Summaries

Synopsis

Episode 1: "The Unwelcome Throne" Kathlyn Hare, daughter of Col. Hare, a collector of wild animals, is modeling a pet leopard in her alfresco studio, when her younger sister, Winnie, comes in with a collie dog, which excites the leopard into such ferocity that the sister has to seek safety in a cage. The leopard is quieted by Kathlyn and her father, and Winnie is released. The father then tells his daughters how he captured the leopard, and in a dissolve we see him arriving in the nick of time to save the King Allaha, a mythical principality in India, whose councilors had deserted him, from destruction by the infuriated beast. For his act of bravery the king gives the colonel a decoration, which he proudly displays to the girls. Six months later, just before the colonel starts for Allaha, he gives Kathlyn a large packet, upon which is written, "To be opened by my daughter, Kathlyn, at midnight, December 31st." Some time afterward, as Kathlyn is showing the mysterious packet to her sister, a noise, coming from the outside, attracts their attention, and Kathlyn drops the packet as she and her sister run outside. During their absence, a Hindu, who has been lurking outside, watching the girls, steals inside, abstracts the colonel's message from the packet, but does not touch the sealed enclosure, writes a note of his own, carefully seals the envelope and vanishes. As the old padre is ringing the church bells at midnight, on December 31, Kathlyn and her sister open the packet and find what they suppose to be the note from their father, which tells them that if he has not returned before the New Year, he is held captive by the people of Allaha, and the only way he could be saved would be by getting possession of the sealed envelope herewith. Being a woman of quick action, she takes the only way out of town that night, which is by means of a fast freight. Climbing into the caboose, she perceives one of her father's lions, boxed for shipment. The animal escapes from the cage and in the mix-up the cover of the tool chest is accidentally opened, uncovering the Hindu (he is unknown to Kathlyn), who had forged the note found in the packet. He pays his fare and is accepted as a passenger. She gets to the steamer in time and in due course arrives in India, where she goes to her father's palace by way of an elephant's back. She has no sooner reached his residence when the Hindu, who has been secretly following, comes to her and tells her that her father is dead, when in reality he is held a prisoner by the people of Allaha. Kathlyn falls into a faint, and when she regains consciousness she is told by Umballah, the Hindu, that inasmuch as the king is dead, she must become queen. In proof of his words, he opens the packet, shows her the contents of same (translating a language she cannot read), shows her the note of her father which emphatically states to destroy the sealed packet, conferring the hereditary right to him and his successors to the throne of Allaha. A lone, defenseless woman in a strange laud, she is more alarmed than ever, as she realizes that she is thoroughly in the power of fanatical people, and has already done exactly what her father commanded her not to do. She is informed that she must take possession of the throne at once, and protesting, she is dragged to the palace, placed upon the throne and held as captive against the day of the coronation. Amid great pomp, she is unwillingly crowned by the high priest. The Council then lead Umballah forward and the populace is informed that he is chosen as the husband of the queen.

Episode 2: "The Two Ordeals" Kathlyn quickly recovers from the curious sensation of being forced to occupy an unwelcome throne in compliance with the scheming councilors of a fanatical people. The high priest prepares to go on with the ceremony of marrying her to Umballah, who is the mainspring of all her troubles; but she conserves all her powers of resistance to this proceeding, and with the dominant force of the Anglo-Saxon, for the time cows the superstitious brown men who hover about the throne. This causes a delay on their part, which she instantly takes advantage of and the Council of Three, coerced by public spirit, decide that she will be given a week in which to consent to the marriage. Thus ends the sentimental episode in the gorgeous festival of the Durbar. During this horrible week of respite for the captive queen, a high caste native, Ramabal, is charged with murder, and under the law, all his property reverts to the reigning sovereign, including even his wife. In this instance, the wife is a beautiful young person, Pundita, highly educated. Kathlyn at once frees the captive, as far as slavery is concerned; and Pundita, in gratitude, begs to remain with her until she learns the fate of her husband. When Kathlyn hears her story, she orders Ramabal brought before her and declares him innocent. He, in turn, craves permission to remain in the palace, as the queen's personal bodyguard. Thus Kathlyn, by fate and force, secures for her personal service, two powerful factors in her favor (who remain with her throughout this series of plays). During this trying period, while Kathlyn has all her wits working to thwart the connivance of the crafty people about her; Bruce, an American sportsman, happens upon the scene from the far interior, where he has been hunting big game, and at once becomes a hero in spite of himself. Kathlyn still refusing the alliance with Umballah, the council has decreed that she must submit to two ordeals with wild animals. If she survives these, she will be permitted to occupy the throne like Elizabeth of old, as a maiden queen. Bruce, learning of her plight, has managed to communicate with her, and swears himself her life champion. Pundita communicates with Bruce the circumstances of the ordeals. In the first test Kathlyn is dragged to a leopard's trap, and lashed to the mainstay of the deadfall as a human bait to lure the spotted cat from the depths of the jungle. She is so secured that the heavy door will fall the moment the animal springs upon it. It would seem that there is no hope of escape. The faithful Pundita, however, has informed her that Bruce will not fail to appear at the proper moment. Now comes the stealthy leopard closer and closer to the trap. At the last moment there is a flash, but it is not the form of the leopard hurtling through the air, but Bruce. Even as the heavy door falls, the famished, frenzied cat is clawing at it, trying to break through. Bruce fires at the animal through the bars and it limps back to the jungle, broken from his fire. While