The Adventures of Kathlyn

Even as Lal Singh picked up his mouthpiece again and Ahmed sallied

forth into the bazaars Umballa had brought to him in the armory that

company of soldiers who had shown such open mutiny, not against the

state but against him.

Gravely he questioned the captain.

"Pay our wages, then, heaven born," said the captain, with veiled

insolence. "Pay us, for we have seen not so much as betel money since

the last big rains."

"Money," mused Umballa, marking down this gallant captain for death

when the time came.

"Ai, money; bright rupees, or, better still, yellow British gold. Pay

us!"

"Let us be frank with each other," said Umballa, smiling to cover the

fire in his eyes.

"That is what we desire," replied the captain with a knowing look at

his silent troopers.

"I must buy you."

The captain salaamed.

"But after I have bought you?" ironically.

"Heaven born; our blood is yours to spill where and when you will."

From under the teak table Umballa drew forth two heavy bags of silver

coin. These he emptied upon the table dramatically; white shining

metal, sparkling as the candle flames wavered. Umballa arranged the

coin in stacks, one of them triple in size.

"Yours, Captain," said Umballa, indicating the large stack.

The captain pocketed it, and one by one his troopers passed and helped

themselves and fell back along the wall in military alignment,

bright-eyed and watchful.

"Thanks, heaven born!"

The captain and his troopers filed out. Umballa fingered the empty

bags, his brow wrinkled. Cut off a cobra's head and it could only

wriggle until sunset. Umballa gave the vanishing captain two weeks.

Then he should vanish indeed.

The next morning while the council and Umballa were in session relative

as to what should be done with Kathlyn in the event of her refusal to

bend, two soldiers entered, bringing with them a beautiful native young

woman, one Pundita, wife of Ramabai, found in murder.

Umballa wiped his betel stained lips and salaamed mockingly. Not so

long ago he had been attentive to this young woman--after her marriage.

She had sent him about his business with burning ears and a hot cheek,

made so by the contact of her strong young hand. Revenge, great or

small, was always sweet to Umballa.

To the slave girl who attended Pundita he said: "Go summon the queen.

It is for her to decide what shall be done with this woman."

Through the veil Pundita's black eyes sparkled with hatred.

When Kathlyn came in it was at once explained to her that the woman's

husband had been taken for murder; by law his wife became the queen's

property, to dispose of as she willed. The veil was plucked from

Pundita's face. She was ordered to salaam in submission to her queen.

Pundita salaamed, but stoutly refused to kneel. They proceeded to

force her roughly, when Kathlyn intervened.