The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-05-25

Inc Nau&0T ey0S OidLCN ioA :" ~
ond and then grew cold again las
King did not fail to observer. lie
knew as well as the Rangar that not
many men would have kept their VIII
so unfcttered in that room as to ne
able to give Independent orders. he
iecoenized resignation, temporary al
least. In the Rangers attitude OF lean
ing back again to watch from unoer
lowered eyelids. 1t was like being
watched by cat
All this while the women danced on,
In time to wailing hute-music, until, II
seemed from nowhere, lovelier wo-
man than any Of them appeared IN
their midst, sitting cross-legged with
q fat basket at her knees. She sat
with arms raised and swayed from
the waist as II in delirium. Her
arms moved in narrowing circles.
higher and higher above the basket
lid. and the lid began to rise. Nobody
touched It, nor was there any string
but a. it rose. 1t swayed with sicken'
ing monotony.
II was minutes before the bodies OF
two great ldng-cobras could be made
out, moving against the woman
spanxled dress The basket lid was
resting on their heads, and as the
music and the chanting rose to Wild
weird shrek the lid rose too. until
suddenly the woman snatched the nd
away, and the snakes were revealed,
with hoods raised, kissing the cobra's
hate-song that Is prelude to the
poison.death.
They struck at the woman, one AFTER
the other, and she leaped out Of their
range. swift and as supple as they.
Instantly then she Joined In the dance,
with the snakes striking right and left
.t her. Left and right she swayed
to avoid them, far more gracefully
than a nlatador avoids the bull and
counting a deadier peril than he
noisonous. two to his one. AS she
danced she whirled both arms above
err head and cried rs the were-wolves
are said to do on stormy nights.
Some unseen hand drew blind
over the great window and an eerie
green and golden light began to play
from one end of the room, throwing
tho DANCERS into half-relief and deep
ening the mystery.
Sweet strange scents we're wafted
in from under the silken nansinss
The room grew cooler by uneuesseo
means. Every sense was treacnerous.
Iy wooed. And ever, in the middle OF
the moving light among the ianguor
Gus dancers, the snakes pursued the
woman!
"Do you do this often" wondered
King. in a calm aside to Rewa Gunga'
turning half toward him and taking
his eyes of the dance without any
very great ehort
Rewa Gunga clapped his hands and
the dance ceased. The woman spirit
cd her snakes away. The blind was
drawn upward and In moment all
was normal again with the punkan
swinging slowly overhead. except tnat
the seductive smell remained, that
was like the early-morning breath OF
all the different flowers Of India.
III she were here" said the Rangar,
, little grimly-with a trace Of disap-
nointment in his tone-"you would not
snatch your eyes away like that! You
would have been jolly we'll transhxed,
INV friend. These-she-that woman
they are but clumsy amateurs! IL
she were here, to dance with her
snakes for you. you would have been
iolly we'll dancing with her. If she had
wished it. Perhaps you shall see her
dance some day! Ah.-here Is Is
mail" he added In an altered tone OF
voice. He seemed relieved at sight OF
the Afridi.
Bursting through the glass-bead cur
tains at the door. the great savage
strobe down the room. holding out q
telegram. Rewa Gunga looked as II
he would have snatched it. but King
hand was held ont hrst and lsmall
gave II TO him. With murmur OF
conventional apology King tore the en-
velope and in a second his eyes were
sblaze with something more than won
der. A mystery, added to mystery,
stirred all the zeal in him. But In
second he had sweated his excitement
down.
Read that, will you?" he said, pass
ing II to Rewa Gunga. II was not IN
cyyher, but in plain EVERYDAY English.
"She has not gone North" 1t ran.
she is still In Delhi. Suit your own
movements to your plans"
Can you EXPLAIN" asked King IN
a level voice. He was watching the
Hangar narrowly. yet he could not