The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-04-10
CHAPTER vi.
The Temple of the Lion.

luTeu out OF mlSI. mere anu lneTe the
heavy dews, 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 if the fist of some angry god
had beaten through Under the de-
cayed portico stood an iron brazier
Near this reposed cracked stone
sarcophagus: an unusual sight in this
part of the world. 1t was without it's
lid. But one god now brooded here
abouts-Silence. Not a sound any
where, not even from the nearby
trees. She saw a noiseless lizard slide
jerkily 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 it deserted? She had heard her
father tell of the ruined city of Chitor.
Plague? Kathlyn shuddered.
Sometimes villages, to the last soul in
them, were 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.
1t was merely 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 (and he had reason as
will be seem passed unobserved by
her He came to knee, however and
she got out of the howdah. Her legs
trembled for space, for her nerves
Rajah's ears went forward, he rose,
and his trunk curled angrily. With a
whuff he wheeled and shuffled off to-
ward the jungle out of which he had
SO recently emerged.
Halt" cried Kathlyn. What had
he heard? What had he seen? Halt"
But even as she called the tall grass
closed in behind the elephant. What
water and food she had disappeared
with him.
She paused by the brazier, catching
hold of it for support. She laughed
Historically: it was so funny; it was
all so out of joint with real things,
with everyday life as she had known
it. Weird laughter returned to mock
her astonished ears, a sinister echo
And then she laughed at the echo, be-
ing in the grip of species of madness
In the purple caverns of the temple
she suddenly became conscious of an
other presence. A flash as of moon
light striking two chrysoberyls took
the madness out of her mind This
forsaken temple was the haunt of g
leapord or tiger.
She was lost. That magnetism
which ordinarily was hers was at its
nadir. She hesitated for a second
then climbed into the empty sarcopha
gus, crouching low. Strangely enough
as she did so calm fell upon her
all the terrors of her position dropped
away from her as mists from the
mountain peaks. She had, however
gotten into the hiding place none too
soon. She heard the familiar d-pad
the whiff-whiff of big cat. Immedi
ately into the moonlight came ar
African lion, as out Of place here al
Kathlyn herself; his tail slashed
his name to his tail where the hair ha'
risen. Kathlyn crouched even lower
The lion trotted round the sarcopha
gus, shifting. Presently he lifted hi
, head and roared The echoes playe
battledore and shuttlecock with tn
sound. The lion roared again, thi
time at the insulting echoes. For
few minutes the noise was deafenine
A rumble as of distant thunder an
the storm died away.
BY and by she peered cautiously
: She saw the lion crossing the ope
; space between the temple and the JUL
gle. She saw him pause, bend hi
= head, then lope away in the directio
!, taken by Rajah.
To Kathlyn it seemed that she ha
no longer anything to do with the bod
! of Kathlyn Hare. The soul Of anothe
= had stepped into this wearied flesh {
hers and now directed it's physics
manifestations, while her own spir
stood gratefully and passively aloo
!. Nothing could happen now; the worl
= had grown still and calm. The spir
= drew the sleeves of the robe snugl
. about her arms and laid Kathlyn
q head upon them and drew her dow
~ into a profound slumber.
- Half mile to the north of IL
=, ruined temple there lay, all unsu
- pected by Kathlyn. village-a v