The Arvada enterprise., 1915-10-28
CHAPTER xxll-contlnued.

~NAASA w NC. ou<lA ANduldUdl, lAcu,
become your master, to set forth the
propaganda Of the infidel?"
mol" The word was not spoken
; loodly, but sibilantly, with something
Fesembling hiss. mol"
And shall king who has no mind,
no will. no strength, resume his au-
tAority? Perhaps to bring more white
people into Alfalfa, perhaps to give AL
Asha eventually to the British raj?"
Again the negative.
But the method?"
omballa smiled. What brings the
wo1shiper here with candles and flow
ers and incense? Is 1t love or rev.
erence or superstition"
The bald yellow heads nodded like
porcelain mandarins.
Superstition" went on Umballa,
the sword which bends the knees OF
the layman, has and always will
through the ages!"
In the vault outside bell tinkled,
gong doomed melodiously.
When l give the sign" continued
the schemer. declare the curse upon
all those who do not bend. A word
from your lips. and Ramabai's troops
vanish reform. and become yours and
minei"
Willis che king lives?" asked the
chief priest curiously.
"Ah!' And Umballa smiled again.
But you. Durga RAM"
There is Ramabai, senile king.
and /. Which for your purposes will
you choose?"
There was conference. The
priests drifted away from Umballa
He did not stir. His mien was proud
and naughty, but for all that his knees
shook and his heart Numbered. He
understood that it was to be all or
nothing. no middle course. no half
methods. He waited, wetting his
cracked lips and swollen lips. When
the priests returned to him, their
heads bent before him little. It
represented salaam, as much as
they had ever given to the king him
self. A glow ran over Umballa.
"Highness, We agree. There will be
terms"
Il will agree to them without ques-
ton"
ollie ana power again; real power!
These dodderins fools should serve
MIN. thinking the while that they
served themselves.
to the temple
Agreed Half for the temple and
half for himself: and the adjustment
OF the seven leopards. with this
stipulation: Ramabai is yours. but the
white people are to be mine"
The priests signiHed assent
And umballn smiled in secret. Ra-
mabai would be dead on the morrow
There remains the king" said the
chief priest
umballa shrugged.
The chief priest stared soberly at
the lamp above his head. The king
would be, then. Umballa's affair.
''He is iil?"
He is moribund Silence!"
warned Umballa.
The curtains became violently agi.
tatcd They heard the voice Of the
young priest outside raised in protest
to be answered by the shrill tones of
a woman.
You are mad"
And thou art a stupid fool"
tmballa's hand fell away from his
dagger.
1T is woman" he said. Admit
her"
The curtains were thrust aside, and
the painted dancing girl who had
saved umballa from death or capture
In the fire OF his own contriving rushed
In Her black hair was studded with
turquoise. necklace OF amber
cleaned like gold around her neck.
and on her arms and ankles a pleni.
tude OF silver bracelets and anklets.
with her back to the curtains, the
young priest staring curiously over
her shoulders. she presented n pic.
turesque tableau.
"Well?" said Umballa. who under.
stood that she was here from no idle
within.
"Hishness. you must hide with me
this night"
"lndeed7"
Or die" coolly.
umballa spranx forward and seized
her roughly.
What has hnppencd?"
Il was In the zensaa. highness. via.
ting my sister. whom you had trans.
ferred from the palace. All ut one.
we heard shouting and trumpling OF
ioet. nm moment later your house
was overrun with men. They had
found tho king IN the hut and hnd
taken him to the palace That thcv
did not ind y"u Is because you came
here"
Tell me all"
1T sceras that tho major6ouo gave
the poison to Rsmabai hut tho white
goddess -
Tho white goSdafB." cried I'm.
balln, a. II stuns b. n cobra's fang.