Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-11-19


licked his beautiful sides, purring: for
the night was SO still and the beast
was SO near that she could see him
quite plainly. He stretched himself.
the jungle.
Then came a herd of elephants, for
each species seemed to have an ap-
pointed time. The buffalo emerged
and filed away into the dark. The ele-
plants plunged into the water. squeal-
ing. making sport, squirting water
over their backs and rolling. head un-
der; and they buffeted one another
amiably. and there was a baby who
seemed to get in everybody's way and
the grownups treated him shabbily.
By and by they. too. trooped of. Then
came wild pigs. and furtive antelope.
and foolish. chattering apes.
At last the truce water became de-
serted and Kathlyn lay down again.
only to be surprised by huge ape
who stuck his head up over the edge
of the platform The surprise was
mutual. Kathlyn pushed the idol to-
ward him. The splash of it in the wa
ter scared off the unwe!come guest.
and then Kathlyn lay down and slept.
A day or so later Bruce arrived at
the temple. Day after day he had
hung to the trail. picking it up here
and losing It there, He found Rajah.
the elephant. the howdah gone. and
only the ornamental headpiece dis
covered to Bruce that he had found
his rogue. Rajah was docile enough:
he had been domesticated SO long that
his freedom rather irked him.
Bruce elicited from the mourning
holy men the amazing adventure in
all its details Kathlyn had disap-
peared in the jungle and not even the
tried hunters could find her. She was
lost. Bruce. though in his heart of
hearts he believed her dead. took up
the trail again. But many weary
weeks were to pass ere he learned
that she lived.
He shook his fist toward Allaha. %.
Durga Ram. one of these fine days
you and I shall square accounts"
kathlyn had Just completed for her
self dress OF grass. Three years be-
fore she had learned the trick from
the natives OF Hawaii. The many
days of hardship had made her thin
ner. but never had she been so hardy.
so clear-eyed. so quick and 1.-the in her
actions She had lived precariously.
stealing her food at dusk from the
fields of the ryots: sugar cane, raw
vegetables, plantains, mangoes Some
times she recited verses she re1nem-
bered in order that she might break
the oppressive silence which always
surrounded her.
She kept carefully out of the way of
all human beings. SO she had lost all
hope of succor from the brown peo-
pie, who had become so hateful to her
as the scavengers Of the jungle. There
was something to admire in the tiger.
the leopard. the wild elephant: but
she placed all natives tperhaps
wrongly In a class with the unclean
iackals and hyenas.
Tanned deeply by wind and sun.
Kathlyn was darker than many a ma
tive woman. Often she thought of
Bruce. but hope of his finding her had
long since died within her. Every
night when she climbed to her plat.
form she vowed she would start south
the next morning: south. toward the
land where there were white people;
but each morning found her hesitant.
Behind her tree there was a clear.
ing. then a tumble Of thickly growing
trees: beyond those was another
clearing. upon which. stood a deserted
elephant stockade The grass had
grown rank In Il for want of use She
was In the act OF putting m grass san