| Show k o IUIII 9 IiI4 MWll illlliiWHIillillniHli IIIIIHM fII c I t i tI itt II iiu Iii III II 1 II I s 1 1Ii e G LOST OPAL OF MYSIRR 0 I OR THE SECRET OK THE GHANTS BY WILLIA MURRAY GRAYDON Copyright 1894 E > William Murray Graj don CHAPTER VIII THE FIGHT AT T1PPOO SAHIBS BARRIER Quick as he gave the command Pink was crouching deep in the wayside vegetation veg-etation The boy dropped clumsily be sil him for a second or two their hearts seemed to stop beating and they felt an lc > chill creep through their veins V 1 no time had the fugitives been in a tighter place than now It was terrjblv trying to lie there and listen to the ominous omin-ous voice of danger in both directions from the rear the faint metallic ring of Jpnshod hoofs from in front a louder and duller sound that as jet ballled lec Ofnitioii Pink cocked his rifle and glanced side va > s at Jack nod Myles They understood under-stood and two more hainmeis rose with sharp elicit IaJtu was bmw at something else He had one ear to the ground and his hand was behind the other An elephant sahibs he whisperEd and just then an elephant actually did lumber into sight a short ways up the crossroad It was handsomelv ctpari < oned and bore on its back a square how dab in which sat two persons evidently slant and master The latter was a stout fullbearded oIintal with the dress and pompous hearing of a rich zemindar or landholder landhold-er The other was an aged Hindoo gray haired and dignified In front of the how lab was perched a thin and wiry little mahout The hidden watchers drew long breaths of relief Three rifle hammers were soft ly lowered to halfcock Theyre only travelers shisper Myles but they hose a mighty awkward awk-ward ime to drop along O why dont 4 they hurry r They cant disappear too soon replied re-plied Jack Haik1 The troopers are coming nearer But ab illluck would 11aye It the mahout ma-hout halted the huge quadruped on the intersection of the two paths The ze mindar and his terant glanced uneasily down the crossroad They heard the tramp of the approaching troopers and were discussing it in low tones It was a critical time for the fugitives v but their suspense was happily cut short Ibut the conceptnn in Pinks brain of a etunerdous Idea 1 Lads he whispered eres a chance for us Obey orders and do as I do Thats all With this Pink drew suddenly up and drew a bead on the zemindars breast most as quickly MMes and Jack had the servant and the mahout coered The alter trembled so violently that he let us tad fall to the ground I Down with you commanded Pink forgetting to speak Hindustanee Xo fooling Were in a urry The zemmBar yaS plucky fellow and his face flushed with lage iogs ye shall pay dearly for this he cried in fairly good English I am Holkar Sir p11 a landholder of lercara In Coorg I am journeying peaceably homeward through the territory of ily i sore EorrGot down persisted Pink angrily Your not going to be murdered or robbed rob-bed V e only want to borrow scjr elephant ele-phant for awhile nth an evil scowl on his face the ze mindar nodded to the mahout who In stanUj made the elephant kneel Jester and servant climbed out of the liowdah and stood a few feet to one side Both bristled with swords and daggers but neither had firearms tp with you my ads cried Pink Live now Miles and Paltu scrambled into the 1 Jhowlnh and as Jack followed them he caught the servants eye lived strangely r upan him There was no malice in the loik It mesied sudden amazement II < and incfdulitj even a touch of affection 1 as though the sight of the lad had vibrated vibrat-ed some longforgotten chord of memory in the old Hindoos heart Vour elephant will be back ere by sun pet added Pink turning to the zemin dar If you want satisfaction appv to British resident at Mv > = oie in i about a i al J week from now And joull be all the more likely to get it if you detain these cutthroats coming yonder as long as you can The net instant Pink was in tho how I dan ° hd as quickly the mahout tried to wriggle to the ground But Pink leaned forward and caught the fellow by the back of the neck at tle same time pressing the cold muzzle of a pistol to his forehead and jabbering I angry Hindustuiee into his ear t This gentle style of argument was ef j fectivc and the mahout instantly became as tractable as a lamb At a word from r him and a touch of the goad the elephant w ele-phant rose from his knees wheeled to one A side ana plunged up the