LOVE
The golden sands, the purple cliffs, the translucent blue of the
heavens, and the group of picturesque rascals jabbering and
gesticulating and pressing about their chief, made a picture Kathlyn
was never to forget.
"Patience, my little ones!" said the chief, showing his white strong
teeth in what was more of a snarl than a smile. "There is plenty of
time."
Bruce leaned toward Kathlyn.
"Stand perfectly still, just as you are. I believe I can reach the
knot back of your hands. This squabbling is the very thing needed.
They will not pay any attention to us for a few minutes, and if I can
read signs they'll all be at one another's throats shortly."
"But even if we get free what can we do?"
Kathlyn was beginning to lose both faith and heart. The sight of her
father being led back to Allaha by Durga Ram, after all the misery to
which he had been subjected, shook the courage which had held her up
these long happy weeks. For she realized that her father was still
weak, and that any additional suffering would kill him.
"You mustn't talk like that," said Bruce. "You've been in tighter
places than this. If we can get free, leave the rest to me. So long
as one can see and hear and move, there's hope."
"I'm becoming a coward. Do what you can. I promise to obey you in all
things."
Bruce bent as far as he could, and went desperately to work at the knot
with his teeth. Success or failure did not really matter; simply, he
did not propose to die without making a mighty struggle to avoid death.
The first knot became loose, then another. Kathlyn stirred her hands
cautiously.
"Now!" he whispered.
She twisted her hands two or three times and found them free.
"Mine, now!" said Bruce. "Hurry!"
It was a simple matter for her to release Bruce.
"God bless those rupees!" he murmured. "There'll be a fine row in a
minute. Keep perfectly still, and when the moment comes follow me into
the cave. They have left their guns in there."
"You are a brave and ready man, Mr. Bruce."
"You called me John once."
"Well, then, John," a ghost of a smile flitting across her lips. Men
were not generally sentimental in the face of death.
"There are nine of us!" screamed one of the brigands.
"And I claim one bag because without my help and brains you would have
had nothing," roared the chief. "Who warned you against the opium?
Ha, pig!"
The first blow was struck. Instantly the chief drew his knife and
lunged at the two nearest him.
"Treachery!"
"Ha! Pigs! Dogs! Come, I'll show you who is master!"
"Thief!"
The remaining brigands closed in upon their leader and bore him upon
his back.
"To the tiger with him!"
"Now!" cried Bruce.
He flung the rope from his hands, caught Kathlyn by the arm, and
running and stumbling, they gained the cave, either ignored or
unobserved by the victorious brigands.
They dragged the stunned leader to his feet and haled him to the cage,
lashing him to a wheel. Next, they seized the rope which operated the
door and retired to the mouth of the cave.
"Rob us, would he!"
"Take the lion's share when we did all the work!"
"Swine!"
"I will give it all to you!" whined the whilom chief, mad with terror.
"And knife us in the back when we sleep! No, no! You have kicked and
cuffed us for the last time!"
Bruce picked up one of the rifles and drew Kathlyn farther into the
cave.
"Get behind me and crouch low. They'll come around to us presently."
The rascals gave the rope a savage pull, and from where he stood Bruce
could see the lean striped body of the furious tiger leap to freedom.
"Keep your eyes shut. It will not be a pleasant thing to look at," he
warned the girl.
But Kathlyn could not have closed her eyes if she had tried. She saw
the brute pause, turn and strike at the helpless man at the wheel, then
lope off, doubtless having in mind to test his freedom before he fed.
The remaining brigands rushed out and gathered up the bags of rupees.
This was the opportunity for which Bruce had waited.
"Come. There may be some outlet to this cave. Here is another rifle.
Let us cut for it! When thieves fall out; you know the old saying."
They ran back several yards and discovered a kind of chasm leading
diagonally upward.
"Thank God! We can get out of this after all. Are you strong enough
for a stiff climb?"
"I've got to be--John!"
"Trust me, Kathlyn," he replied simply. He had but one life, but he
determined then and there to make it equal or outlast the six lives
which stood between him and liberty.
The brigands, having succeeded in their mutiny, bethought themselves of
their prisoners, only to find that they had vanished. Familiar with
the cave and its outlet, they started eagerly in pursuit. They
reasoned that if an old man was worth three bags of rupees, two young
people might naturally be worth twice as much. And besides, being
tigers, they had tasted blood.
