Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-10-08

while we wefs salaaming and
genuhecting and using grandiloquent
phrases the bally leopard got loose.
somehow. Maybe some one let him
loose; l don't know Anyhow, he
made for the king. who was too thun-
derstruck to dodge. The rest of 'em
took to their heels. you may lay odds
on that. Now. had an honest liking
for the king. Seeing the brute make
for him. dashed forward. You see.
at ceremonials you're not permitted
to carry arms. 1t had to be with my
hands. The leopard knocked the old
boy nat and began to maui him.
kicked the brute in the face. swept
the kings turban of his head and
flung 1t about the head of the leopard.
Somehow or other l got him down.
Some Of the frightened natives came
up. and with the help of Ahmed we
got the brute tied up securely. When
the king came around he silently shook
hands with me and smiled peculiarly
at Umballa. who now came running
up"
And that's how you got those poor
hands," exclaimed Kathlyn. kissing
the scars which stood out white
against the tan.
That's how" raising the hands and
putting them on Kathlyn's head in
kind of benediction.
rs that alp asked Winnie. breath
lessly.
isn't that enough" he retorted.
We'll. what is it, Martha? Dinner?
Well, II l haven't cheated you girls
out of your tea"
TEA" shifted Winnie disdainfully.
DO you know. dad, you're awfully
mean 10 Kit and me. II you'd take the
trouble you could be more interesting
than any book ever read"
He doesn't believe his stories would
interest vain young ladies'" said Kath-
lyn. gravely.
Her father eyed her sharply. or
what was she thinking? In those calm
unwavering eyes of hers he saw a
question. and he feared in his soul
she might voice it. He could evade
the questions of the volatile Winnie,
but there was no getting by Kathlyn
with evasions Frowning. he replaced
the order in the box, which he put
away in a drawer. 1t was all arrant
nonsense. anyhow; nothing could pos
sibly happen; if there did, he would
feel certain that he no longer dwalt
in a real workaday world. The Idle
whim OF sardonic old man; nothing
more than that.
Father. is the king dead?"
Dead! What makes you ask that,
Kit?"
"The past tense; you said he was.
not is"
"Yes, he's dead and the news came
this morning. Hence, the yarn"
will there be. any danger in re-
turning"
MY girl. whenever ! pack my lug
gage there is danger. A cartridge may
stick: a man may stumble: n man
you rely on may fall you. AS for that.
there's always danger It's the penalty
of being alive"
nonth way to the dining room Kath.
lyn thought deeply. Why had her ia
ther asked them II they loved him?
Why did he speak of the Big Trek?
There was something more than this
elittering medal. something more than
Well. II he declined to take her into
his confidence he must have good
reason.
After dinner that night the colonel
went the rounds. as was his habit
nightly. BY and by he returned to the
bungalow. but did not enter. He filled
his cutty and walked to and fro in the
moonlight. with his head bent and his
hands ciasped behind his back. There
was a restlessness in his stride not
unlike that OF the captive beasts In
the cages nearby. Occasionally he
paused at the cIink clink OF the ele-
phant irons or at the "wur" as the un
easy pachyderm poured dust on his
head.
Bah, 1t was madness. A parchment
in Hindustani. given jestingly or ironic-
ally by a humorous old chap in orders
and white linen and rhinoceros san
dals. A throne. Pshaw! II
was bally nonsense. As il a white
man could rule over brown one by
the choice of the latter. And yet, that
man Umballas face. when he had
shown the king the portraits OF his
two lovely daughters. He would send
Ahmed. Ahmed knew the business
as well as he did. He would send his
abdication to the council. giving them
the right to choose his successor He
himself would remain home with the
girls. Then he gazed up at the moon
and smiled grimly.
"Hukum hail" he murmured in Hin
dustani. 1T is the orders. I've simply
got to go. When ! recall those rubies
and emeralds and pearls. e.
Well, it's not cupidity for myself. It's
for the girls. Besides. there's the call,
the adventure. I've simply go to go.
can't escape il | must be always on