously upon the soldiers. Tit
trooper who held the key threw 1t owe
the wall just before he was overpow
cred. But Ahmed had come prepared
From out the howdah he took heavy
, leather pad, which he adjusted ovel
the fore skull of the elephant, ant
gave command.
The skull OF the elephant is thick
Hunters will tell you that bullets
4 glance off It as water from the back o.
a duck. Thus, protected by the leather
pad, the elephant becomes a formida
BILE battering ram, backed up by tons
|, of weight. Only the solidity Of stones
may stay him.
Ahmeds elephant shouldered through
the gates grandly For all the resist
ance they offered that skull they might
have been constructed OF papieI
mache.
Through the dust they hurried
Whenever curious native got In the
way the butt of rifle bestirred him
} out Of 1t.
Umballa had lashed Kathlyn to q
sapling which was laid across the path
Of the car. The man was mad, stark
mad this night. Even the soldiers
and the devotees surrounding the car
we're terrified. One did not force sac.
rifices to Juggernaut. One soldier had
protested and he lay at the bottom oi
the hill, his skull crushed. The others,
pulled one way by greed of money and
love of life, stirred no hand.
But Kathlyn Memsahib did not die
under the broad wheels Of the car OF
Juggernaut. So interested in Umballa
we're his men that they forgot the
vigilance required to conduct such q
ceremony free Of interruption. A
cracking OF shots, warning cry to
drop their arms, the plunging of AK
elephant in the path of the car, which
was already laundering down the hill.
spoiled Umballa's classic.
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