The Adventures of Kathlyn

The natives gathered about and menaced her. Kathlyn rose, standing in

the sarcophagus, and extended her hands for silence. She was

frightened, but it would never do to let them see it. What Hindustani

she knew would in this case be of no manner of use. But we human

beings can, by facial expression and gesture, make known our messages

with understandable clearness. From her gestures, then, the holy men

gathered that she could recreate the god. She pointed toward the sun

and counted on her fingers.

The premier holy man, satisfied that he understood Kathlyn's gestures,

turned to the justly angered villagers and explained that with his aid

their priestess would, in five suns, recreate Vishnu in all his beauty.

Instantly the villagers prostrated themselves.

"Poor things!" murmured Kathlyn.

The holy men sent the natives away, for it was not meet that they

should witness magic in the making. They then squatted in the clay

court and curiously waited for her to begin. There was a well in the

inner shrine. To this she went with caution. The lion was evidently

foraging in the jungle. Kathlyn filled the copper vessel with water

and returned. Next, she gathered up what pieces of the idol she could

find and pieced them together. Here was her model. She then

approached one of the fakirs and signified that she had need of his

knife. He demurred at first, but at length consented to part with it.

She dug up a square piece of clay. In fine, she felt more like the

Kathlyn of old than she had since completing the leopard in her outdoor

studio. It occupied her thoughts, at least part of them, for she

realized that mayhap her life depended upon her skill in reproducing

the hideous idol.

As the two old hypocrites saw the clay take form and shape and the

mocking face gradually appear, they were assured that Kathlyn was

indeed the ancient priestess; and deep down in their souls they

experienced something of the awe they had often inspired in the poor

trusting ryot.

Kathlyn had talent bordering on genius. The idol was an exact replica

of the original one; more, there was a subtle beauty now where before

there had been a frank repulsiveness. It satisfied the holy men, and

the unveiling was greeted by the villagers with such joy that Kathlyn

forgave them and could have wept over them. She had made a god for

them, and they fell down and worshiped it.

Five more days passed. On the afternoon of the fifth day Kathlyn was

feeding the fire. The holy men sat in the court at their devotions,

which consisted in merely remaining motionless. Kathlyn returned from

the fire to see them rise and flee in terror. She in turn fled, for

the lion stood between her and the sarcophagus! The lion paused,

lashing his tail. The many recent commotions within and without the

temple had finally roused his ire. He hesitated between the holy men

and Kathlyn, and finally concluded that she in the fluttering robes

would be the most desirable.