Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-01-14
CHAPTER xiv-contInued.

Immediately the high priest an
nounced that the successful candidate
would be conducted to the palace zena'
na and confined there till the final
sarsmontes were over.
UmhaIla dreamed OF what he had
SEN.
To Ramabai was given the exalted
honor of conducting the king and his
betrothed to their respective quarters.
Once In the private passageway to the
harem. or zeuana, Ramabai threw eau.
don to the winds.
I'VE must go "a roundabout way to
tho garden OF brides. which will be de-
serted. Outside the gate Bruce Sahib
and Ahmed and I.al Singh await with
elephants. Once we can Join them We
are safe. And in n months time
ahall return"
Meantime one of the leopard keep.
ers rushed frantically into the throne
room. eNclaiming that the seven guar
dian leopards were ut large. Even as
he spoke one of the leopards appeared
in the musicians balcony. The panic
which followed was not to be de-
scribed A wild scramble ensued to-
ward all exits.
The fugitives entered the royal
senana- Kathlyn proceeded at once
TO the exit which led to the garden OF
brides. There she waited for her IA
ther and Ramabai. who had paused
by the door of one OF the zenana cham.
bers. Between them and Kathlyn lay
the plunge.
Ramabai addressed the lady OF the
1enana, telling her that II guards
should come to state that Kathlyn was
concealed in her own chamber. To
this the young woman readily agreed
Suddenly n leopard appeared behind
the colonel and Ramabai Kathlyn.
being first to discover the presence
OF the animal, cried out a warning.
Fly. Kit! Save yourself am ac.
cursed" called the colonel.
Ramabai and the young woman at
the chamber door hurriedly drew the
colonel into the chamber and shut
the door. The colonel struggled. but
Ramabai held him tightly.
I'VE are unarmed, sahib." he said.
and the memsahib never loses her
head"
'Ramabai, tell you / shall die here.
1t Is useless to attempt to aid me.
am accursed. accursed! Kit. Kit"
The leopard stood undecided before
the door which had closed in his face.
Then he discovered Kathlyn. fumbling
at the wicker door at the far side OF
the swimming pool. There was some.
thing upon which to wreak his TEN.
i2 81
and freedom had disturbed him great
ly. Kathlyn opened the wicker door
closing 1t behind her. Clear headed
as Ramabai had said. she recollected
the palanquin which had been last
to enter the garden OF brides She
ran Into the garden, flew to the palan-
quin Just as she heard the leopard
crash through the fiimsy wicker door.
She reached and entered the palanquin
not a moment too soon. She huddled
down close 10 the floor. The leopard
trotted round and round. snarling and
shifting. Presently he was Joined by
another. From afar she could hear
shouting She readily understood.
Through some carelessness the leop-
srds of the treasury were at liberty,
and that OF her own and her father
was in jeopardy. Just without the
garden of brides was Bruce and help.
and she dared not move.
Bruce, from his howdah. heard the
noise in the palace; female shrieks,
commands. shot from a musket.
What in heavens name had happened
Where was Kathlyn? Why did she
not appear? He fingered his revolvers.
But Ahmed signsled to him not to
stir The knowledge of whatever had
happened must be brought to them;
on their lives they dared not go in
sAarch Of 1t.
This comes from your damnable
prisptl way of doing things. II had