Kathlyn has escaped from the beast by a seeming marvel, for the second time she refuses the request of the Council, to marry the villainous man that dominates them. She is ordered to an amphitheater, where the populace assemble to witness her fate as the refractory leader of their community. Bruce, now more wonderfully resourceful than ever in Kathlyn's interest, appears before the high priest and the Council and tells them that a miracle will save the Queen from the jaws of the savage lions, but if they compel her to submit to such a cruel ordeal, the same force will destroy many of the people assembled to witness her death. The impressionable people shrink at this idea: but stern Umballah mocks at him and orders him driven out. That same night we see Bruce and Ramabal meet at the house of a high caste native. Ramabal is the leader of a band of high minded conspirators, whose object is to uplift the people and secure better government. They lead Bruce to a secluded place where are hidden land-mines, which have been smuggled by Revolutionists into Allaha, in view of impending military troubles. These mines, with electrical appliances for operation, are loaded on elephants, and then, under cover of night, the little band enter the silent and deserted arena of the amphitheater, bury the mines, and connect them with wires leading to a box on the lower amphitheater. The great day comes. The hungry lions are shown in their dens; the populace crowd in the stalls, and then comes Kathlyn, the beautiful captive, regal even in her simple robes of white, who is led into the arena. She walks to the far end, and stands under a canopy designed as a resting place for athletes between their feats. Umballah and his Council are in the royal box. The keeper opens the door, and the famished lions rush into the arena. They see the shining human mark; they crouch their lean, sinewy bodies for the fatal spring. The scene flashes back to the shadowy box where Bruce is manipulating the push-down of a blasting machine. As he establishes the connection, there is a rush, a roar, and the volcano of earth and stone bursts in the arena, leaving in its litter a great gash between Kathlyn and the savage lions. The spectators flee in panic, leaving many dead and wounded. Bruce leaps down from his box into the arena and seizes Kathlyn in his arms, as the scene dims.

Episode 3: "The Temple of the Lion" After the daring and cunning of the American engineer blew up the Amphitheatre with his land mines, saving Kathlyn from the hungry lions, he dragged her from the wreckage to a secluded spot close by, where Ramadai and Pundita were waiting with elephants. So they all are elevated into the howdahs; the mahouts prod the big beasts and then follows a flight through the jungle. Finally in the dawn of the morning, they stop for water. A baboon runs close to the trail, frightening Kathlyn's elephant mount, which runs away. The mahout tries to stop the terrified beast, but he is thrown against a tree, and the elephant continues its frantic pace with Kathlyn, alone. The other members of the entourage pursue her, but the runaway gains so fast that Kathlyn is soon lost to their view in the recesses of the forest. Finally the weary elephant halts at the gates of a city, and Kathlyn again finds herself a stranger captive. She happens along about the time the funeral ceremony of a Parsee is being celebrated. The scene transfers to the Burning Gat, where a cremation is in process, after the primitive fashion of the Parsee. The widow is led to the pyre to be sacrificed with her husband for suttee. She shrieks with fear, declaring she will never give herself to the rite. The head man then shouts to them that a victim is providentially at hand to be sacrificed upon the pyre to propitiate the gods. Thereupon he leads in Kathlyn, the white captive. She is bound and place upon the smoking pile. The preparations are made for her final resignation, but she does not resign. As the fire is started, the natives start to decorously retire, their flight being accelerated by the appearance of a mad elephant. It happens to be Kathlyn's erratic mount. It recognizes its mistress and, reaching up to the top of the pyre, takes her from the flames that are now biting her garments. As the big beast rescues the fair one and rushes away, the scene dims. The day is far spent; likewise the elephant, and as night comes on, they approach the portico of a ruined temple. The animal kneels and Kathlyn descends, weary from the long journey. Across the pillared portico strolls a prowling lion. Other parts of the structure show that the carnivore are chiefly its habitants. Kathlyn alights and stands close to the sarcophagus. She observes the lion and leaps into the carved cavity. So she passes the night in terror, frequently seeking safety in the recesses of the sacred tomb as the black-maned lion passes and re-passes in search of prey. As morning comes, a priest ventures into the temple, and observing Kathlyn miraculously rising from the sarcophagus after her terrible rest, he views her as an apparition, and falls at her feet in worship. He calls his associates; they bring their food and drink and elect her to be high priestess in their temple; and henceforth she must keep alive by night and day the fire that will ward off evil spirits from that region. The unhappy young queen again finds not only a priestess, but a prisoner. One night in fleeing from the prowling lion she stumbles against an idol. It falls and is broken into a thousand pieces. The following morning the natives, discovering the destruction, are enraged beyond endurance, rushing at Kathlyn as if to slay her. She wards them off, reminding them that as high priestess her person is sacred. Then fortunately recurs to her the accomplishment of her girlhood days with clay modeling in her far away California studio. She plans to save herself from the fury of the fanatics by telling them that she has the power to recreate their idol. She orders clay and water and at once begins modeling a reproduction of the idol from memory. When the natives behold this completed work of art, they fall to the ground in abject obeisance, and she stands entrenched more strongly than ever in their reverence. Thus she again saves her life by her ready wit and her facility of accomplishment. The marauding lion has grown bolder and hungrier now makes his rounds on the portico in broad daylight. Having escaped the fury of the mob, Kathlyn now is about to become the prey of a savage beast. She flies for her life from the temple to the river. It would appear that only a miracle could save her now.