A shout caused Bruce to turn. Instantly he raised his rifle, and
pulled the trigger. The result was merely a snap. The gun had not
been loaded. He snatched Kathlyn's rifle, but this, too, was useless.
The brigands yelled exultantly and began to swarm up the ragged cliff.
Bruce flung aside the gun and turned his attention to a boulder.
Halfway up the chasm had a width which was little broader than the
shoulders of an ordinary man. He waited till he saw the wretches
within a yard or so of this spot, then pushed this boulder. It roared
and crashed and bounded, and before it reached the narrow pathway Bruce
had started a mate to it. Then a third followed. This caused a
terrific slide of rocks and boulders, and the brigands turned for their
lives.
"That will be about all for the present," said Bruce, wiping his
forehead. "Now if we can make that village we shall be all right.
Bala Khan's men will not leave with the camels till they learn whether
we are dead or alive. It will be a hard trek, Miss Kathlyn. Ten miles
over sand is worse than fifty over turf. I don't think we'll see any
more of those ruffians."
"Kathlyn," she said.
"Well--Kathlyn!"
"Or, better still, at home they call me Kit."
They smiled into each other's eyes, and no words were needed. Thus
quickly youth discards its burdens!
That he did not take her into his arms at once proved the caliber of
the man. And Kathlyn respected him none the less for his control. She
knew now; and she was certain that her eyes had told him as frankly as
any words would have done; and she fell into his stride, strangely
embarrassed and not a little frightened. The firm grasp of his hand as
here and there he steadied her sent a thrill of exquisite pleasure
through her.
Love! She laughed softly; and he stopped and eyed her in astonishment.
"What is it?"
"Nothing," she answered.
But she went on with the thought which had provoked her laughter.
Love! Danger all about, unseen, hidden; misery in the foreground, and
perhaps death beyond; her father back in chains, to face she knew not
what horrors, and yet she could pause by the wayside and think of love!
"There was something," he insisted. "That wasn't happy laughter. What
caused it?"
"Some day I will tell you--if we live."
"Live?" Then he laughed.
And she was not slow to recognize the Homeric quality of his laughter.
"Kit, I am going to get you and your father out of all this, if but for
one thing."
"And what is that?" curious in her turn.
"I'll tell you later." And there the matter stood.
The journey to the village proved frightfully exhausting. The two were
in a sorry plight when they reached the well.
The camel men were overjoyed at the sight of them. For hours they had
waited in dread, contemplating flight which would take them anywhere
but to Bala Khan, who rewarded cowardice in one fashion only. For, but
for their cowardly inactivity, their charges might by now be safe in
the seaport toward which they had been journeying. So they brought
food for the two and begged that they would not be accused of cowardice
to Bala Khan.
"Poor devils!" said Bruce. "Had they shown the least resistance those
brigand chaps would have killed them off like rats." He beckoned to
the head man. "Take us back to Bala Khan in the morning, and we
promise that no harm shall befall you. Now, find us a place to sleep."
Nevertheless, it was hard work to keep that promise. Bala Khan stormed
and swore that death was too good for the watery hearts of his camel
men. They should be crucified on the wall. Kathlyn's diplomacy alone
averted the tragedy. Finally, with a good deal of reluctance, Bala
Khan gave his word.
So Bruce and Kathlyn planned to return to Allaha, and it was the Khan
himself who devised the method. The two young people should stain
their skins and don native dress. He would give them two camels
outright, only they would be obliged to make the journey without
servants.
"But if harm comes to you, and I hear of it, by the beard of the
prophet, I'll throw into Allaha such a swarm of stinging bees that all
Hind shall hear of it. Now go, and may Allah watch over you, infidels
though you be!"
* * * * * *
Umballa sent a messenger on before, for he loved the theatrical, which
is innate in all Orientals. He desired to enter the city to the
shrilling of reeds and the booming of tom-toms; to impress upon this
unruly populace that he, Durga Ram, was a man of his word, that when he
set out to accomplish a thing it was as good as done. His arrival was
greeted with cheers, but there was an undertone of groans that was not
pleasant to his keen ears. Deep in his heart he cursed, for by these
sounds he knew that only the froth was his, the froth and scum of the
town. The iron heel; so they would have it in preference to his
friendship. Oh, for some way to trap Ramabai, to hold him up in
ridicule, to smash him down from his pedestal, known but as yet unseen!
