ff a log."

That Yankee phrase did more to rehabilitate her than all his assurances.

From time to time Bruce stole a glance through the curtained window.
Stragglers were hastening along close to the walls, and there were
soldiers who had forgot to bring their guns from the elephant arena.
Once he heard the clatter of hoofs. A horseman ran alongside the
gharry, slowed up, peered down and shrugged. Kathlyn shrank toward
Bruce. The rider proceeded on his way. Ahmed recognized him as the
ambassador from the neighboring principality, ruled by a Kumor, who was
in turn ruled by the British Raj. Kathlyn could not shut out the leer
on his face.

By midafternoon the gharry reached Bruce's camp. Ramabai and Pundita
greeted Kathlyn with delight. All their troubles were over. They had
but to mount the elephants and ride away.

"Ahmed," urged Kathlyn, "leave the gharry and come with us."

"No, Mem-sahib,"--Ahmed gazed at her strangely--"I have work to do,
much work. Allah guard you!" He struck the horse with his bamboo
stick and careened away.

"Let us be off!" cried Bruce. "We have sixty miles to put between us
and freedom in fact. We can not make the railway. Ali, pack! Go to
the bungalow and remain there. You will be questioned. Tell the
truth. There is not an elephant in the royal stables that can beat
Rajah. All aboard! No stops!"--smiling as he helped Kathlyn into the
howdah. "We shall be forced to ride all night."

The elephants started forward, that ridden by Bruce and Kathlyn in the
lead, Ramabai and Pundita following a few yards in the rear.

"Mr. Bruce, I am sure Ahmed has some information regarding father. I
don't know what. Who knows? They may have lied to me. He may be
alive, alive!"

"I'll return and find out, once I've got you safe. I don't blame you
for thinking all this a nightmare. God knows it is nightmarish. Do
you know, I've been thinking it over. It appears to me that the king
latterly took a dislike to his protege, Umballa, and turned this little
trick to make him unhappy. I dare say he thought your father wise
enough to remain away. Umballa hangs between wind and water; he can go
neither forward nor backward. But poor Ramabai back there will lose
his gold for this."

"Ramabai has always been very kindly to the poor, and the poor man
generally defends his benefactor when the night-time comes. To Umballa
I was only a means to the end. If he declared himself king, th