The Adventures of Kathlyn

ls, lazy and inert, without fire, merely drudges or playthings. Here was one worth conquering, a white flame to be controlled. To bend her without breaking her, that

est spoke

he say?"

u must m

m that I

il of Three interposed, warning Kathlyn that she must s

appeal to th

ed Umballa

this sign and was quick to seize upon its possibilities. She renewed her gesture toward them. It seemed that she must burst forth in their maddening tongue: "I appeal to the chivalry of Allaha!... Soldiers, you now wear my uniform! Liberate me!" But her tongue was mute; yet her eyes, her face, her arms spoke eloquently

o further. His confreres appreciated the danger in which their power stood. They announced that it was decreed to give the queen a respite of seven days in which to yield. It would at least hold the bold troopers on the leash till they could be brought to see the affair in its true light by th

the troopers to escort Kathlyn to her chamber in the zenana. He had in

soner. It will be weeks ere your presence is known here. You are helpless as a bird in the net. Struggle if you will; you will only bruise your wings. The British Raj? The British Raj does not want a great border w

al gaze calmly over the

h you to understand the

ith elevat

have abd

e of your ow

use to argue over any such subtlety.

ttled under U

ill be upon your head. And woe to you if it is. There are

ruce Sahib, for instance. Alas, he is

t afraid

death," and with this siniste

e mobs will cry it down the ages; they will always pause to witness bloodshed, from a safe distance, you may be sure. There was a deal of rioting in the bazaa

ir hookas and coffee. To them reform meant change only, not the alleviation of some of their heavy burdens. The talk of freeing slaves was but talk; slaves were lucrative investments; a man would be a fool to free them. An old man, with a skin white like this new queen's and hair like spun wool, dressed in a long black cloak

riously; they were now wearied of the council and Umballa;

ere worse things than a woman who could not talk. Thus they gabbled in the bazaars, round braziers and dung fires. And some talked of the murder. The proud Ramabai h

lancing behind frequently to see if by any mischance some one followed. He stopped a

said the newco

iece of his pipe. He had spoken mechanically. When he

gesture towar

kind. The old saying: if a man waits, the wo

urney. Across

ur has

whose bread we eat." Ahmed slid across the table a very small scroll. "Th

the days go by. Siva has guarded him well. The king picks him out of the gutter for a pretty bit of impudence, sends him afar to Umballa, where he learns t

cel

ammunition and strange little wi

teri

hat may be needed.

es

er. And Hare Sahib?"

yhap. There all aven

Singh, thoughtfully. "But he wil

morr

da

vice that the British Raj weaves up and down and across Hi

to the bazaars Umballa had brought to him in the armory that company of sol

questioned

, with veiled insolence. "Pay us, for we have seen n

ng down this gallant captain

s, or, better still, yel

her," said Umballa, smiling t

lied the captain with a knowi

st bu

tain sa

ave bought you

d is yours to spill wh

he emptied upon the table dramatically; white shining metal, sparkling as the cand

aid Umballa, indica

passed and helped themselves and fell back along the

, heave

brow wrinkled. Cut off a cobra's head and it could only wriggle until sunse

be done with Kathlyn in the event of her refusal to bend, two soldiers entered, bringing

is young woman-after her marriage. She had sent him about his business with burning ears and a hot cheek

aid: "Go summon the queen. It is for her to

ndita's black eyes

the queen's property, to dispose of as she willed. The veil was plucked from Pundita's face. She was ordered to salaam in submis

e is free,"

rom the amazed

ish?" cried Kat

Maje

dge. A woman who could talk English, who could understand, who

he had reason to expect. Seven days of a

shall make you my lady in waiting ... so long as I am queen," with a search

r back in the days of the Great Mogul in Delhi her forebears had ruled here; but strife and rebellion had driven them forth. In order that her immediate forebear might return

oney by Ramabai. He secretly admired the diplomacy of the young woman. He did not at this moment care to push his enmity too fa

Ramabai confined?

rs' pit in the

here. I am certain t

me a Nautch girl, at whom Umballa gazed puzzledly.

you?" h

er the shoemaker, Lal Singh, in

y are y

scene only after the murderer had fled. They were fight

Kathlyn. Of Pundita she asked

heaven

become my bodyguard. You shall

Ramabai, secretly knowing him to be a revolutionist, extremely popular with the pe

Kathlyn firmly. "If I am only a

and Umballa bowed, hiding as

flaming with anger. He spread his hands apologetically. He was on fire for her, but he possessed admirable control. He had the right to come and go; as regent he could enter the zenana without being accompanied by the council. But, thereafter, when he arrived with the day's

cried, low voiced,

Rage supplanted the passion in his heart. Since she would not bend, she should break. As her arm sank he sprang forward

break!" he said, and left

pon her pillows as Pu

ll I do,

ows, Me

u a Chr

es

comforted

So they comfort

rp swam about in the fluted marble basin. There were trellises of flowers, too. Persia

ted her she knew not nor could conceive. Marry that smiling demon?-for something occult told her that he was a demon. No; she was ready to die ... And but a little while ago she had been working happily in the outdoor studio; the pet leopard spraw

to supreme courage), Durga Ram, so-called Umballa, and the council found

cided?" asked the el

" qui

ur deci

uld obey any of your laws; but there is a good reason why

llaha?" The spokesman for the c

" said

ouse play. I refuse to marry you. I'd much prefer any

rse things th

or me?" Her voice was firm, but the veins in he

se confused the council of that day. They finally agreed that she must submit to two ordeals with wild beasts of the j

possibly commit such a dreadful crime against one who has never har

aught Kathlyn's ha

hed for the first time. But he had gone too fa

m re

d red fires the hilt of Umballa's sword. Not one of them but would have emptied his private coffers to undo what he had done. It was too l

have a marksman hidden near by in both ordeals. What a woman! She was a queen, and he knew that he would go through all the hells of Hind t

s he heard it t

m re