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capital Three elephants were necessary There were tdah

elephants and one pack elephant, as always lagging behind

Through long aisles ofdeserts, dotted here and there by shrubs and stunted trees,

in and out of gloo streahts were bitter cold

Sometimes a blue miasmic haze settled down, and the dry raspy hides of

the elephants grew daar Kathlyn had hired in Calcutta, proved invaluable

Without hie

country; for these wild-eyed Mohammedan mahouts (and it is pertinent to

note that only Mohaainst the

tenets of Hinduis that kills) scowled at her

evilly They would have made ith her for an anna-piece Rao was

a Mohammedan himself, so they listened and obeyed

All this the first day and night out On the followinga

leopard crossed the trail Kathlyn seized her rifle and broke its

spine The jabbering of the mahouts would have amused her at any other

time

"Good, Mem-sahib," whispered Rao "You have put fear into their

devils' hearts Good! Chup!" he called "Stop your noise"