The Washington times., 1916-08-27

squat figure about ten inches nigh. It
was an Image of Buddha carved out
OF flawless black marble.
The captains young bride glowed with
pleasure when, her eyes fell on the ex-
desire Of her heart and sne begged her
husband to buy II for her At once
he determined 20 get IT,
before the altar. The captain offered
him all the money ne had" brought
with him. never doubling that the
cupidity OF the East would put the
the priest drew back in horror and
ordered them angrily from the temple.
The girl cried a little bit-the heat.
the loneliness and the disappointment
The husband could not bear her
tears-he determined that what could
not be purchased could be taken: but
first he would make one more effort
the stone temple again. II lay in
grim shadow-lighted only by drip
ping candles. The same young priest
was tending the altar.
The Climax.
The captain entered and went to his
side. But now anger met the demands
of the cursed Engiishman." who even
In conquest seemed an alien TO the
and hot-blooded, He drew a knife
and threatened the captain.
Then the hot t-blooded young Eng
lishman tore his revolver from it's
holster In self defense and in at
tempting to strike the knife from the
priests hand he brought down the
heavy butt on the Indians head. The
priest fell senseless before the altar
For a moment fright held the Eng
lishman chained to the spot. Then
the knowledge of how he had offend
ed the priest caste terrified him for a
escape. But there was a daredevil
streak In his blood.
| He had offended-and to no purpose.
Her desire. was still unfulhlled and
her husband, In striking one Brahmin
before the altar OF his gods had won
the hatred Of the wohle Brahmin
caste.
The young captain stopped over the
senseless body of the priest and seized
the squat black fgure of Buddha. In
the flickering light he almost fancied
that 1t looked at him with an evil
grin.
The young English captain sped home
to his bride with the stolen idol. He
had given his beloved what she desired
and that was tie end Of the story. he
Silence in the Temple Of Buddha. And
then-perhaps II was vision of the
young priests distorted mind. perhaps
the mystery Of the East holds some
strange possibilities which we OF the
West can never understandable sud
denly a queer radiance lit the empty
altar. and 10! Buddha himself stood
. upon Il and then stepped slowly to the
He lifted the knife which had fallen
from the young priests nerveless hand
and held II out to his votary. Slowly the
Brahmin raised his head. took the knife
and then the vision OF Buddha faded
from his eyes.
But the young priest knew his duty
Buddha must be avenged. The god had
given his command.
And II Jimmy Barton had stood out
side OF the house to which he had fol-
lowed the mysterious East Indian he
would have heard the story OF the thief,
Of Buddha told by the young priest him
self.
For All Jaibel RaJo Of Calcutta, was
the priest. and Christopher McRay the
Engllshman on whom Buddha had com.
manded him to take, vengeance.
When Jimmy. and I found the de-
serted house where. Just that afternoon
All had told his followers the story, 1,
stood silent and forbidding.
We found the door open. Quietly we
, crept In through the dark entrance hall
Jimmy led the way up a narrow flight
OF stairs. Beneath one door we saw q
betraying crack of light. That mus,
be the meeting place Of the East In
= dams.
A voice of slow musical eadence-tht
/ voice of the East was speaking. From
the heart of the Jungle where the frs
chapter was written twenty-five years
! before. to the heart of Western CIVIL
sation the second chapter of The stor,
OF the Stone Gods vengeance carried
! us. Here II Is:
Early that evening All and Mahmud
I the teller of the tale. had gone in q
motor cab to house far out In tn,
suburbs. Ais knife had made an orific,
r between the windows and the frame
E And then Ali himself had pushed opeI
I the window and entered the house o.
. his enemy-the house of the desecAato
~ PvSdN~'- ~,tar