Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-14
The Winds of the
.. as sAs.7 World s S::;;.i3'

Singh turned the horses in h..-
two age-old trees and drew ~e,'sn
a shattered temple door. VA d
Some monkeys loped awav cs.,
tering, and about a thousand 10 20.
keets few on, shrilling for anp,s s
roost. But there was no other ss.I
of life. S'sa
stable the horses in here," ,.,s
the German: and they did en- psa.a
joor Singh dipping water on, -
rain-pool and filing a stone ,ror.s
that had once done duty az rs"nssH
tacle for gifts for a long-forgo,tss
god. Then they pushed the carria.a
under tangle OF hanging brapc,s
Look about youi" advised ~.
German. as he emptied food for ~
horses on the temple floor. 80
babu Sta Ram made very cs-ss,,,
note OF the temple bearings Will
Ranjoor Singh and the Garn.s
blocked the old doorway with viz,
ever they could find TO keen nIeb,
providers outside and the horses IL
Then the German led the wa a.,
into the dark, swinging a lanter5
that he had unearthed from some
recess. Babu Sta Ram walked ser
ond, complaining audibly and alma
dering at every shadow. Last cam
Ranjoor Singh. grim, silent. Ana
the rain beat down on all thrae -
them until they we're drenched and
numb, and their feet sQuelched II
mud at every step.
For all the darkness, Ramon,
Singh made note of the fact tbst
they were following a wagon track
into which the wheels of a NATIVE
cart had sunk deep times without
number. Only native ox-carts leave
a track like that.
1t must have been 9 O'Clock and
the babu was giving signs of nearly
complete exhaustion, when thew
passed along a ring Of trees into a
clearing. They stood at the edge
of the clearing in a shadow for
about ten minutes. mile the Ger
man watched catwise for signs OF
life.
at is now" he said, tapping Ran
joor Singh's chest, that you be-
gin to be at my mercy. I assure
you that the least disobedience on
your part will mean instant deathln
Lead on!" growled Ranjoor
Singh.
do you recognize the placer"
Ranjoor Singh peered through
the rain in every direction. At
each corner of the clearing, north.
south, east and west. he could
dimly see some sort of ruined arch,
and there was another ruin in the
center.
NO" he said.
This is the oldest temple ruin
anywhere near Delhi. On some in
scriptions it is called Temple Of
the Four Winds but the old Hindu
who lived in it before we bribed
him to go away called it the Winds
of the World 1t is known as
Winds of the World on the books
of the German war Office. I tSnk
it is really of Greek origin myself.
but I am not an Orientalist, and the
textbooks all say that I am
wrong"
Lead on" said Ranjoor Singh:
and the German led them, swinging
his lantern and seeming not at all
afraid of being seen now.
I'VE have taken steps quite often
to make the people hereabouts be-
lieve this temple haunted" he
said. "They avoid it at night as II
the devil lived here. If any of them
see my lantern, they will not stop
running till they reach the sea,A
They came to a ruin that was
such an utter ruin that it looked as
if an earthquake must have shaken
a temple to pieces to be disinte-
grated by the weather; but Ranjoor
Singh noticed that the cart-tracks
wound around the side of II, and
when they came to a fairly large
teak trap-door, half hidden by
creepers, he was not much sur
prised.
"My God, gentlement!" said Sta
Ram. THAT place is wet-weather
refuge for many million cobras! II
I must die, l will prefer to perish
in rain, where wife and family may
find me for proper funeral rites. l
will not go in there!"
But the German raised the trap
door, and Ranjoor Singh took the
babu by the scruff Of his
fat neck.
I'm with you!" he ordered.
And, chattering as If his teeth
were castanets, the babu trod gin
gerly down damp stone steps whose
center had been worn into ruts by
countless feet. The German came
last, and let the trap slam shut.
my God!" yelled the babu. Let
me go! l am family mani"
''Vorvaerts! laughed the German
leading the way toward a teak door
set in a stone wall.