mountam path r with long and rapid strides Holkar Singh glared vindictively after his stolen quadruped and called down i fearful maledictions on the thieves The aged Hindoo stood with uplifted hands straining his eyes to get a last glimpse of Jack Then a curve of the road hid them from view The daring act had transpired in a cry brief time and the fugitives now began to realize that they had orce more eluded ii their bloodthirsty pursuers hr I The tramp of hoofs grew fainter and fainter in the distance until it could be leard no more On and en went the elephant ele-phant striartj clumsily over rocks and 11 logs at a pace no horse could equal on so rough a road The howdah swayed and shook dizzily ut the straps held as fast as did the oc J cupants The mahout clung to his perch like a monkey I I It vont do the zemindar any arm to j rest a bit said Pink We treated im I I badly lads but it ad to be Jove ow I nearly r6f troopers nabbed us Now were out of danger From ere the road pierces the ghants and I doubt if the orses can follow at all It was are luck to get the elephant replied Myles only Im sorry we had to take it in that way I can hardly be lieve that we are near our journeys j end Two hears at most ought to see us j there declared Pink And then I He knit his brows and appeared to be I ponueri ig some knotty question The boyS did not disturb him They I Kept a clcee watch on the mahout and I discussed the strange conduct of the oW Hindoo which all had observed I He wished to cast an evil spell upon 3 ou Sahib lYj ngard said Paltu More likely he was a thug suggested I Myles laughing and was sizing up your neck for the sacred noose I 1 dont pretend to account for it replied I re-plied Jack in a grave tone but I know I shant forjjet that look of his in a hurry hur-ry Pink now came out of his brown study and prcoosed that the interrupted lunch should be finished So half the bag of provisions was shared and quickly eater The howdah was well stocked with food but this the boys did not touch Meanwhile the elephant kept up itl clumsy pace over wooded mountain spur and throUgh deep ravines The path wa at times imperceptible but occaslona glimpses ahead from hilltop gave Pink all the guidance that he needed 13y 2 oclock in the afternoon the fugitives lives hud traveled ten miles on elephant back and were now in the very heart of I the Chants I A few minutes later they emerged from I a dense forest at the base of the twin peaks which reared their stony head I 2 COO feet in air and stood guard over the entrance to a narrow and sombre valley I The mahout made the elephant kneel at Pink command and the wean travelers climbed out of the howdah They were stiff and sore from the violent jolting I jolt-ing and it was good to feel the ground under foot again The mahcut was the picture of fear for he evidently believed that his captor tkWil I I vv lee going to kill him When Pink spoke a few words to him in Hindustanee his dusky face beamed with joy and he salaamed sa-laamed ptofourdly He made the elephant ele-phant rise and wheeled him about An instant later both had vanished in the forest and the fugitives were alone Well what next asked Jack Tippoo Sahibs barrier replied Pink as he stiffly led the way into the mouth of the vftlley Once we pass that were safe The boys looked at one another mysteriously tenouslj Wihat is it like exclaimed Iylc3 Not aving seen it I cant sa > ex I acMy was PJnks answer But wes we-s n be there unless what I eard in the paiace that night was all lies With this the lads had to be content and silently and in single file ithey followed fol-lowed their guide For nearly an hour they traced the upward course of a brawling torrent that flowed throusr gigantic trees and dense vegetation Here and there signs of a path were visible but It had evidently evi-dently not been trod by human feet for many years Tine valley was less than a quarter of a mile wide It was really a gOTge for ft was hemmed in and deeply shadowad by parallel walls of sheer rock oniv slightly lower than the twin peaks of Uhch they were a continuation It was a wierd and dismal place and the gloom was like that of twilight Except Ex-cept for hissing serpents that wriggled away before the travelers there Was no sign of life Presently the walls began to converge and when they were only twenty yards apart Tippoo Sahibs barrier rose sud denlj from the trees and jungle The boys uttered cries of amazement