any things pass through my head."

"But what will happen if he cannot get another soul?" asked the
"Rajah."

"Oh, the Doctor will take care of that."

"Even Fakirs are only human. What will happen if his strength gives
way? Will the world collapse?"

"Surely it will collapse!" replied Michael Petroff, laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" asked the "Rajah" quietly, while his dark
eyes gleamed. "What will you do if it collapses?"

"I?" Michael Petroff smiled and pointed to the cottage, which showed
dimly through the shrubbery. "If that house tumbles down," he went on,
"I will run away as fast as I can, and go back to my own country.
Russia is my native land. Do you know about Russia? You could hold
Germany on the palm of your hand, but you couldn't carry Russia even on
your back. My country is so big."

The "Rajah" considered this idea long and carefully.

Then he said slowly, and as if speaking to himself: "If the world
collapses, will my kingdom be destroyed too? The mountains and the
temples, the forests and the towns, will they all fall in ruins?"

Michael Petroff nodded, laughing maliciously. "I suppose so!"

And now the "Rajah" nodded too. He bowed his head slowly several times.
"All my subjects would be destroyed?" he asked, and nodded. He rose and
shook his head. "No," he said solemnly, gazing at Michael Petroff.
"That must not be! We cannot allow it."

The "Rajah" turned away. Through the sunshine he walked, slowly and
with dignity, back to the ward.

Michael Petroff looked after him. He smiled and shook his head. "What a
curious being he is though!" said he, laughing. And when he heard his
own laughter, he laughed again, loudly and gaily and snapped his
fingers. Ha, ha, ha!

But the "Rajah" went to Engelhardt's room and informed him that he had
decided to give up his own soul to him. "If the Gods deign to accept my
sacrifice."

Engelhardt, who lay in his bed as if he were already dead, opened his
eyes and looked at the "Rajah."

"Will you?" he gasped, while his hands and face twitched convulsively.

"Yes."

"I will try to hold out for three days yet!" gasped Engelhardt.

The "Rajah" closed the door. He went to his own room and wrote, in a
large rapid hand that wandered in all directions, a short letter to Dr.
Maerz.

"Your Excellency," he wrote, "It is the will of Heaven. We shall see
the blue river no more. We shall see no more the flooded rice fields,
nor the white elephants with ban