He wondered if he would find any more of those anonymous notes relating
to the inviolable person of Ramabai. Woe to him who laid them about,
could he but put his hand upon him! He, Durga Ram, held Allaha in the
hollow of his hand, and this day he would prove it.
So he put a rope about the waist of Colonel Hare, and led him through
the streets, as the ancient Romans he had read about did to the
vanquished. He himself recognized the absurdity of all these things,
but his safety lay in the fact that the populace at large were
incapable of reasoning for themselves; they saw only that which was
visible to the eye.
On the palace steps he harangued the people, praising his deeds. He
alone had gone into the wilderness and faced death to ransom their
lawful king. Why these bonds? The king had shirked his duty; he had
betrayed his trust; but in order that the people should be no longer
without a head, this man should become their prisoner king; he should
be forced to sign laws for their betterment. Without the royal
signature the treasury could not be touched, and now the soldiers
should be paid in full.
From the soldiers about came wild huzzahs.
Ahmed and Lal Singh, packed away in the heart of the crowd, exchanged
gloomy looks. Once the army was Umballa's, they readily understood
what would follow: Umballa would acclaim himself, and the troops would
back him.
"We have a thousand guns and ten thousand rounds of ammunition,"
murmured Lal Singh.
"Perhaps we had best prevail upon Ramabai to strike at once. But wait.
The Colonel Sahib understands. He knows that if he signs anything it
will directly proved his death-warrant. There is still an obstacle at
Umballa's feet. Listen!"
Sadly Umballa recounted his adventure in full. The daughter of the
king and his friend, the American hunter, were dead. He, Umballa, had
arrived too late.
The colonel, mad with rage, was about to give Umballa the lie publicly,
when he saw a warning hand uplifted, and below that hand the face of
Ahmed. Ahmed shook his head. The colonel's shoulders drooped. In
that sign he read danger.
"They live," said Ahmed. "That is enough for the present. Let us
begone to the house of Ramabai."
"The Colonel Sahib is safe for the time being."
"And will be so long as he refuses to open the treasury door to
Umballa. There is a great deal to smile about, Lal Singh. Here is a
treasury, guarded by seven leopards, savage as savage can be. Only two
keepers ever dare approach them, and these keepers refuse to cage the
leopards without a formal order from the king or queen. Superstition
forbids Umballa to make way with the brutes. The people, your people
and mine, Lal Singh, believe that these leopards are sacred, and any
who kills them commits sacrilege, and you know what that amounts to
here. So there he dodders; too cowardly to fly in the face of
superstition. He must torture and humiliate the Colonel Sahib and his
daughter. Ah, these white people! They have heads and hearts of
steel. I know."
"And Umballa has the heart of a flea-bitten pariah dog. When the time
comes he will grovel and squirm and whine."
"He will," agreed Ahmed. "His feet are even now itching for the
treadmill."
The colonel was taken to one of the palace chambers, given a tub and
fresh clothing. Outside in the corridors guards patrolled, and there
were four who watched the window. He was a king, but well guarded.
Well, they had crowned him, but never should Umballa, through any
signature of his, put his hand into the royal treasury. Besides, this
time he had seen pity and sympathy in the faces of many who had looked
upon his entrance to the city. The one ray of comfort lay in the
knowledge that faithful Ahmed lived.
He dared not think of Kathlyn. He forced his mind to dwell upon his
surroundings, his own state of misery. Bruce was there, and Bruce was
a man of action and resource. He would give a good account of himself
before those bronze devils in the desert made away with him. He feared
not for Kathlyn's death, only her future. For they doubtless had lied
to Umballa. They would not kill Kathlyn so long as they believed she
was worth a single rupee.
Umballa came in, followed by four troopers, who stationed themselves on
each side of the door.
"Your Majesty----"
"Wait!" thundered the colonel. Suddenly he turned to the troopers.
"Am I your king?"
"Yes, Majesty!"
The four men salaamed.
"Then I order you to arrest this man Durga Ram for treason against the
person of your king!"
The troopers stared, dumfounded, first at the colonel, then at Umballa.
"I command it!"
Umballa laughed. The troopers did not stir.
