forward and hailed it. A
moment later Kathlyn and her father were reunited.

"In God's name, Bruce, let us get out of this damnable country; I am
dying for want of light, air, food!"

They lifted the colonel into a howdah and started south, urging the
elephants at top speed. No sooner had they left the river than some
native boats landed at the broken camp, gleefully picking up things
which had been left behind in the rush.

"Our troubles are over, father."

"Perhaps! So long as I remain in India, there is that curse. Ah, I
once laughed at it; but not now."

Umballa at length found his captain.

"Follow me'" he cried in a fury.

He led them back to the colonel's camp, but those he sought had flown.
He reasoned quickly. The trail led toward the camp of Bruce Sahib, and
along this he led his men, arriving in time to find the native boatmen
leaving for their boats.

A hurried question or two elicited the direction taken by the
fugitives. Umballa commandeered the boats. There was some protest,
but Umballa threatened death to those who opposed him, and the
frightened natives surrendered. The soldiers piled into the boats and
began poling down-stream rapidly. A mile or two below there was a ford
and to go south the pursued must cross it.

Later, pursuer and pursued met, and a real warfare began, with a death
toll on both sides. Bruce and Ahmed kept the elephants going, but in
the middle of the ford a bullet struck Kathlyn, and she tumbled
headlong into the water.

The curse had not yet lifted its evil hand.

CHAPTER XI

THE WHITE ELEPHANT

It was the shock of the bullet rather than the seriousness of the wound
that had toppled Kathlyn into the river. In the confusion, the rattle
of musketry, the yelling of the panic-stricken pack coolies who had
fled helter-skelter for the jungle, the squealing of the elephants, she
had forgot to crouch low in the howdah. There had come a staggering
blow, after which sky and earth careened for a moment and became black;
then the chill of water and strangulation, and she found herself
struggling in the deepest part of the ford, a strange deadness in one
arm. She had no distinct recollection of what took place; her one
thought was to keep her head above water.

Instantly the firing ceased; on one side because there were no more
cartridges, on the other for fear of hitting the one person who had
made this pursuit necessary.

Kathlyn struggled between the e