his desires over their dead bodies.

The rigmarole and mummery Winnie went through affected her exactly as
it had affected her sister. It was all a hideous nightmare, and at any
moment she expected to wake up in her cozy corner at Edendale.

In the bazaars they began to laugh at Umballa and his coronations, or
durbars. They began to jest at his futile efforts to crown some one
through whom he could put his greedy hand into the treasury. Still,
they found plenty of amusement and excitement. And so they filled the
square in front of the platform when Umballa put the crown on Winnie's
head. How long would this queen last?

And Kathlyn, her father and Bruce were forced to witness the event from
behind the cordon of guards, dressed in native costume, their faces
stained and their hearts swelling with impotent anger and despair. For
it was in such guise they had returned to Allaha.

During a lull in the ceremonies a resonant voice from out the dense
throne cried, "Give us a queen of our blood and race, thou black,
gutter born dog!"

Ramabai started at the sound of that voice, but caught himself before
he looked in the direction from whence it rose. It belonged to one Lal
Singh.

Umballa scowled, but gave no other sign that he heard. But a guard
dove into the crowd; uselessly, however.

Kathlyn touched Ramabai's arm.

"Oh, I must speak to her!"

"Be careful, Mem-sahib!" he warned.

But even as she spoke she stepped past him, toward her beloved sister,
and offered the flowers she held.

Winnie, not dreaming that this dark veiled creature was her sister,
smelled the flowers and beheld a card which had writing on it--English!

"Courage! Father and I have a plan for your escape. Kathlyn."

CHAPTER XVII

LORD OF THE WORLD

Umballa began to go about cheerfully. He no longer doubted his star.
Gutter born, was he? A rat from the streets? Very well; there were
rats and rats, and some bit so deep that people died of it. He
sometimes doubted the advisability of permitting Colonel Hare's head
man Ahmed to roam about; the rascal might in the end prove too sharp.
Still it was not a bad idea to let Ahmed believe that he walked in
security. All Umballa wanted was the colonel, Kathlyn and the young
hunter, Bruce. It would be Ahmed, grown careless, who would eventually
lead him or his spies to the hiding-place.

That the trio were in the city Umballa did not doubt in the least, nor
that they were alrea