The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-01
CHAPTER FORTY

CH AFTER fOkI1
For nearly three miles Rsnsome
and Raschid rode the elephants
through the rain across the devas-
tated plains. They sat upright,
each behind mshout on the
shoulders of the elephants. II was
slow and ponderous progress,
with the red muck sucking AT the
feet of the great beasts.
Along the road which had led
from the city TO the shattered
reservoir they walked, picking
their way among bits of rubbish
and wreckage deposited by the re-
ceding waters. Here and there
among the torn prickly pear that
bordered the road there was a
body distorted and grotesque, be-
ginning 10 swell in the damp heat.
They walked hurriedly and in
silence, and as they neared the
city itself there came toward them
even through the wall of rain, a
faint. sickly, swedish odor. which
stirred in Ransome old memories
of mud, of shattered bodies, in an
other part OF the world.
He knew now why Raschid had
been In such haste, why he was
striding along now like mailman.
The whole city would be pest
house. filled with people waiting
and paralyzed by the calamity.
Half those with authority. with
experience or talent for organiza-
ton. would be dead.
On the edge of the town they
came upon the first people they
had seen. half-dozen women.
three men and child collecting
bits OF shattered wood from the
wrecked houses to make funeral
pyre. The child had been given a
stick TO frighten off the vultures
which scared above three bodies
laid neatly in row.
A little further on as they
passed at shattered house, a
woman, waiting ran into the street
knees of Raschid. crying out in
Gujerati. The big Muslin tried TO
thrust her aside. but she chung 10
him. still waiting.
Her husband and child are III"
he said. she wants US TO save
them"
In Gujerati he spoke to the
woman and. still sslaaming, she
led them TO the door OF the broken
house. There on the floor. in the
filth. lay a man and child. For
a second ne looked at them and
then bent over the child. and after
a moment turned and spoke again
TO the woman, in Gujerati Throw
ing herself on the floor. she began
to wall more loudly than ever.
Quickly Raschid turned away
from her and into his blue eyes
came look that Ransome had
never seen before in the handsome
fierce warriors countensnce. an
expression OF terror and horror
and compassion.
IT'S CHOLERA" he said. Cholera
already. The child is dead. Its too
late TO do anything for the man. "
In the park. the flowers, the
shrubs, the vines, the trees. grew
wildly in the rebirth of the mon
soon. Already vines had thrust
tsntacles across the wrecked drive
as II TO close il and take posses
sion once more of the land wrest-
ed thousands of years ago from,
the jungle. The little lake was
filled to overfiowing but the
pleasure-posts were gone. swept
away by the first onrush Of the
flood. BY its side stood the pa
vilion where the Maharanee had
set up her court. II was a huge
striped tent of many rooms which
the old Mahsrsjah had used when
the court went TO shoot lions
A, the door stood two Slkhs In
their scarlet and gold. their hand.
some faces as blank as IL nothing
had happened, as IL half thei'
number had not persisted in tins
disaster. Al sight of the poles
minister they presented arms anc
permitted Rsschid and Rsnsome ts
enter an outer room of the gres'
tent. There an side-de-camp ross
and came toward them. His fac,
was gray and his eyes duh.
Her Highness has been await
ling you" he said. since daylight