Episode 4: "The Royal Slave" After Kathlyn's seemingly marvelous escape from the Temple of the Lion, where she almost became a victim of fanatical men, not to remark the hungry and marauding lion, she is still followed by the wild beasts that rove in that vicinity in search of prey. She realizes her peril through some keen second sense, and eventually makes her way by woodcraft to a tree, at the base of which is an idol. This being in the nature of a votive shrine. It is frequently visited by the Pilgrims and pious Parsees, who offer prayers for protection from the beasts of the jungle and also leave peace offerings in the form of food. Above in the branches of this spreading tree is propped a rude hunting booth, where the native hunters have been accustomed to watch in security for the stalking game that prey upon one another in the depths of the jungle. This umbrageous tree seems to have kindly shadows, and Kathlyn takes refuge among its branches, exhausted after her terrible flight through the tangled woodlands. Unarmed, she realizes that she must now depend upon her woodcraft and fleetness of foot to avoid the dangerous inhabitants of that neighborhood. With this idea in view, she weaves for herself a dress of fibrous grass that blends with the flora and the branches of the trees, just as the markings of many wild animals does, comporting with their environment, giving them unconscious security. She completes this garment none too soon, when the carnivora which has been upon her trail, rounds up at the base of the tree and settles down with fearful roars and snarling, warning her that it is time for her to look to her safety. She is so surprised that in her haste to get away she drops her tattered and discolored temple gown, fleeing further into the depths of the everglades in her new garb blending so well with the surroundings that it helps to conceal her whereabouts. Bruce, the American hunter, who accomplished Kathlyn's rescue in the amphitheater from the forty hungry lions, has been hot upon her trail since the stampede of elephants drew them far apart. Undeterred, however, he has penetrated the depths of the jungle, followed her from the Burning Gat to the ruined temple, and now to the base of the tree, where he finds her torn and discarded garment. He is encouraged to continue his search with greater zeal. In the interim, some passing traders lose an elephant that has strayed far afield to feed and give chase. The elephant becomes panicky and in its flight almost knocks down the tree that shelters Kathlyn. In her fright, she tries to run away, but the traders who have come upon the scene, capture her, believing her to have been an escaped slave. The chief of this band, after taking counsel, concludes to take his captive to a nearby city, place her in a slave market and sell her. Then follow a series of interesting scenic events, showing the method of caring for captives that have more than ordinary value in the eyes of their owners, for the fair Kathlyn at once excites the cupidity and admiration of the leader of the band, who naturally concludes he has a pearl of great price in her. (Incidental to this is the caste-mark on the forehead of the human chattel.) A few days after Kathlyn emerges from the jungle, she is put upon the auction block in the slave market of Allaha. Disguised in her wild garb of woven grass, bearing her caste-mark, and deprived of all the finery that once marked her as a queen, she is so heavily veiled she is not recognized by any of the dusky magnates who frequent the market of Allaha. Eventually she is sold, curiously enough to Umballah, who does not recognize her on account of the Saree over her face. Kathlyn, who has been successful in outwitting Umballah, concludes to reveal to him her identity, and when she does he is furious and indignant beyond words. While she was in the slave market, she managed to learn the whereabouts of Bruce, and conveyed a message to him through the caste-marker of Allaha. Bruce is again close, but is a few minutes too late to save her, as Umballah, in his fury, has ordered Kathlyn to be incarcerated in the same prison that confines her father. She had believed her sire dead, but when she is placed into the dungeon she recognizes the ragged and emaciated lost one and a joyous meeting drives melancholy from the inhospitable place. This, however, is short-lived, for the malignant Umballah appears and tells Col. Hare that his daughter Kathlyn is now his slave, his chattel, and that he will do with her as he likes. Instead of having the effect he hoped, in humbling the prisoner in chains at his feet, it inspires him with fury, and Hare, now possessed of maniacal strength, springs upon Umballah like a wild beast and bears him down, grinding him against the rocky floor of the dungeon.

