The Adventures of Kathlyn

"Any seaport near?" asked the colonel.

"Perhaps seventy miles north is the very town we stopped at a few weeks

ago."

The colonel seized Kathlyn in his arms. She played at gaiety for his

sake, but her heart was heavy with foreboding.

"And the filigree basket shall be divided between you and Pundita, Kit."

"Give it all to her, father. I have begun to hate what men call

precious stones."

"It shall be as you say; but we may all take a handful as a keepsake."

Two days later the expedition was ready to start. They intended to

pick up Ahmed on the way. There was nothing but the bungalow itself at

the camp.

Umballa was thereupon secretly taken from the treadmill. He was given

a camel and told what to do. He flung a curse at the minarets and

towers and domes looming mistily in the moonlight. Ransom? He would

destroy them; aye, and take the treasure himself, since he knew where

it now lay, this information having been obtained for him. He would

seek the world, choosing his habitation where he would.

Day after day he followed, tireless, indomitable, as steadfast upon the

trail as a jackal after a wounded antelope, never coming within range,

skulking about the camp at night, dropping behind in the morning, not

above picking up bits of food left by the treasure seekers. Money and

revenge; these would have kept him to the chase had he been dying.

As for Bala Khan, he was at once glad and sorry to see his friends.

Nothing would have pleased him more than to fall upon Allaha like the

thunderbolt he was. But he made Ramabai promise that if ever he had

need of him to send. And Ramabai promised, hoping that he could adjust

and regulate his affairs without foreign assistance. They went on,

this time with Ahmed.

Toward the end of the journey they would be compelled to cross a chasm

on a rope and vine bridge. Umballa, knowing this, circled and reached

this bridge before they did. He set about weakening the support, so

that the weight of passengers could cause the structure to break and

fall into the torrent below. He could not otherwise reach the spot

where the treasure lay waiting.

The elephants would be forced to ford the rapids below the bridge.

Kathlyn, who had by this time regained much of her old confidence and

buoyancy, declared that she must be first to cross the bridge. She

gained the middle, when she felt a sickening sag. She turned and

shouted to the others to go back. She made a desperate effort to reach

the far end, but the bridge gave way, and she was hurled into the

swirling rapids. She was stunned for a moment; but the instinct to

live was strong. As she swung to and fro, whirled here, flung there,

she managed to catch hold of a rock which projected above the flying

foam.