The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1915-06-03

sister searched her fathers eyes She
did not quite like the way he said
those words. His voice lacked its
usual heartiness and spontaneity.
Where did you get this medal. ia.
ther?" she asked.
That's what | started out to tell
you"
Were you afraid we might wish to
wear 1t or have 1t made over?" laughed
Winnie. who never went below the
surface Of things.
No. The truth is, had almost for
gotten 1t. But the preparations for
India recalled 1t to mind. 1t repre-
sents royal title conferred on me by
the king of Alfalfa. You have never
been to India, Kit. Alfalfa is the name
we hunters give that border kingdom.
Some day England will gobble it up;
only waiting for good excuse"
What big thing did you do?" de-
manded Kathlyn. her eyes still filled
with scrutiny
What makes you think 1t was big?"
jestingly.
Because" she answered, seriously.
you never do anything but big things
AS the lion Is among beasts. you are
among men,"
Good lord!" The colonel reached
embarrassedly for his pipe. lit 1t.
pulled a few minutes. then laid down
the pipe. India Is full of strange
tongues and strange Kingdoms and
principalities. Most OF them are domi-
mated by the British raj. some are
only protected. while others do about
as they please. This state"-touch-
ing the order-"does about as 1t did
since the days of the first white rover
who touched the shores of Hind It Is
small. but that signifies nothing; for
you can brew a mighty poison in a
small pot Well. happened to save
the old kings life"
Il knew 1t would be something like
that" said Kathlyn. 60 on. Tell it
all"
The colonel had recourse to his pipe
again. He smoked on till the coal was
dead. The girls waited patiently.
They knew that his silence meant that
he was only marshaling the events in
their chronological order.
THE king was kindly old chap,
simple. yet shrewd. and with that
slumbrous oriental way Of accom-
plishing his ends, despite all obstacles
Underneath this apparent simplicity
I discovered grim. sardonic humor.
Trust the oriental for always having
that packed away under his bewilder-
ing diplomacy. He was all alone in
the world. He was one of those rare
eastern potentates who wasn't ham
pered by parasitical relatives. By
George. the old boy could have given
his kingdom. lock. stock and barrel.
to the British government. and no ono
could say him nay. There was good
deal OF rumor the last time was there
that when he died England would step
in actually. The old boy gave me
leave to come and go az pleased. to
hunt where and how would. had q
mighty fine collection. There arc
tigers and leopards and bears and fat
old pythons, 40 foot long. OF course.
II isn't the tiger country that central
India Is. but the brutes you find are
bigger. l have about 60 beasts there
now. and that's mainly why I'm going
back. Want to clean It up and ship
EN- to Hamburg. where I've large
standing order. I'm going nrst to Cey-
lon, for some elephants"
The colonel knocked the ash from
his pipe.
THE old boy used to do some trap
ping himself. and whenever he'd
catch a fine speciman he'd turn II over
| to me. He had hunting lodge not
| far from my quarters. One day All
med came to me with message say.
ing that the king commanded my pres
cnce at the lodge. where his slaves
had trapped a fine leopard. Yes. my
dears. slaves. There is even slave
mart at the capital this day. A bar.
barrie fairy land. with its good gon!i
and its bad djnns."
| The Arabian Nights" murmured
Winnie. smuggling close to Kathlyn.
THE oriental loves pomp." went on
the colonel He cant give you "A
chupatti-
| Wv nat tnbt tHktu w lflUlt
Something like bareback. Well he
cant give you that without ceremonial
When | arrived at the lodge with An.
IN d the old boyle had the complex.
ion OF prima donnn--thc old boy sat
on his portable throne. gllttorins with
orders. Standing beside him was a
chap we called umballa. He had been
a street rat. a bit Of impudence had
caught the kings fancy, and he
brought up tho boy. clothed. fed HIM
and sent him away down to rmballa
to school. When the boy returned he
talked umballa morning, noon. md
night. til the soldiers began 10 call
him that. and from them It passed on
to the natives. all OF whom dlslikcd tho
upstart Hanged II I can recall his
real name. He was ugly and hand
soiae at tho same time; suave. pa
tent, courteous: yet somehow or other
| sensed the real man below-the Tar
tar blood. took q dislike to him
irst OF. It's the animal sense. You've
got II. KIT Behind the king sat .Ae