Episode 5: "A Colonel in Chains" With Kathlyn's revelations of herself as a slave, Prince Umballah, her purchaser, has her imprisoned in the dungeon of the royal palace. There she finds her father, whom she was led to believe had been dead. That worthy gentleman, enraged, tries with his bare hands to end the life of the hateful Umballah, who intrudes upon their presence, but is dragged away by his retainers. This is brought about when Umballah informs Kathlyn that she is to be the favorite of his harem. This so infuriates Col. Hare that he is about to strangle the dusky Prince, when Kathlyn implores him not to stain his hands with blood. Umballah staggers to his feet, furious with rage, leaves the place vowing vengeance, promising to return with the executioner to publicly flog his prisoner. As he staggers up the steps in the corridor of the palace, he encounters Bruce, the American hunter, who has found his way into that labyrinth in search of Kathlyn. Umballah suspicions him, questions him and then orders him taken from the palace. In the throne-room Umballah finds his councilors, makes his complaint, and it is agreed that Col. Hare must suffer for tampering with his sacred person. A big baboon escapes from confinement and in prying about perches upon the prison window in the very cell in which Kathlyn and her father are confined. This alert young woman conceives the idea of communicating with the outer world, sending by it a message to its keeper so that Ahmed will get it and further their plans for escape. She rips the insole from her shoe, and writes with the Colonel's indelible pencil, "In the palace prison. Help. Kathlyn." She ties this about the neck of the monkey and then it is captured by Ahmed, who, seeing the message, at once takes it to Bruce. The resourceful American consults with Ramabai, and they conclude to drive an elephant up to the prison window and pull out the bars. This is done, and so much of the masonry comes free that Kathlyn easily escapes through the opening: but Col. Hare, securely chained to the pillar in his prison, is unable to get away. He tells his daughter to leave, as fortune will free him; so she reluctantly hurries away to the Hare bungalow in the jungles of Allaha, as the scene dims. Kathlyn's safety having been secured, she immediately begins planning how to release her father. The first move in this project is to secure Umballah by strategy. They accomplish this with the aid of the fascinating Pundita, who pretends to have turned against Kathlyn and assumes to wish to affect her capture. Umballah, disarmed by rage, immediately starts out in quest of his prey. On arriving at the bungalow, he rushes into the room, but suddenly finds the door barred behind him by Kathlyn, who is holding a leopard in leash. Thus they take advantage of his fear, and he is forced to sign a release for Col. Hare from the palace prison. Having secured this important document, Bruce. Kathlyn and Pundita, leaving Umballah guarded by the leopard, rush to their elephant with their impedimenta and start to a rendezvous in the jungle, where they are to meet Col. Hare, who is to come when released through the medium of Umballah's message. Umballah, having finally affected his escape with great difficulty, returns to the palace, but too late. The messenger has filed his order, the prisoner has been released, and is well on his way toward the coast. The vengeful Parsee prince, however, is not to be so easily outwitted, and starts his retainers on dromedaries to intercept the flight of the Americans. Umballah, coming up with the rear of the procession, takes a long distance shot and wounds Kathlyn.

Episode 6: "Three Bags of Silver" The chance-shot fired by the villainous but keen-sighted Umballah, makes a bone-bruise upon the fair arm of Kathlyn. This, however, does not stop her flight, or militate against the escape of herself, her daring companion, Bruce, and her father, Col. Hare, who escaped from prison through the machinations of the clever Pundita and met them at the appointed rendezvous; before the vengeful Prince and his creatures started in pursuit. Fortunately, the escaping party is accompanied by Ramabai and his faithful wife, Pundita, who are now Kathlyn's staunchest friends and of incalculable assistance in every emergency. Presently they emerge from the jungle and see far out on the plains the white towers and shining minarets standing silhouetted against the sky, Alhabad, the walled city of the desert. They approach the town and are received by sentinels at the gates and are conducted into the presence of the Rajah. This functionary, in addition to being commander of the city, has a more important office as keeper of the Sacred White Elephant, which is frequently sent on pilgrimages to nearby cities to be worshiped by the natives. It is one of the precious possessions of the place, hence the walled city, and many savage guardians that look after its chief treasure. The Sacred Elephant is presumably returning from a visitation where it has been the guest of honor, when a fierce band of brigands that inhabit the hills lying along the desert, decide to capture it and convey it to a rival Maharajah across the distant desert. Fortunately, the sacred charge arrives within the walled city before the brigands attain its possession. They, however, are resourceful and have other means at their command, as they know the attendants of the elephant are weary of their duties and will take to their favorite dissipation of opium smoking. The brigands outside the walls await their opportunity and when it comes they knock down and bind the guards at the gate, enter the Rajah's premises and carry away the precious animated object of worship. About this time Kathlyn and her entourage arrive in the city and the next morning are informed by the commotion of the great loss. Bruce, through Ramabai, is put in touch with the situation; likewise, Kathlyn, and they immediately offer assistance if reciprocal aid is given in the form of a military convoy, which is readily granted. Kathlyn is rushed out into the desert on the back of a wild camel, and from this gazeboo sweeps the horizon with her binoculars. Following her is a large train led by Bruce, together with the savage soldiery picturesque in their Oriental accouterments. Cleverly disposing the force, Kathlyn and a few of her followers go forward while the troops are concealed. They meet the brigands and pretend to be friendly, giving them quantities of opium as peace offerings. The brigands are disarmed by this kindness and are soon stupefied into security through the influence of the narcotic. As they are helpless, it is a comparatively easy matter to get the Sacred Elephant. On their way back to the walled city, they meet Umballah, who has been reinforced for the pursuit, but, his soldiers, in superstitious fear, bow before the Sacred Elephant, so that Kathlyn and her party are allowed to proceed on their way. It is some time before Umballah, furious over the attitude of his men, rallies them and induces them to move forward. When they arrive at the gates of the walled city, they are denied entrance by the soldiers of the Rajah, and Umballah returns sullenly to Allaba in defeat. The following day Kathlyn and her party again start on their way to the coast, and, strangely enough, are captured by the self-same band of brigands from whom they secured the animated sacred symbol. Kathlyn, her father and Bruce are tied to a tiger cart of the brigands. The chief, searching Col. Hare, finds his medal and knows at once that he has captured the White King. Thereupon he sends a messenger forward to Allaha, demanding as a ransom from Umballah, three bags of silver. A few days later Umballah arrives in haste with his silver, but asks only for Col. Hare, as a prisoner, earnestly requesting that Bruce and Kathlyn be fed to the tigers.