and even Pink mas impressed by the wonderful sight Here was a fit monument monu-ment to the ancient Mahometan rajah a massive granite wall 100 feet high that stretched across the gorge from cliff to cliff The stones were of vast dimensons j and had been well fitted together Nt a crevice or projection offered hope of scaling the barner Its frowning front was sheer and smooth and above its flat summit the mountain walls towered nearly 2000 feet higher At its base a rusty arched grafting served as an outlet for the stream which here rested tranquilly In a sort of pool before beginning its turbulent flow down the valley Behind the grating grat-ing was pitch blackness What dd Tippoo Sahib mean by V 1 4i i Vfi r k t I v 1 L i ii 0 5 = g e 5 I r j ILL ATTCND TO THESE DEVILS HE SHOUTED building such a thing was Jacks com ment after a cnltical survey of the barrier Partly to keep the treasure safe re plied PinK and no doubt partly for other reasons known only to im elf You dont mean to say that we must climb that wall to get at the opal9 exclaimed Myles We cant do Jt thats all iwo might as well try to sc1l the cliffs added Jack laughing Old on lads said Pink a little sharply DId I say we were going over the wall Theres a way through it according to oM Tippoos written document docu-ment which I card read and discussed in the palace By the grating cried Myles and Jack in one breath Yes thats the beginning of the combination com-bination Come on theres no time to waste The bloody troopers mil kill their orses to pvertake us 1io 1 j < I Pink glanced uneasily dwn fhe gorge and listened for a moment Then he ivadedinto the icy pool and the I boys foliowed him As the water rose to their hlrs they removed their car > trtdge belts and revolvers re-volvers and held them overhead They were tvoist deep when they reached the gratuity and peered curiously between I the rusty bars cThey saw a vaulted space witlh silcny walls to right and left At the farther end three or four yirds distant ai I broad sheet of water fell noisihr from a height of six feet Ttfie place where tihe stream entered the barrier > as mvrfble though a dusky gleam of light quivered on the brink of the ractt The barrier was evidently enormously thick lour yards at the least It was I equally clear from the presence of the waterfall that Tippoo Sahib had chosen a building site just where the stream dropped to a lower level VhileJ the boys were looking jvltMn Punk had given his attention to the grating Now he Jianded one of the spades to < Paliu and this rifle and equipmentsto Jack and Myles I t iT i1i AI i JiJe i 5 M t gq5 p7 illiM rJk r we 4iit frSttA = = a n TIPPO sunns BARRIER Old those he shouted loudly enough to be heard above this roar of tile waiter Dont mind the wet Well ave a fire tonight Then w > th the other spade he vigorously vigor-ously attacked the arched grating But all in vain he twisted and pried and jammed the stout iron bars In spite of nearly a century of service they were weMed as tightly as ever into the masonrj Pink stopped and looked in a troubled way alt his companions as he wiped the perspiration from this face He was about to renew the attack when he suddenly sud-denly discovered that the grating was only an inch or two under wratei With a laugh at ms own stupidity he bobbed out of sight like a flash and an instant later his dripping head and shoulders emerged on the inner side of the bars Your turn next lads he shouted It aint ard ere give me your traps first The boys passed everything through the bars to Pink until he fairly staggered stag-gered with the weight Then one by one they took the cold plunge and came J up insIde the vault uI It I For several minutes they huddled together to-gether With shivering limbs and chattering chatter-ing teeth I Along each side of the vault was a platform of ana cnrj raised a few inches above the water On the one to the right Pink deposited the weapons and other articles Then he waded to the foot of the waterfall and looked up alt it with a smile of satisfaction No man could scale that he muttered mut-tered to himself and I doubt if theresa theres-a clean outlet above As he returned to his companions he drew a waterproof matchsafe from his pocket and snapped the lid open Now lads he exclaimed we must save a little light for the next figure of tuie combination Youll feel warm enough when the climb begins The match iliad scarcely been scraped when it dropped with a