Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-02-25
The lions had gone to their death.

without heSltdtlOu haIulyu uuuB
herself into space. A murmur ran
through the crowd. which had for the
moment forgotten its own danger in
the wonder of this spectacle. The men
holding the net threw themselves
backward as Kathlyn struck the mesh.
Even then her body touched the street
cobbles and she was bruised and
shaken severely. but. o. alive. alive!
There rose the great shouting which
Umballa and the dancing girl had
heard.
Shortly after the house collapsed.
The fire spread to the houses on each
side.
Bruce seized the bearer by the arm.
Now. the house which Umballa en-
tered!"
Eagerly enough the slave directed
him. For all the abuse and beatings
the slave was to have his hour. But
they found the house empty except for
a chattering monkey and screaming
parrakeet. both attached to pedestal
perches. Bruce liberated them and re-
turned to the colonel.
Gone! Well. let him hide in the
jungle. a prey to fear and hunger.
At least we are rid of him. But l
shall die unhappy II in this life we
two fail to meet again. Xiii"
John!" She withdrew from her
fathers arms and sought those OF the
| man who loved her and whom she
loved. as youth will and must. Let
him go. Why should We care? Take
me to my sister"
Ahmed smiled as he and his men
rolled the net This was as 1t should
be. For what man was a better mate
for his golden-haired memsahib? And
then he thought of Lal Singh. and he
choked a little. For Lal Singh and
he had spent many pleasant hours to-
gether. They had worked together in
play and in war. shared danger and
bread and glory, all Of which was
written in the books of the British raj
in Calcutta.
| 1t was the will of Allah; there was
but one God. and Mahomet was his
prophet. Then Ahmed dismissed Lal
Singh and the past from his thoughts.
after the philosophical manner of the
Asiatic. and turned to the more vital
affairs under hand.
| At Ramabais house there was q
happy reunion: and on her knees Pun
dita confessed to her lord how near
she had been to Christian damnation.
She had fallen from grace; she had
reverted to the old customs of her
race. to whom suicide was not sin.
Ramabai took her In his arms and
touched her forehead with his lips.
And now." said the colonel. the
king!"
Ramabais head sank.
What is the matter? Is he dead?"
IF I knew that" answered Rama
bal, Il would rest content"
| But you searched the royal
PRISON."
"And found nothing. nothing!"
What do you believer"
II believe that either the Council
or Umballa has forestalled US. We
shall visit the Council at once. They
are prisoners. II they have had no
hand In the disappearance Of the king.
then we are facing q stone wall over
which we cannot leap. For umballa
has fed. wither no one knows. and
with him has gone the secret. Come.
we shall go at once to the palace
prison."
The Council which had ruled 80 long
in Allaha was very humble indeed.
They had imprisoned the king be-
cause he had given many evidences of
mental unbalance. Perhaps unwisely
they had proclaimed his death. Durga
Ram had discovered what they had
done and had held 1t over their heads
like a sword blade. That the king was
not in his dungeon, why and where
for. was beyond their knowledge.
They were in the power of Ramabai:
let him work his will upon them. They
had told the truth. And Ramabai,
much as he detested them, believed
them. But for the present It was re-
quired that they remain incarcerated
till the king was found, dead or alive
| In the palace soldiers and servants
alike had already forgotten Umballa.
To them 1t was as II he had not ex-
listed. All in a few hours. There was.
however. one man who did not forget
Upon a certain day Umballa had care
lessly saved his life. and to his bene-
factor he was now determined to de-
vote that life. This man was the ma
jordomo. the chief servant in the
kings household. 1t was not that he
loved Umballa: rather than he owed
Umballa a debt and resolved to pay it.
| Two days later. when the fires were
extinguished' and the populace had set.
tied back into its former habits. this
majordomo betook himself to Um-
blla's house. 1t was well guarded.
and by men who had never been close
to Umballa, but had always belonged
to the dissatisfied section. the frankly
and openly mutinous section. No
| hr;hary waa nossibla bara. at ,aa.,