Episode 7: "The Garden of Brides" The vengeful Umballah, having delivered his three bags of silver and secured Col. Hare as his prisoner, departs for the Palace of Allah, leaving Kathlyn and Bruce tied to the tiger cart with their backs to the savage beast and facing another death, at the hands of the brutal brigands. Hardly has Umballah got away before the turbulent members of the brigand band demand of the chief their share of the silver ransom on an equality basis. The chief refuses to do their bidding, simply tossing them one bag and reserving two for himself. This precipitates a bloody riot, and in the melee the mutinous members of the band release Kathlyn and Bruce from the tiger cart, and tie their own chief to the cart. The victorious fighters then rush into their cave to divide the spoils. The leader of the mutinous band next conceives a bright idea of liberating the tiger and allowing it to tear their late leader to pieces. The chief, however, manages to deftly slip his bonds and dart away into the jungle. The brigands, in the security of their cave, pull the rope of the cage door, the tiger dashes out, pursues the chief and eventually kills him. While the victorious thieves are looking to a furtherance of their own selfish interest, Bruce and Kathlyn find two loaded rifles, and taking advantage of the brigands, bar up the entrance of the cave, leaving them prisoners, and making their own escape. They go forward to a little village where they are given shelter. Having recuperated there, Kathlyn decides that she must liberate her father, so they engage camels and retrace their trail to Allaha. At the outskirts of the city they send a message to Ramabai and Pundita, requesting assistance and disguises. The friends of the story being reunited, lay plans in train for the liberation of Col. Hare. Ramabai has already broached to the ambitious Umballah, the idea of marrying Col. Hare, who has been forced upon the throne, to a native girl, which would further the nefarious plans of Umballah to a desirable culmination. The imposing coronation of Col. Hare, the pitiful scene of chaining him to his own throne, and giving him the empty honors of a potentate with the humiliations of a prisoner, serve a series of sensational scenes. Umballah has fallen in with the plan for the furtherance of his ambitions and greedily consents to the suggestion of Ramabai. Native girls, heavily veiled, are then paraded before the throne, and their choice is almost forced upon Col. Hare. Kathlyn has been disguised as one of these native girls, and when she discloses her features to her father, he at once recognizes some plan is afoot for his own deliverance, and elects her as his consort. Her veil drops and Umballah. who views the ceremony from a distance, is completely in the dark as to her identity. He goes to the treasure-room of the palace, which is guarded by leopards, and secures the betrothal chain of pearls, but in his haste, he leaves the outer-gate of the treasure-room open, and the leopards escape, rushing through the palace in different directions. The formal announcement of the wedding has hardly been made, before the alarm spreads, and there is a mad scramble for safety. In the panic that ensues, Kathlyn becomes separated from her father and Ramabai, and hides in a covered cart, in the Garden of Brides. In the interim, Bruce has prepared camels for the party to take flight to the coast, but when they assemble on the outside of the wall of the Garden of Brides, the party are woefully disconcerted on learning that Kathlyn is the only missing member of the outfit. They are fearful that the leopards may have overtaken her.

Episode 8: "The Cruel Crown" Pandemonium follows the escape of the leopards, placed to guard the treasure-room in Umballah's palace. Royal personages and their attendants flee from the spotted terrors, and Kathlyn takes advantage of this to get away from the throne-room, where she was surrounded by enemies. She flees into the Garden of Brides and takes refuge in a covered bullock cart close to the palace walls. The scene opens as Kathlyn lifts the draperies of the covered cart and gazes affrighted at the prowling leopards in the palace yard. As they rush by, she deserts the cart, and runs through the garden. Still, the walls seem to bar her escape. A heavy, clinging vine is not to be despised and immediately uses this means to scale the barrier. Her father and Ramabai, who have been reinforced by Bruce and Pundita, have their camels only a short distance away and her appearance is hailed joyously. She is assisted down the wall by a ladder, then the party mount their camels and start through the city of Allaha. As they pass through the outer gate, they are recognized by Umballah's Captain of Guard, who hurriedly rushes to the palace and notifies Umballah, who is holding a session with the Council of Three, of his discovery and their departure. Umballab derides to give chase, as he is particularly anxious to recapture Col. Hare, who has been made king, merely to serve as the creature of his caprice. Then begins an exciting chase over plains, and through woodlands with thrilling incidents. At a native village, the party come upon a festival in which the dancers are masked with animal heads. Learning of the close pursuit of Umballah, they persuade the dancers to allow them in their places, and although Umballah and his followers come upon the scenes and see the dancers, they do not penetrate the disguise and recognize them, and so disgusted, they finally reluctantly return to Allaha. Kathlyn and her party, having secured fresh mounts, start on their way to cross the mountains and eventually stop and camp for the night. During the hours of darkness, treacherous natives steal their horses, greatly inconveniencing the travelers. Different members of the party start out in the morning to hunt their property, and Kathlyn is trailed through the broken country by a pair of hungry tigers. Her situation is perilous, indeed, when a sheep-herder observes her and, throwing up a rope, Kathlyn fastens it to a rock, and then slides down the face of the cliff, leaving the maddened, astonished brutes snarling at the summit. Hardly has she escaped this danger, when she hears the howling of a pack of wolves, and rushes breathlessly along until she sees the mountain