Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-10-29
Copyright by Harold MacGrathl

would not bend, She should Dreak. As
her arm sank he sprang forward like
cat and seized her wrist. He was
not gentle. The dagger tinkled as II
struck the marble floor. He stopped
for 1t.
Since you will not bend. break" he
said, and left the chamber, cold with
fury.
Kathlyn sank weakly upon her pill
lows as Pundita ran to her side.
What shall l do, Pundita?"
God knows. memsahib!"
Are you a Christian?"
Yes"
And SO they comforted each other.
There was a garden in the palace
grounds. lovely indeed. A fountain
tinkled and fat carp swan about in the
futed basin. There were trellises OF
flowers. too; Persian roses. despite
the fact that 1t was still winter. 1t
was called the Garden of Brides.
Kathlyn, attended by Pundita. await
ed there the coming of Umballa and
the Council. Her heart ached with
bitterness and she could not think
clearly. The impression that all this
was some dreadful nightmare recurred
TO her vividly. What terrors awaited
her she knew not nor could conceive.
Marry that smiling demon?-for some
thing occult told her that he was q
demon. No: she was ready to die.
And but little while ago she
had been working happily in the out
door studio; the pet leopard sprawled
at her feet: from the bungalow she
heard the nightingale voice of Winnie.
soaring in some aria OF Verdi's; her
father was dozing on the veranda.
Out of that, into this! 1t was incred-
ible. From time to time she brushed
her forehead. bewildered.
In this mood, bordering on the hys-
terical (Which is sometimes but step
to supreme courage), Durga Ram. So
called Umballa. and the Council found
her. The face of the former was
cold, his eyes steady and expression
less.
Has your majesty decided?" asked
the eldest OF the Council.
Yes" quietly.
And your decision is?'
NO. absolutely and finally. There
is no reason why | should obey any
of your laws; but there is n good rea-
son why all of you shall some day be
punished for this outrage"
Outrage! To be made queen OF Al
laha?" The spokesman for the Coun-
ell stamped his foot in wrath.
Think" said Umballa.
II have thought. Let us have no
III
fuse to marry you. I'd much prefer
any beggar in the street. There Is
nothing more to be said
There are worse things than mar
riage."
What manner OF iudignities have
you arranged for me?" Her voice
was firm. but the veins in her throat
beat so hard that they stified her.
Said the spokesman of the council:
We have found a precedent We find
that one hundred and ninety years ago
a like case confused the Council of
that day. They finally agreed that she
must submit to Two ordeals with wild
beasts of the jungle. II she survived
she was to be permitted to rule with
out hindrance. 1t would be a matter
for the gods 10 decide"
Are you really human beings"
asked Kathlyn. her lips dry. Can you
possibly commit such a dreadful crime
against one who has never harmed
you, who asks for nothing but the free
dom to leave this country"
Pundita secretly caught Kathlyn's
hand and pressed it.
L.
compassion touched for the first time.
But he had gone too far; for the safety
of his own head he must go on.
"I am ready"
The four men salaamed gravely.
They turned, the flowing yellow robes
of the Council fiutterinG in the wind.
the sun lighting with green and red
fires the hilt Of Umballa's sword Not
one of them but would have emptied
his private Golfers to undo what he
had done. 1t was too late. Already a
priest had announced the ordeaIs to
the swRrming populace. You feed a
tiger to pacify him; you give Il pop
ulace spectacle.
That night Umballa did not rest par
ticuIarly we'll But he became de-
termined upon one thing; no actual
harm should betall Kathlyn. He would
have a marksman hidden nearby in
both ordeals. What n woman, She
was a queen. and he knew that he
would go through all the hells of Hind
to call her his. Long ere this he
would have looted the treasure chests
and swept her up on his racing ele-
phant had he dared. Sa'adi's hOuri,
A thousand times he heard 1t
through the night:
Il am ready"