Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-01-28
those who tried to leave the narrow


tives could get in answer to their in
Quiries. Men came fiocking to the
roofs. But the moonshine made all
things ghostly. The car of the god
Juggernaut was visible, but what lay
in it's path could not be seen.
Umballa was not popular that night.
But this was a private affair. Well he
knew the ingenuity and resources of
his enemies at large. There would be
no rescue this night. Kathlyn Mem
sahib should die; this time he deter
mined to put fear into the hearts of
the others.
Having drunk his kings peg. he was
we'll fortified against any personal
qualms. The passion he had had for
Kathlyn was dead. dead as he wanted
her to be.
Whom the gods destroy they first
make mad; and Umballa was mad.
The palanquin waited in vain out
side the wall of the garden of brides
waited till ripple Of the news eddied
about the conveyance in the shape of
n greatly agitated Lal Singh.
He is really going to kill her!" he
painted. He lured her to her sisters
side. then captured her. She is to be
placed beneath the car of Juggernaut
within an hour. 1t Is to be done So
cretly. The people are guarded and
held In the bazaars. Ahmed, with an
elephant and armed keepers, will be
here shortly. have warned him. Um-
balla runs amuck!"
| Suddenly they heard voices in the
Il H., hos. Kot ,Ixyv, %
Sinister portents to the ears of the
listeners, father and lover and loyal
friends. The former were for break
Ing into the garden then and there;
but a glance through the wicket gate
disclosed the fact that Umballa and
Kathlyn were surrounded by fifteen or
twenty soldiers. And they dared not
fire at Umballa for fear Of hitting
Kathlyn.
The palanquin was hastily carried
out of sight.
| At the end of the passage or street
nearest the town was a gate which
was seldom closed. Through this one
had to pass to and from the city.
Going through this gate, one could
make the hill (where the car OF Jug
gernaut stood within fifteen minutes.
while a detour round the walls Of the
ancient city would consume three
quarters OF IN hour. Umballa ordered
the gate to be closed and stationed a
guard there. The gates changed be-
hind him and Kathlyn. This time he
was guarding every entrance. If his
enemies were within they would
naturally be weak in numbers; out
side, they would find 1t extremely diff
cult to make an entrance. More than
this, he had sent troop toward the
coloneIs camp.
The gates had scarcely been closed
when Ahmed. his elephant and his
armed keepers came Into view. The
men sent Pundita back to camp. and
the actual warfare began. They ap'
preached the gate. demanding to be al
lowed to pass. The soldiers refused.
Instantly the keepers flung themselves
furiously upon the soldiers. The
trooper who held the key threw 1t over
the wall Just before he was overpow-
cred. But Ahmed had come prepared.
From out the howdah he took heavy
leather pad, which he adjusted over
the fore skull OF the elephant. and
gave command.
The skull of the elephant is thick.
Hunters will tell you that bullets
glance off Il as water from the back OF
a duck. Thus, protected by the leather
pad, the elephant becomes n formida'
BILE battering ram. backed up by tons
of weight. Only the solidity OF stones
may stay him.
Ahmed's elephant shouldered through
the gates grandly. For all the resist
suce they offered that skull they might
have been constructed OF papier
mache.
Through the dust they hurried
Whenever a curious native got in the
way the butt of rifle bestirred him
out of it.
UmbaIla had lashed Kathlyn to q
sapling which was laid across the path
of the car The man was mad. stark
mad, this night Even the soldiers
and the devotees surrounding the car
were terrified. One did not force sac
rifices to Juggernaut. One soldier had
protested and he lay at the bottom OF
the hill. his skull crushed. The others
pulled one way by greed of money and
love OF life, stirred no hand.
But Kathlyn Memsahib did not die
under the broad wheels of the car OF
Juggernaut. So interested in Umballa
were his men that they forgot the
vigilance required to conduct such q
ceremony free of interruption. A
cracking Of shots. warning cry to
drop their arms, the plunging of an
elephant in the path of the car. which
was already laundering down the hill
spoiled Umballa's classic.
CTo BE CONTINUEDJ