"Ah," said the colonel. "That is all I desire to know. I am not a
king. I am merely a prisoner. Therefore those papers which you bring
me can not lawfully be signed by me." The colonel turned his back to
Umballa, sought the latticed window and peered forth.
"There are ways," blazed forth Umballa.
"Bah! You black fool!" replied the colonel, wheeling. "Have I not yet
convinced you that all you can do is to kill me? Don't waste your time
in torturing me. It will neither open my lips nor compel me to take a
character brush in my hand. If my daughter is dead, so be it. At any
rate, she is at present beyond your clutches. You overreached
yourself. Had you brought her back it is quite possible I might have
surrendered. But I am alone now."
"You refuse to tell where the filigree basket is hidden?"
"I do."
"You refuse to exercise your prerogative to open the doors of the
treasury?"
"I do."
Umballa opened the door, motioning to the troopers to pass out. He
framed the threshold and curiously eyed this unbendable man. Presently
he would bend. Umballa smiled.
"Colonel Sahib, I am not yet at the end of my resources," and with this
he went out, closing the door.
That smile troubled the colonel. What deviltry was the scoundrel up to
now? What could he possibly do?
Later, as he paced wearily to and fro, he saw something white slip
under the door. He stooped and picked up a note, folded European
fashion. His heart thrilled as he read the stilted script:
"Ahmed and I shall watch over you. Be patient. This time I am
pretending to be your enemy, and you must act accordingly. A messenger
has arrived from Bala Khan. Your daughter and Bruce Sahib are alive,
and, more, on the way to Allaha in native guise. Be of good cheer,
Ramabai."'
And Umballa, as he lifted his fruit dish at supper, espied another of
those sinister warnings. "Beware!" This time he summoned his entire
household and threatened death to each and all of them if they did not
immediately disclose to him the person who had placed this note under
the fruit dish. They cringed and wept and wailed, but nothing could be
got out of them. He had several flogged on general principles.
Kathlyn and Bruce returned to Allaha without mishap. Neither animal
nor vagabond molested them. When they arrived they immediately found
means to acquaint Ramabai, who with Pundita set out to meet them.
In their picturesque disguises Kathlyn and Bruce made a handsome pair
of high caste natives. The blue eyes alone might have caused remarks,
but this was a negligible danger, since color and costume detracted.
Kathlyn's hair, however, was securely hidden, and must be kept so. A
bit of carelessness on her part, a sportive wind, and she would be
lost. She had been for dyeing her hair, but Bruce would not hear of
this desecration.
So they entered the lion's den, or, rather, the jackal's.
At Ramabai's house Ahmed fell on his knees in thankfulness; not that
his Mem-sahib was in Allaha, but that she was alive.
During the evening meal Ramabai outlined his plot to circumvent
Umballa. He had heard from one of his faithful followers that Umballa
intended to force the colonel into a native marriage; later, to dispose
of the colonel and marry the queen himself. Suttee had fallen in
disuse in Allaha. He, Ramabai, would now apparently side with Umballa
as against Colonel Hare, who would understand perfectly. As the
colonel would refuse to marry, he, Ramabai, would suggest that the
colonel be married by proxy. However suspicious Umballa might be, he
would not be able to find fault with this plan. The betrothal would
take place in about a fortnight. The Mem-sahib would be chosen as
consort out of all the assembled high caste ladies of the state.
Ahmed threw up his hands in horror, but Lal Singh bade him be patient.
What did the Mem-sahib say to this? The Mem-sahib answered that she
placed herself unreservedly in Ramabai's hands; that Umballa was a
madman and must be treated as one.
"Ramabai, why not strike now?" suggested Ahmed.
"The promise Umballa has made to the soldiers has reunited them
temporarily. Have patience, Ahmed." Lal Singh selected a leaf with
betel-nut and began to chew with satisfaction.
"Patience?" said Ahmed? "Have I none?"
So the call went forth for a bride throughout the principality, and was
answered from the four points of the compass.
Between the announcement and the fulfilment of these remarkable
proceedings there arrived in the blazing city of Calcutta a young maid.
Her face was very stern for one so youthful, and it was as fearless as
it was stern. Umballa's last card, had she but known the treachery
which had lured her to this mystic shore. The young maid was Winnie,
come, as she supposed, at the urgent call of her father and sister, and
particularly warned to confide in no one and to hide with the utmost
secrecy her destination.