rest house where the faithful Pundita is resting. The wolves make for the cabin, but the women cunningly see an inner room in the house, and by concealing themselves in the cupboard, allow the wolves to rush into it, then, shoving the door shut, trap the savage howling beasts. By this time Col. Hare and Bruce have arrived upon the scene. Kathlyn shows the hunter how she has imprisoned the wolves, and he leisurely picks off the leaders with his rifle. About this time a caravan comes that way, which they join, and eventually arrive safely at a seaport town. Here they learn, to their sorrow, from a California cablegram, that Kathlyn's sister, Winnie, had sailed several weeks before for India, and is now in the city of Allaha. Although their own safety was secure, they decided at once to return to Allaha, as they are familiar with the treacherous disposition of Umballah, and know he will visit all his wrath upon the innocent girl. This is about as they expected, for the real ruler of Allaha, having discovered Winnie and recognizing her as the girl he saw in California, makes her a prisoner, and, previous to placing the Crown of Allaha upon her head, has her sequestered in the harem. Kathlyn and her party secure disguises before entering the city, and come upon the scene on the very day of the coronation. They manage to secure admittance to the throne-room, and Kathlyn secretly gets a message to her sister, assuring her of the plans made for her rescue. The openly cruel treatment of Umballah to Winnie causes Kathlyn to throw aside her disguise, and boldly reveal her own identity.

Episode 9: "The Spellbound Multitude" Kathlyn's sister, Winnie, has been cowed and terrorized, is forcibly crowned Queen of Allaha, to serve the sinister purpose of the scheming Umballah. By forced marches, Kathlyn, her father and party, reach the city and secure admission to the Coronation ceremony, disguised as animal trainers; but they are powerless to do anything other than observe and plan such action for the immediate future as fertility can suggest. After the ceremonies are over, the little party return to Col. Hare's headquarters and immediately start plans in train for the rescue of Winnie. Kathlyn plans to gain entrance to the royal harem, where Winnie is known to be held as a prisoner. This she expects to do by having Winnie feign sickness and insist upon sending for a female physician. Kathlyn secures the dress of a practitioner, is admitted to the harem, and eventually starts to smuggle her sister out and escape through the garden. This seems practical until the suspicious Umballah finds that the physician is none other than Kathlyn herself. He orders her to be immediately seized and confined as a prisoner in another room of the harem and held until the conclusion of the festival of the Juggernaut. The big feature of this festival is an enormous car containing the effigy of the dreadful idol, that is rolled along, crushing devotees in its path as willing human sacrifices. This gigantic car is trundled along on its way toward the Sacred River, but night coming on, the High Priest and his toiling sacristans are forced to leave the big fabric at the top of a hill. Umballah learns of this and conceives a fiendish plan for driving poor Kathlyn into the earth and everlastingly ending her power to thwart him. He secretly has the heroine taken out of her harem prison, and then has her staked down in the path of the car. Happily the keen-eared Pundita has overheard the plot, and she at once informs Col. Hare and Bruce. They rush to the rescue cautiously, but without delay. The staking party have no sooner completed the work, and rush away in the darkness to start the car on its horrible journey, than Bruce and Col. Hare arrive and pull out the stakes, just as the great car comes crashing down the incline, crushing everything in its path. Umballah, on investigation, finds that his plan failed, and fearing the rifles of Col. Hare's party, slinks back to the palace purple with rage. His most carefully laid plots appear to go awry, and with death in his clasp, he seems destined to be continuously routed of revenge. However, he has Winnie, and that is currently savage satisfaction to him. Bruce and Col. Hare have been busy, and Kathlyn's ready wit in the interim has not been idle, devising another way for the rescue of the young American from a fate worse than death. Ramabai assumes one of his cleverest disguises, and goes to the palace as an agent for a wild animal show, requesting permission for them to give a performance in the arena. Umballah suspicions something and is rather reluctant to give consent, but Winnie is queen, and she insists that the entertainment be given, and the Council of Three, singularly enough, agree with her. Bruce, anticipating this, has secretly ordered his men to bore a tunnel from a point under the stage, to another outside the palace walls. The next scene shows the great Arena in gala decoration, crowded with royalty and the people of Allaha. It is the greatest affair since the Coronation and attracts a vast throng. Lions, tigers and leopards are shown in the great domed cage and then are allowed to run freely through the big arena, and are finally put through their paces by trainers, giving a remarkable exhibition. Then Kathlyn appears garbed as a trainer. A woman trainer is something new to that locality, and when Kathlyn appears in this guise, she is wildly applauded by the people. She agrees to face the savage carnivores and make them perform, provided that the Queen of the day be allowed to stand by her. This personage, of course, is her sister, Winnie, and she imperiously demands the right of a Queen to do as she pleases. She, accordingly, descends from the royal box by a rope ladder into the arena. Umballah is furious, as usual, but concludes to end it all by turning all the hungry lions loose in the arena. Kathlyn gives the show with the tigers and leopards as her sister stands by the cage. Just then the hungry lions come, a roaring, rampant herd, leaping after them. They rush toward Kathlyn and her sister, but the latter hurriedly rush into the performer's cage and spring the trap, descending to the tunnel as if by magic. The trapdoor closes quickly, so the angered brutes leap about snarling and roaring, once again balked of their human prey.