h5ss into the water Pinks lace turned ghastly white and he made a mad dash for the plat form The boys mere astounded for an instant in-stant but a quick glance through the I bars revealed the awful truth Every sense of chilliness left their Veins as they saw Mogul Mirs ugly face and scarlet jacket emerge from the edge of the forest Behind him came trooper after trooper all on foot and all bristling with rifles and tulwars It seemed a long time though it was really scarcely five seconds until Pink was back at the grating a rifle in his lands and a brace of revolvers in lus J bosom JIll J-Ill attend to those devils he shouted hoarsely Youll find a stone with a andle to It on the right sIde It must k be there Pull it ard Quick lads for si V covens sake But the boys stood still In the water as e hough petrified A spell seemed to toe g upon them They heard a thunderous re riJ poet in their ears and saw Mogul Mir fi spin around and clap one hand to his arm Crack crack A trooper went down i like a log and another pitched headfirst into the stream Then drifting powder Smoke partly hid the scene and the roar of the cataract was drowned In shrill cries and the angry belch of firearms I Are you mad jelled Pink seeing that the boys were still there Off with you Open that stone He stopped shooting long enough to IJ thrust his matchbox into Jacks hands and jerk him violently to the right ThIs broke the spell and The three lads I plashed hastily away from ithe bars bullets were whistling overhead and behind be-hind them They climbed out upon the stone platform plat-form which was a yard beyond the grot ng and thus out of range They vaguely vague-ly remembered Pinks instructions and ran their hands up and down the slimy wall With nervous fingers Jack scraped a match and right In front of his breast he saw an iron handle protruding from a lock of masonry 2 by 3 feet In dimen dons I His shout of joy brought Myles and altu Co hs side and all three took bold For half a minute they tugged and pulled in vain No aid could be expected from Pink HiS repeating rifle was empty now and he was blazing away at the troopers with a revolver in each hand The curtain cur-tain of smoke was all that saved Mm from the hot return fire Pull harder cried Jack I cant Mjles yelled my fingers are breaking Paltu lost his hold and staggered back Try a gun lads roared Pink as he dOdged to one side of the grating I cant keep them back much longer Then he thrust toth pistols out at the I bars and emptied the chambers in rapid succession 1 J T Thc niinl tie tiy 8 gun w nder if 1 n t mtgng omI stock antt barrel Huter and ihawJer rUSieiT pull ffi i sndderiilyFhp atonm SWl1l1g tar ereugh mt oo w thfttiltJ KV s < > only tlcinchem i v fu Ii > J r fJ 5Qether wi H 1 Jack anti 11 with r n YJ ef e k slal gmabet < fleaat noid trujSilyplvot eveeUng yfcwnlnsr black hote through wtoksrb mgcLmafot4mi < IKfm1O 1 t aacr 2 A 4 The boys > cheered tI louoMy and sbowted ito Pink that the feevwas Open P > 1 1 JIn with you quick wee thfe hoiatBe Zeph < Vi r 7 fi Myles anS BaJtu were the first to ent rand r-and three feet back Iff the passage rhej found rooenrrtosit > upright As quickly as possible Jack passed ia the tUe weapons and ammunition iTOien Pink SipranG 1ft the 8 ads aid having tired tqHr lat charge ofhis 1e7 VlQIWrg > and betltphunnnBhritothe ioie ibia feW sccands all lbtir1vere hud dted together in confu ron pan ting < hard forbreath > in the mot sliflfng QJV rlIiPiieTc Jack hodmlslaiathe matchtoox and eculd riot find tfit > tx A in > PiSnk craw forward ond fumbled about with Ills hands unt4 4ie found an iron handle sSmllor to the other that was riveted to the inner Jdeof the slab He1 called for he5p andMyUe lnstantly l responded Just as both began to null the troopers swarmeS up to < the bars > anti an Instant later half a dozen of them dived under the grating and rose I inside the vault But time great slab was now moving on t Its ru5t d pIvot ill irfespomSe to the vigor1 oua tugs of Pink and Myles < Nearer I and near r swung t2ie smter end i j I Onay alf a fOot njore cried Pink and as he spoke here was a S srat > lns r nose and a flash of yellow Tghtl Jack I had found the matchbox Alas I just then the slab stuck obstinately obstin-ately fast and jtforougft the n ro obsbinl that was stHl open he glaie < xC the burning match shone on the dusky ferocious ers fero-cious laces of tw Of JirogUl k Jllrs troop f To be continued X I |
