The Adventures of Kathlyn

Ironically Umballa bade the fishermen to enter to eat and drink what

they liked. Later he found them in a drunken stupor in the kitchen.

That was where they belonged.

He ordered his prisoners to be brought into the Court of Death and left

there.

"You see?" said Umballa. "Now, where have you hidden the treasure?"

Kathlyn walked over to one of the cages and peered into it. A sleek

tiger trotted up to the bar; and purred and invited her to scratch his

head.

"I am not answered," said Umballa.

A click resounded from the four sides, and a bar disappeared from each

of the cages.

"That will be all for the present," said Umballa. "Food and water you

will not require. To-morrow morning another bar will be removed."

And he left them.

Early the next morning the town began to seethe in the squares. Bala

Khan's army lay encamped outside the city!

When Bruce, Ramabai, Pundita and Ahmed halted their elephants before

the temple they were greeted by the now terrified priests who begged to

be informed what Bala Khan proposed to do.

"Deliver to us the Mem-sahib."

The priests swore by all their gods that they knew nothing of her.

"Let us enter the temple," said Ramabai. "Ahmed, bring the treasure

and leave it in the care of the priests." A few moments later Ramabai

addressed the assemblage. "Bala Khan is hostile, but only for the sake

of his friends. He lays down this law, however--obey it or disobey it.

The Colonel Sahib and his daughters are to go free, to do what they

please with the treasure. Pundita, according to the will of the late

king, shall be crowned."

The high priest held up his hand for silence. "We obey, on one

condition--that the new queen shall in no manner interfere with her old

religion nor attempt to force her new religion into the temple."

To this Pundita agreed.

"Ramabai, soldiers! To the house of Umballa! We shall find him

there," cried Ahmed.

Umballa squatted upon his cushions on the terrace. The second bar had

been removed. The beasts were pressing their wet nozzles to the

openings and growling deep challenges.

"Once more, and for the last time, will you reveal the hiding-place of

the treasure?"

Not a word from the prisoners.

"The third bar!"

But it did not stir.

"The third bar; remove it!"

The slave who had charge of the mechanism which operated the bars

refused to act.

The events which followed were of breathless rapidity. Ramabai and

Umballa met upon the parapet in a struggle which promised death or the

treadmill to the weaker. At the same time Bruce opened the door to the

Court of Death as the final bar dropped in the cage. At the sight of

him the colonel and his daughters rushed to the door. Roughly he

hurled them outside, slamming the iron door, upon which the infuriated

tigers flung themselves.