BATTLE, BATTLE, BATTLE
"Kit, Kit!" cried Kathlyn's father when she came to her senses. "My
girl, my girl!"
They left the palace immediately.
The overthrow of Umballa seemed to be complete. Everywhere the
soldiers surrendered, for it was better to have food in the stomach
than lead.
When Kathlyn left the palace a thunder of cheers greeted her. Kathlyn
was forced to mount the durbar throne, much as she longed to be off.
But Bruce anticipated her thought and despatched one of the
revolutionists to the house of Ramabai. Kathlyn held out her hands
toward the excited populace, then turned to Ramabai expressively.
Ramabai, calm and unruffled as ever, stepped forward and was about to
address the people, when the disheveled captain of the guard, whom
Umballa had sent to the arena lions, pushed his way to the foot of the
platform.
"The arena lions have escaped!"
And there were a dozen lions in all, strong, cruel, and no doubt hungry!
Panic. Men who had been at one another's throat, bravely and hardily,
turned and fled. It was a foolish panic, senseless, but, like all
panics, uncontrollable. Those on the platform ran down the steps and
at once were swallowed up by the pressing trampling crowd.
Bruce and the colonel, believing that Kathlyn was behind them, fought
their way to a clearing, determined to secure nets and take the lions
alive. When they turned Kathlyn was gone. For a moment the two men
stood as if paralyzed. Then Bruce relieved the tension by smiling. He
laid his hand on the colonel's shoulder.
"She has lost us; but that will not matter. Ordinarily I should be
wild with anxiety; but to-day Kathlyn may go where she will, and
nothing but awe and reverence will follow her. Besides, she has her
revolver."
At the same time Kathlyn was fighting vigorously to get free of the
mob, Winnie was struggling with Pundita, striving to wrench the dagger
from the grief-stricken wife's hand.
"No, no, Pundita!"
"Let me go! My lord is dead, and I wish to follow!"
As the latter's eyes opened wildly Winnie heard a pounding at the door.
She flung open the door.
"Pundita?" cried the man.
Winnie caught him by the sleeve and dragged him into the chamber.
"Highness," he cried, "he lives!" And he recounted the startling
events of the morning.
"They live!" cried Pundita, and covered her face.
To return to Kathlyn: by and by she was able to slip into a doorway,
and the bawling rabble passed on down the narrow street. The house was
deserted, and the hallway and what had been a booth was filled with
rubbish. Kathlyn, as she leaned breathlessly against the door, felt it
give. And very glad she was of this knowledge a moment later, when two
lions galloped into the street, their manes stiff, their tails arched.
Doubtless, they were badly frightened.
Kathlyn reached for the revolver she carried and fired at the animals,
not expecting to hit one of them, but hoping that the noise of the
firearm would swerve them into the passage across the way. Instead,
they came straight to where she stood.
She stepped inside and slammed the door, holding it and feeling about
in vain for lock or bolt.
She then espied a ladder which gave to the roof top, and up this she
climbed. They could not possibly follow her up the ladder, and as she
reached the top and it turned back at her pressure, she knew that for
the present she had nothing to fear from the lions.
Then, round the passage she saw a palanquin, carried by slaves. She
leaned far over.
"Help!" she cried. "Help!"
The bearers paused abruptly, and the curtain of the palanquin was swept
back. The dark sinister visage of Umballa was revealed.
Umballa left the palanquin, opened the door of the house, espied the
rubbish in the hall; was in the act of mounting the first steps when
one of the lions roared again. Drunk as he was, filled with a
drunkard's courage, Umballa started back. The lions! Out into the
street he went. He turned to the bearers and ordered them to fire the
inflammables in the hall. But they refused, for they recognized the
chain armor. Mad with rage Umballa struck at them, entered the hall
again, and threw a lighted match into the rubbish.