The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-05-01

| struck the elephant, Wnlcn lLinDeTeu
ashore The moment Kathlyn was
safe in the barge Umballa would prob
ably give orders to resume firing. He
could do so now with impunity.
The soldiers drew Kathlyn into the
barge. UmbalIa saw that she was
wounded in the fleshy part of the arm.
Quickly he snatched off the turban of
one of the soldiers. unwound it. and
began to bandage Kathlyn's arm.
The man, for all his oriental craft.
ness, was still guileless enough to eX-
pect some sign of gratitude from her;
but as he touched her she shrank in
loathing His anger famed and he
flung her roughly into a seat.
Suffer, then, little fool"
Meantime the colonel and Bruce dis
mounted and tried to stem the tide of
fleeing coolies; but it was no more eff
fective than blowing against the wind.
They found, however, an abandoned
pack containing cartridge cases, and
they filled their pockets, calling to
Ramabai and Pundita to follow them
along the river in pursuit of Umballa's
barge, which was now being rapidly
poled upstream. They might be able
to pick off enough soldiers, sharpshoot-
ing. to make it impossible to man the
barge. They were both dead shots,
to put the fight on a basis of equality
so far as numbers were concerned.
The colonel forgot all about how
weak he was The rage and despair
in his heart had once more given him
a fictitious strength.
"The curse, the curse, always the
curse!"
Don't you believe that, colonel. 1t
is only misfortune. Now I'm going to
pot Umballa. That will simplify every
thing, Without a head the soldiers
will be without cause, and they'll
desert Kathlyn as quickly as our
coolies deserted u.s.
where is Ahmed?"
ahmed? | had forgotten all about
him! But we can't wait now. He'll
have to look out for himself Hark!"
Squealing and trumpeting and thun-
derous crashing in the distance.
wild ELEPHANT cried the colonel,
the old impulse wheeling him round.
But the younger man caught hold of
his arm significantly.
The soldiers poled diligently; but
against the stream, together with the
clumsiness of the barge, they could
not make Roadway with any degree of
speed. 1t was not long before Bruce
could see them. He raised his rifle
and let go; and in the boat Umballa
felt his turban stir mysteriously. The
report which instantly followed was
enough to convince him that he in par
ticular was being made target He
crouched behind Kathlyn, while two or
three of the soldiers returned the shot,
aiming at the clump of scrub from
which q film of pale blue smoke is
sued. They waited for another shot,
but none came.
The reason was this: the herd of
wild elephant which Bruce and the
colonel had heard came charging al
most directly toward them smashing
young trees and trampling the tough
underbrush. Some of them made for
the water directly in line with the
passing boats. Kathlyn, keenly alive
to the fact that here was a chance,
in my Auorhnnrl hnf 1on
could reach out staying hand.
To Kathlyn there was only death in
the path of the elephants; to remain
on the barge was to face eventually
that which was worse than death. Her
arm throbbed painfully, but in the des-
perate energy with which she deter
mined to take the chance she used it.
Quite contrary to her expectations, her
leap was the best thing she could have
done. Most of the barges were upset
and the great beasts were laundering
across the river between her and the
barges.
Bruce witnessed Kathlyn's brave at
tempt and dashed into the water after
her. 1t took him but moment to
bring her to land, where her father
clasped her in his arms and broke
down again.
dad, dad!" she whispered. Don't
you see our God is powerfulest? be-
lieved ! was going to be trampled to
death. and here am with you once
more"
They hurried back as fast as Kath-
lyn's weakness would permit to where
they had left their elephants, doubling
that they should find them, consider
ing that it was quite probable that
they had joined their wild brethren.
But no; they were standing shoulder
to shoulder, Tapping their ears and
curling their trunks.
Bruce ordered one Of them to kneel,
doubtfully; but the big fellow obeyed
the command docilely, and the colonel
and Bruce helped the exhausted girl
into the howdah The colonel followed,
while Bruce took upon his own shout
ders the duties of mahout. Pundita got
into the other howdah and Ramabai
initiated Bruce. The elephants shut
fled of, away from the river. For the
time being neither Bruce nor Ramabai
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