Toward noon the other treasure seekers drew up within a quarter of a mile behind the village.  The men-folk thought it advisable to reconnoiter before entering the village.  One never could tell.  Winnie declared her intention of snoozing while they waited, and curled up in her rugs.  Kathlyn, however, could not resist the longing to look upon the sea again.  She could see the lovely blue water through the spaces between the trees.  Soon she would be flying over that water, flying for home, home!

She went farther from the camp than she really intended, and came unexpectedly upon the leopard which stood guarding its cubs while they growled and tore at the dead kid.  Kathlyn realized that she was unarmed, and that the leopard was between her and the camp.  She could see the roofs of the village below her; so toward the huts she ran.  The leopard stood still for a while, eying her doubtfully, then made up its mind to give chase.  She had tasted blood, but had not eaten.

Meantime the little child had forgot her loss in her interest in the bullock cart with its grotesque lure; and she climbed into the cart just as Kathlyn appeared, followed by the excited leopard.  She saw the child and snatched her instinctively from the cart.  The leopard leaped into the cart at the rear, while Kathlyn ran toward the chief’s hut, into which she staggered without the formality of announcing her advent.

The father of the child had no need to question, though he marveled at the white skin and dress of this visitor, who had doubtless saved his child from death.  He flung the door shut and dropped the bar.  Next he sought his gun and fired through a crack in the door.  He missed; but the noise and smoke frightened the leopard away.

And later, Bruce, wild with the anxiety over the disappearance of Kathlyn, came across the chief battling for his life.  He had gone forth to hunt the leopard, and the leopard had hunted him.  Bruce dared not fire, for fear of killing the man; so without hesitance or fear he caught the leopard by the back of the neck and by a hind leg and swung her into the sea.

The chief was severely mauled, but he was able to get to his feet and walk.  The white woman had saved his child and the white man had saved him.  He would remember.

Thus the leopard quite innocently served a purpose, for all her deadly intentions; the chief was filled with gratitude.

When the colonel and the others came into view the former seized Kathlyn by the shoulders and shook her hysterically.

“In God’s name, Kit, don’t you know any better than to wander off alone?  Do you want to drive me mad?”

“Why, father, I wasn’t afraid!”

“Afraid?  Who said anything about your being afraid?  Didn’t you know that we were being followed?  It is Umballa!  Ah! that gives you a start!”

“Colonel!” said Bruce gently.

“I know, Bruce, I sound harsh.  But you were tearing your hair, too.”