Episode 10: "The Warrior Maid" Kathlyn and her sister, Winnie, have hardly disappeared through the trap leading from the big animal cage to the tunnel that had been burrowed beneath, than the hungry and frenzied lions that were in the arena swarmed onto the stage and began clawing at the trap, excited to ferocity by the fresh scent of human beings. This sensational disappearance naturally excited and surprised the vast assembly, and the scene in the royal box where Umballah was presiding baffled description. At first the dark Prince and his Councilors could hardly believe their eyes, and thought it was only a trick of the performers to temporarily escape the arena lions. But they waited for the return of the intrepid Kathlyn and her sister, in vain, and finally the uproarious crowd was indignantly dismissed. Umballah was baffled again, truly puzzled over the surprising situation when one of his adherents, a native Prince, brought him word that Kathlyn, her father, Bruce, and her sister were outside the walls. This stirred Umballah to pernicious activity, and he at once ordered the captain of the guards to start a death on the run, make them prisoners and bring them all back to the palace. Fast following their escape, Kathlyn and her supporters accepted the hospitality of Umballah's home. The latter had arranged with a prominent revolutionary leader to finance a movement against the false and insolent rulers of Allaha, particularly Prince Umballah, who never neglected an opportunity to crush the weak beneath his heel, and add to the suffering of the people. The new arrivals are not long learning this ambitious plan and their familiarity with the methods of Umballah, and the fact that they have repeatedly outwitted him, moves naturally for their selection in the leadership of the revolution. Quite appropriately it appears that Kathlyn should elect herself to lead such a dangerous coup d'état. Her own habiliments might have marked some feminine weakness that would have disqualified her for leadership, but happily she finds a suit of armor in Ramabai's home, dons it, and becomes a real Joan of Arc, an Evangel for the new cause of the people. This Amazon wears ancient silver armor, but she has swinging at her side an automatic gun of the latest design, which brings her up to date, and which she uses with accuracy. Unable to discover Kathlyn, the captain of the guard returns to Umballah's palace, and the latter cunningly bethinks him of Ramabai's house, and orders a second expedition. The captain of the guard, however, unfaithful to Umballah, now bargains for his mercenary services with the revolutionists. Just at this time, the palanquin from Umballah's palace passes with one of his ladies of the Harem. She overhears the plot, orders her attendants to take her at once to the palace. Umballah is notified and immediately prepares a counter-action. He orders the captain of the guard thrown into the lion's pit, offers large bounties to the soldiers who remain loyal, and then by a lucky stroke captures Bruce, Ramabai and Col. Hare. But, he did not count upon the real leader of the revolution, Kathlyn, who hurries to the scene of action, leading the charge against Umballah's dispirited soldiers. The imposing Amazonian figure of Kathlyn fills her followers with confidence in her leadership and they, finally fight their way into the very palace of Umballah. Then the revolutionists release the captain of the guard from the lion's pit, but fail to secure the keeper, who, in turn, opens the door and drives his lions scurrying through the palace. A native slave warns Kathlyn and her party of this new danger confronting them. During the scramble to get away, Kathlyn becomes separated from her father and Bruce, and they, having in the interim accidentally gained their own freedom, start out to search for her. In the meantime, Kathlyn has been trailed by a huge and hungry lion, and darts into a seemingly vacant house, where she finds other lions sequestered. She rushes up to the top balcony of this villa, and helpless to extricate herself from the dilemma, raises her voice, calling for help. Umballah, who is trying to make his own escape from the revolutionists, in a palanquin, hears her, and in mocking response to her cry for aid, cruelly applies a torch to the building, leaving her trapped amid the surging clouds of smoke on the upper balcony with hungry lions waiting below.

