Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-03-31

tons! Weus tnen, uSteu- ueVeAl 10
me the treasure and you may go free.
If you refuse shall take you back to
Allaha-not publicly. but secretly
there to infiict what punishments see
ft."
"I have nothing more to say" re-
piled the colonel.
mo? And thou. white goddess?"
Kathlyn stared over his head, her
face expressionless. 1t stirred him
more than outspoken contempt would
have done.
"And you. pretty one?" Umballa
eyed Winnie speculatively.
Winnie drew closer to her sister. but
that was all.
so be 1t. Allaha it shall be. with
out meddling Ramabai; back to the
gurus who. love you sol" He dropped
his banter. You call me murderer.
l admit it. have killed the man who
was always throwing his benefits Into
my face, who brought me up not as a
companion but as a plaything. He Is
dead. I slew him. After the hrst,
what are two or three more crimes of
this order?' He snapped his fingers.
me where 1t is before am done with
you. You will tell me on your knees,
gladly! Now, men! There is long
journey before u.s."
The. colcnel, Kathlyn and Winnie
were forced into one howdah. while
Umballa mounted the other. As for
the quasi-mahouts, they were not par
ticularly happy behind the ears Of the
elephants. who, with that keen .appre-
citation of their kind, understood In
stinctively that they had to do with
novices. But for the promise OF gold
that dangled before their eyes. threats
of violent death could not have forced
these men upon the elephants.
They started east. and the jungle
closed in behind them.
As for Umballa, he cared not what
became of the other prisoners.
They were being held captive in one
of the village huts. The chief had
pleaded in vain. He was dishonored,
for they had made him break his word
to the white people. So be 1t. Sooner
or later the glitter of gold would leave
their eyes and they would come to
him and beg for pardon.
Moonlight. The village slept. Two
fishermen sat before the hut combining
the prisoners. on guard. An elephant
squealed in the distance. Out of the
shadow a sleek leopard. then another.
The guards jumped to their feet and
scrambled away for dear life to the
nearest hut, crying the alarm. Bruce
opened the door. which had no lock.
and peered forth. 1t was natural that
the leopards should give their immedi-
ate attention to the two men in flight.
Bruce. realizing what had happened,
called softly to Ramabai and Pundita:
and the three OF them stole out into
the night, toward the camp. Bruce did
not expect to find anyone there. What
he wanted was to arm himself and to
examine the boulder.
Meantime. Ahmed returned with the
truant elephant to find nothing but dis
order and evidences of a struggle. A
tent was overturned, the long grass
trampled, and the colonel's sola-topee
hat lay crumpled near Kathlyn's tent.
"Ai, all" he walled. But. being a
| philosopher, his wailing was of short
| duration. He ran to the boulder and
examined It carefully. It had not been
| touched. That was well. At least that
meat that his sahfb and memsahib
lived. Treasure! He spat out a curse
:. and threw his rife to his shoulder.
But his rage turned to Joy as he dis
covered who the arrivals were.
| Bruce Sahib!"
I hoe
Ct us. We were tricked by the truant
elephant. He has taken Kathiyn back
| to Allaha."
And SO shall we return!"
Ahmed called to his weary men
His idea was to fill the elephant saddle
bags with the gold and stones, leave
1t in trust with Bala Khan, who should
in truth this time take his tulwar dowr
from the wall. He divided his men, one
company to guard and the other tc
labor. 1t took half an hour to pust
back the boulder and dig up the bas
ket. After this was done Bruce anC
Ramabai and Ahmed the interchangeable
carried the gold and precious stone!
to the especially made saddlebags. AL
told, 1t took fully an hour to complet,
the work.
With water and food, and vel
armed. they began the journey bacl
to Allaha, formidable cortege AM
in no tender mood. They proceeded ii
forced marches, snatching what sleel
they could during the preparation o
the meals.
Many time the impulse came t.
Bruce to pluck the shining metal AM
sparkling stones from the saddlebag
and toss them out into the jungle, t
be lost till the crack of doom. Their
we're also moments when he felt moth
, ing but hatred toward the father of tn