, 1923-03-01
INsTALLMENT No. ELEVEN.

W. 49, a@HT
What a jest for the gods X / should
make him marry me I could l could
make of Samson a power in India,
But the man would weary me with
his ~conceit."
By courier. the commissioner re.
ceived a reD-y. 1t was deuced curt.
II seemed to him. and veSed a sort
OF suggested laughter.
The Princess Yasmini Omnnoff
Singh it ran "hastens to return
thanks for Sir Roland Samson's kind
letter. She is not. however. afraid OF
imprisonment or OF undue pressure:
and as for her secret. tina Is safe as
long as the river runs through the
state OF %Sialpore."
Not n word more. He frowned at
the letter. n read n reread Il.
shifting Mt the scent and holding up
tho paper to the light, so that Sta
Ram very nearly tad n chance to
g It through the knothole in the
door.
The last phrase was the puzzler. It
o at first like a boast. But he re-
Elected on II. As an O%rientalist Of ad-
mitted distinction he had long ago
concluded that ~hyperbo.e in the east
is always based on some fact hidden
in h users mind. often without the
users knowledge. He rang the desk
bell for Sta Ram.
Get me the map of the province"
II was exactly as he thought as he
studied the map; without that little
palace and its grounds. the state OF
Sialpore would be bounded exactly
by the river.
Take away the so-calied River Pal.
ace with the broad acres surrounding
1t, and the river would no longer run
through the state of Slalpore.
That would be tho end. then. Of
tho safety of the secret. There wa
o for reflection there.
What II tho famous treasure Of
Sialpore were buried somewhere in
the grounds OF the River Palace,
Somewhere. fer instance among those
gigantic pipal trees.
Returning TO the capital Yasmlni's
a Travelled in company with
those Of tho rajputs saw swarminE
for the polo tournament. Utirupa was
among the travellers.
Yasmini saw her prince every night
she apparently a. much a man as he
In turban and the comfortable RaJput
costume-shorter by n head, but as
notwithstanding and as agile. Tess
used to watch them under the trees
ready 10 give the alarm in case Of in.
terruption.
on the third day. nearing Slalpore
toward evening, they filed past two
batteries OF Royal Horse Artillery
drawn W IN a level place beside the
road to let them by-an act Of court
esy not u~nconnected with its own re.
ward. It is never n bad plan to let
the possibly rebellious AXE n long
look Mt the engines of enforcement.
AIR laughed Yasmini. IN in a
howdah beside Tess on the elephant.
the guns of the godsl 1 knew the
gods were helping usr'
Look Ike English guns to me -
Tess answered.
$50 think tho English. too So
thinks Samson. who sent for them.
SO. too. perhaps Gungadhura will
think when he knows the guns are
coming! But / know better. / never
promise the gods too much, but let
them make me promises. and look
ON while they perform them. ] ted
you. those are the Guns Of the godsi'
Samson. getting ready to request
I Gu%ngadhura's abdication. had drawn
up n contract by which TtlIupa would
accept the property on VIII CHI the
English fort stood within his territory
to be in exchange for his prope.t. to
be, the River Palace. 1t would be an
advantage to both parties, from an
administrative standpoint, Sir Ronald
was ready to point out to the new
maharajah.
Samson ven by forced marches to
tel the High Comm ssioner OF the
plan.
1T isn't a good bargain" said the
latter. Thought to give us more
han that in the circumstances"
ITS a supremacy magn ficent bar
gain" retortcd Samson. Altogether
The best financial bargain this Prov.
ince ever had the chance Of
How dye mean?'
Samson VIII spered.
The treasure of Slalpore is buried
in the River Palace Froundsl Milllonsl
Think Of it-Mlllons! Lakhs and
crores.'
Tho high commissioner whistled.
That 'ud mean something to the
proy nce, wouldn't 1t! It would be diff
Z cult in a case like this to err on the
side Of silence. Samson. Who'll have
to be told?''
Nobody but Col. dc Wing. III
nave to ask him for troops to guard
the River Palace grounds. There's n
American digging in the grounds by
contract with GunEadhura. He'll
have to be stopped, and III have to
make some sort OF explanation"
Better point out TO Ut!rupa that
contracts with foreigners aren't re
garded cordially"
"There is no reason why Utlrupa
should recognize the contract between
G-ungUdhura and the American. It
was % private CONTRACTING Official