Ironically Umballa bade the fishermen to enter to eat and drink what
they liked. Later he found them in a drunken stupor in the kitchen.
That was where they belonged.
He ordered his prisoners to be brought into the Court of Death and left
there.
"You see?" said Umballa. "Now, where have you hidden the treasure?"
Kathlyn walked over to one of the cages and peered into it. A sleek
tiger trotted up to the bar; and purred and invited her to scratch his
head.
"I am not answered," said Umballa.
A click resounded from the four sides, and a bar disappeared from each
of the cages.
"That will be all for the present," said Umballa. "Food and water you
will not require. To-morrow morning another bar will be removed."
And he left them.
Early the next morning the town began to seethe in the squares. Bala
Khan's army lay encamped outside the city!
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." A few moments later Ramabai
addressed the assemblage. "Bala Khan is hostile, but only for the sake
of his friends. He lays down this law, however--obey it or disobey it.
The Colonel Sahib and his daughters are to go free, to do what they
please with the treasure. Pundita, according to the will of the late
king, shall be crowned."
The high priest held up his hand for silence. "We obey, on one
condition--that the new queen shall in no manner interfere with her old
religion nor attempt to force her new religion into the temple."
To this Pundita agreed.
"Ramabai, soldiers! To the house of Umballa! We shall find him
there," cried Ahmed.
Umballa squatted upon his cushions on the terrace. The second bar had
been removed. The beasts were pressing their wet nozzles to the
openings and growling deep challenges.
"Once more, and for the last time, will you reveal the hiding-place of
the treasure?"
Not a word from the prisoners.
"The third bar!"
But it did not stir.
"The third bar; remove it!"
The slave who had charge of the mechanism which operated the bars
refused to act.
The events which followed were of breathless rapidity. Ramabai and
Umballa met upon the parapet in a struggle which promised death or the
treadmill to the weaker. At the same time Bruce opened the door to the
Court of Death as the final bar dropped in the cage. At the sight of
him the colonel and his daughters rushed to the door. Roughly he
hurled them outside, slamming the iron door, upon which the infuriated
tigers flung themselves.