The Adventures of Kathlyn

there the heavy dews, touched by the moon lances, flung back flames of sapphire, cold and shar

en through. Under the decayed portico stood an iron brazier. Near this reposed a cracked stone sarcophagus: an unusual sight in this part of the world. It was without its lid. But one god now b

ges, to the last soul in them, were brushed from existence and known no more to man. And this might be one of them. Yet indications of a village were nowhere to be seen. It was merely a t

bserved by her. He came to his knees, however, and she got out of the howdah. Her legs trembled for a space, for her nerves were in a pitiable condition. Suddenly R

alt!" But even as she called the tall grass closed in behind t

Weird laughter returned to mock her astonished ears, a sinister echo. And then she laughed at the echo, being in the grip of a species of madness. In the purple caverns of the temple she

the empty sarcophagus, crouching low. Strangely enough, as she did so a calm fell upon her; all the terrors of her posi

treak from his mane to his tail where the hair had risen. Kathlyn crouched even lower. The lion trotted round the sarcophagus, sniffing. Presently he lifted his head and roared. The echoes played ba

he open space between the temple and the jungle. She saw him pau

and now directed its physical manifestations, while her own spirit stood gratefully and passively aloof. Nothing could happen now; the world had grown s

the family may sit a while at dusk on his mud door-sill, with his bubbling water pipe (if he has one), and watch the stars slowly swing across the arch. A pinch of very bad tobacco is slowly consumed; then he enters the hunt [Transcriber's note: hut?], flings himself upon his matting (perhaps a cotton rug, more like

ined city, now inhabited by

s and tangles on his emaciated shoulders. His aspect was exceedingly filthy; he was a holy man, which in this mad country signifies physical debasement, patience a

d the prosperity which attends fat harvests. The holy man had solemnly declared that it would take no less than ten years to bring about this miracle. And the villagers fell down with their foreheads in the dust. He

t night, rarely appearing in the daytime. Once a month he was given a bullock, for he kept tiger and leopard away, and the villagers dwelt in peace. The lion had esc

se languidly a form, shrouded in white. The form stretched its lovely arms, white as alabaster, and presently the hands rubbed a

jured up yonder spirit, unaided, alone. He rose, turned, and never a holy man ran faster. When he arrived, panting and voiceless, at the village well, where nativ

ildren, my little ones, my kids! I have brought her who will now attend to the sacred fires; for these alone will restore the city as of old, the fat corn, the plentitude of fruit. Since th

holy man. They wanted to believe him, but for years nothing had happened but the advent of the lion, whence no one

woman with skin like the petals of the lotus and hair like corn sat in the sa

turn of the lion. Immediately holy man and villagers threw themselves upon the ground, striking their foreheads agains

b of centuries! Ai, ai! O thou unholy children, to doubt my word! Behold! Henceforth she shall share the t

se her. The future was roseate indeed, and when he took his next pilgri

the sacred fire

built the fire, handing a lighted torch to Kathlyn and signifying for her to touch the tinder. The spirit in Kathlyn told her that these people meant her no immediate harm, so she steppe

ckets. Knowing his ilk so thoroughly well, he flung himself down before the brazier and beat his forehead upon the g

ess, because, having taken human form, she might some day tire of th

cooked rice and fruits and a new copper drinking ve

these poor foolish people really believed her a celestial being, and so long as they laid no hand upon her she was not alarmed. She h

lyn

een the inner shrine. The chamber was filled with idols; here and there a bit of gold leaf, centuries old, glistened upon the bronze, the clay, the wood. The caste mark on the largest idol's head

relief, that none of these bones was human. This was, or had been, the den of the lion. There was an acrid unpleasant odor, so she hurried back to the brazier. Vague

her father, that quiet acceptance of the inevitable, was the one thing which carried

road to Allaha, since Kathlyn had not been seen upon it. He found where Rajah had veered off into the j

her. They brought her cotton blankets which she arranged in the sarcophagus. There were

onger than was necessary. From Pundita she had learned many words and a few phrases in Hindustani, and she ventured to speak them to the holy men, wh

urned brightly the lion would not prowl in her immediate vicinity. She wondered where this huge cat had come from, since she knew her natura

e and jasper and porphyry. A magic continent this Asia in its heyday. When her forefathers had been rude barbarians, sailing the north seas or sacrificing in Druidical rites, there had been art and culture here such as has never been surpassed. India, of

n it she did, and cowered down within. She could hear the beast trotting round and round, sniffling and rumbling in his throat. Then the roaring of the preceding night was repeated. The old fellow evidently could not find those other lions wh

safe. To-morrow she must fly, whither did not matter. Toward four o'clock she

hat the return of their ancient goddess was to bring back prosperity. She had

bilitate himself in the eyes of those who had made his holiness a comfortable existence. With a piece of the idol in his hand, he roused Ka

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 message

ustly angered villagers and explained that with his aid their priestess would, in five

gs!" murmu

lyn 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

ear, they were assured that Kathlyn was indeed the ancient priestess; and deep down in their

ere before there had been a frank repulsiveness. It satisfied the holy men, and the unveiling was greeted by the villagers with s

n 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 commotio

cat in him wanted to play. He loped after Kathlyn easily. At an

hlyn had seen the funeral pyre and about which she had so weird