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And why do you seek me, who am your enemy, and who always will be?" "A woman loves where she must, not where she wills." Umballa seemed to ponder over this truth. "And why have you sought me?" "A woman's reasons. My husband and the Mem-sahib " "You know, then, where she is?" quickly. "Aye, Durga Ram; I alone know where she is hiding." He sent a shrewd glance into her eyes.
She accepted his help instinctively, scarcely knowing what she did, and very gently, with a woman's tenderness, he led her back into the tent. "My mem-sahib must rest," he said. "And I will find a woman to serve her." She opened her eyes with a dizzy sense of wonder.
When Bruce, Ramabai, Pundita and Ahmed halted their elephants before the temple they were greeted by the now terrified priests who begged to be informed what Bala Khan proposed to do. "Deliver to us the Mem-sahib." The priests swore by all their gods that they knew nothing of her. "Let us enter the temple," said Ramabai. "Ahmed, bring the treasure and leave it in the care of the priests."
"But how did you get me to the bazaar?" questioned Stella, still hardly believing. "It was very dark, mem-sahib; and the budmashes were scattered. They would not touch an old woman such as Hanani. And you, my mem-sahib, were wrapped in a saree. With old Hanani you were safe." "Ah, why should you take all that trouble to save my life?" Stella said, a little quiver of passion in her voice.
With a wild Bhil cry the man flung himself down upon his hereditary dread foe and slashed with the knife. Mrs. de Warrenne heard it scratch along the floor, grate on a nail, and crush through the snake. "Aré!! Dead, Mem-Sahib!! Dead!! See, I have cut off its head! Aré!!!! Wah!! The brave mistress!
"We are unarmed, Sahib," he said; "and the Mem-sahib never loses her head." "Ramabai, I tell you I shall die here. It is useless to attempt to aid me. I am accursed, accursed! Kit, Kit!" The leopard stood undecided before the door which had closed in his face. Then he discovered Kathlyn, fumbling at the wicker door at the far side of the swimming pool.
"How did he help you?" she asked. Again Hanani seemed to hesitate as one reluctant to give away a secret. "From the shop of Hafiz that is the shop of Rustam Karin in the bazaar," she said at length, and Stella quivered at the name, "there is a passage that leads under the ground into the jungle. To those who know, the way is easy. It was thus, mem-sahib, that I brought you hither."
To her urgent whisper to send the man away he paid no heed. Some spirit of perversity or was it the hand of Fate upon him? made him bestow his supercilious attention upon the cringing visitor. "Speak away, you son of a centipede!" he made kindly rejoinder. "I am all ears the mem-sahib also." The man waved a skinny, protesting arm.
Begone, and thank your evil gods that I am not already at your lying treacherous throat. Take yourself off, Durga Ram. The people of Bala Khan do not make war on women and old men. The Mem-sahib and her friends are under my protection." "I will buy them!" shouted Umballa, recollecting the greed of Bala Khan. "My word is not for sale!" came back.
Kit!" "John!" She withdrew from her father's arms and sought those of the man who loved her and whom she loved, as youth will and must. "Let him go. Why should we care? Take me to my sister." Ahmed smiled as he and his men rolled the net. This was as it should be. For what man was a better mate for his golden-haired Mem-sahib? And then he thought of Lal Singh, and he choked a little.
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