The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-04-10

shrugged 'Achmet, call the captain
of the guard and have him convey this
runaway queen to Alfalfa. Surely, l
may not NEEDLE with the affairs of a
friendly state" With a wave of his
fat, bejeweled hand lie appeared to dis
miss the matter from his mind.
Kathlyn was led away. The human
mind can stand only so many shocks.
Outside the palace courtyard stood
Rajah, the howdah securely attached
once more. Kathlyn was hidden to
mount. A water bottle and some cakes
we're placed in the howdah beside her
| Then a drunken mahout mounted be-
hind Rajah's ears. The elephant did
not like the feel of the mans legs, and
he began to sway ominously Never.
! theless, he permitted the mahout to
direct him to one of the city gates, the
soldiers trooping alongside.
1t appeared that there was a much
essential, Bruce had had to make for
| the frontier blindly, as it were. The
regular highway was a moderately de-
cent road which led along the banks
of one of these streams which eventu-
ally join the sacred Jumna. This, of
course, was also sacred. Many Hindus
were bathing in the CHATS. They
passed by these and presently came
upon funeral pyre
Sometimes one sleeps with ones
eye open, and thus it was with Kath-
Ign. Out of that funeral pyre her
feverish thoughts builded a frightful
dream
The drunken mahout slid off Rajah;
the soldiers turned aside. Hired fe.
male mourners were kneeling about,
wailing and beating their breasts,
while behind them stood the high caste
widow, her face as tragic as Dido's at
the pyre of Eneas. Suddenly she
threw up her arms high above her
head.
Il am suttee!"
Suffice! 1t was against the law Of
the British raj. The soldiers began
arguing with the widow, but only half
heartedly. 1t was pious rite,
worthy of the high caste Hindu's wife.
Better death on the pyre than future
life like that of a pariah dog. For a
wife who preferred to live after her
husband was gone was a social out
cast, permitted not to wed again, to
exist only as drudge, mental, the
scott and contempt of all who had
lxnoup bar in ba. davc IF proc
The widow. having drunk from cup
which contained opium, climbed to the
top of the pyre where her husband lay,
swathed in white. She gazed about
wildly, and her courage and resolve
took wings. She stumbled down. A
low kissing ran about.
Make the white woman suffice in
her place." cried the drunken mahout.
The cry was taken up by the specta-
tors. Kathlyn felt herself dragged
from the elephant, bound, and finally
laid beside the swathed figure. There
could be no horror in the wide world
like it. Smoke began to curl up from
the underbrush. 1t choked and stifled
her. Sparks rose and dropped upon
her arms and face. And through the
smoke and flame came Rajah. He lifted
her with his powerful trunk and car
ried her off, for hours and hours, back
into the trackless jungle.
Kathlyn found herself, all at once
sitting against the roots of an ageC
banyan tree A few yards away al
ape sat on his launches and eyed he
curiously. A little farther off Rajal
browsed in a clump of weeds, the how
dab at rakish angle, like the cooked
hat of bully. Kathlyn stared at he
/ hands. There were no burns there
) She passed a hand over her face
) there was no smart or sting. A dream
she had dreamed it; fantasy due t
her light headed state of mind.
. dream She cried and laughed, an
; the ape gibbered at her uneasily.
In reality, Rajah, freed of his vi
r welcome mahout, had legged it dow
l. the road without SO much as trumpe
Q ing his farewell, and the soldiers ha
) not been able to stop him.
o How she managed to get down woul
l. always remain mystery to her. Foo
a and water, food and water; in he
4 present state she must have both c
If die. Let them send her back to ALI
o ha; she was beaten; she was witho,
J. the will to resist further. All sh
wanted was food and water and slee
lie sleep. After that they might do wifi
e they pleased with her.
1t For the first time since the extrao
h binary flight from Alfalfa Kathly
.ecollected the elephant talk" whit
he Ahmed had taught her. She rose wea
y. lily and walked toward Rajah. WI
III cooked his ears at the sound of her a
at preach. She talked to him for spa
to In monotone. She held out her hand
the dry, raspy trunk curled out
Sc ward them. Rajah was evidently wi
ou ing to meet her half way. She {
We dered him to kneel. Without ev'
lie pausing to think 1t over Rajah be
ar his calloused knees and grateful