Episode 11: "The Forged Parchment" The captain of the guards, who was deposed by Umballah, observes Kathlyn in a perilous plight in the third balcony of a burning building, and immediately rushes to Colonel Hare's residence, informing Bruce and the colonel of her tragic position. They rush forward. Bruce throws up a rope, which Kathlyn fastens to the balcony. He then ascends and helps her to come down. They reach the ground none too soon, for the building is now a mass of flames and quickly collapses. Prince Umballah goes on his wicked way, thinking that he has ended the opposition of Kathlyn by fire, but soon after reaching his own residence, he is informed that his spy, the Majordomo, awaits him. He is admitted to Umballah's presence. Believing that he is near the end of his reign, Umballah informs the spy that the king, whom everyone believes to be dead, is alive and well, but has been kept a prisoner by his orders. He is secluded in a hut in the forest, closely guarded by Umballah's slaves. The Majordomo, after receiving his startling bit of information, is further instructed to return to the palace where Ramabai has assumed the throne, and to make full and accurate reports of all that takes place there. The following day, Ramabai, who does not know the real office of the Majordomo, gives him a message to Colonel Hare, informing him that he intends to arrest Umballah for high treason. The spy quickly carries this information to the wicked prince, who, in retaliation, forms a plan to poison Ramabai. He crushes some supposed pearls, which are in reality a composition of deadly poison, and gives this powder to the Majordomo, ordering him to put it in Ramabai's wine cup. At the banquet that follows, Kathlyn picks up this cup by mistake, and is about to drink from it, when the Majordomo, who really reverences her, sees the necessity for quick action. He snatches the cup from Kathlyn's lips and drains it himself, believing that it was his destiny to die, because he had failed in his mission. In his dying breath, he confesses the plot to kill Ramabai; likewise that the king is alive, and held a prisoner in a jungle hut, whose location he describes accurately. With this information, a search is started for the king. But a disloyal slave at the same time carries the news of the Majordomo's death, and his confession to Umballah, and the latter decides to kill the king rather than have him rescued by Colonel Hare, and restored to the throne. With this purpose in view, Umballah starts out on an elephant, while Colonel Hare, Kathlyn and party are already well on their way on horses. Umballah, in his haste to cut across country, goes through a dangerous swamp, so that the elephant is mired, and he has the great dissatisfaction of seeing Kathlyn and her party ride by him, he helpless to go forward. The searching party scatter and Kathlyn stumbles upon the hiding place of the king, just as a leopard in a nearby tree is about to spring upon the guards at the door of the hut. They run for their lives, leaving Kathlyn to save herself. The leopard springs from the tree to the roof of the hut, which gives way, dropping the ferocious beast upon the sleeping king. He awakens and gives battle, but would immediately have been killed had not Kathlyn slain the beast with a well-aimed shot from her revolver. When the real king is restored to the throne, Colonel Hare requests his highness to cancel the document making him heir to the throne, to which the king willingly consents. Then Kathlyn tells the reigning potentate how Umballah stole the document from her. Soldiers are then sent to Umballah's house to recover this parchment, but Umballah, anticipating such a move, has skillfully forged the document, which the soldiers find naturally, and return to Colonel Hare. This is canceled by the king, who believes it to be the genuine document. Umballah has been scheming as usual in highly original fashion, and has a plan to dispose of the king. He cages a lion in a royal cart that usually carries the ladies of the Harem, and when opportunity presents itself, the hungry savage is taken to the window of the king's private chamber and released. The infuriated beast jumps upon his majesty, and almost tears him to pieces. Ramabai, bearing the commotion, runs to the king's chamber and finds that the long-suffering man is gone past recall. His tragic death again changes the affairs on the chess board of state. The councilors again declare Umballah the Prince Regent of Allaha, and he in turn demands that Kathlyn and her father be declared the only heirs to the throne. They are reluctantly brought before the councilors, and armed with the forged document, show it to him for relief. Immediately Umballah declares the forgery, and shows the genuine parchment. This so angers Kathlyn that she forgets herself and would fain end the life of the hateful Umballah, when the councilors sternly order her arrest.

Episode 12: "The King's Will" Fast following the death of the King of Allaha, Prince Umballah, dethroned by the revolution, manages to reinstate himself and orders Kathlyn and her father brought to the palace in order that one of them may be made the reigning sovereign. Two parchments conferring heirship to the throne to Colonel Hare and his family are now in the hands of the Supreme Tribunal, one of which has been proved a forgery. This has been canceled by the late King, and consequently the genuine parchment is still in force. The throne is offered to Colonel Hare, but he emphatically refuses to accept and is arrested. Thereupon, the unwelcome honor is proffered to Kathlyn as next in succession. She, seeing a way to release her father, and revenge herself and family upon Umballah, instantly accepts and is crowned Queen. The first thing she does upon ascending the throne is to order the release of her father. A girl of the Harem, who witnessed the murder of the King through the treachery of Umballah, appears and tells her story. Thereupon, Kathlyn and the Supreme Tribunal order the arrest of Umballah. He is ignominiously stripped of his rank and is sentenced to serve for life upon the prison treadmill. The High Priest has discovered the will of the King, which is brought to the throne room and read. It bequeaths a vast fortune in gold sovereigns buried on Volcano Island to Kathlyn. She prefers her liberty rather than the empty honors of Allaha, and offers to get and give the gold, distribute it to the poor if the Supreme Tribunal will release her and her family from heirship to the throne. This they agree to do. A crafty creature of Umballah manages to inform him of these doings, and in turn gets in touch with a faithful slave, who, by generous bribery of the guards, soon accomplishes Umballah's escape. The latter, securing his liberty, deftly and quickly disguises himself in the garb of a holy-man, and preys upon the credulity of the simple sea-side folk, so that he gets their services and a boat, and makes a hurried trip to Volcano Island. The day following, Kathlyn, Bruce, her father, Ramabai and Pundita, secure swift mounts and ride toward the sea, proposing to voyage to the treasure trove. The ever crafty Umballah, knowing of their route and intentions, treacherously weakens the cables of the swinging bridge over a deep chasm, assured that they will be precipitated into its depths. A wandering lion, however, ventures upon the bridge, before they do, goes through and shows the flimsy character of its construction, and the evil sign of Umballah's mischief. Bruce, at once busy and undeterred, soon has the bridge repaired; they resume their mounts and go forward toward the seashore. Kathlyn, ever on the alert, saves the life of her chief boatman's child, by picking up the infant as a leopard is about to attack it, and killing the hungry beast by a single, well-directed shot from her revolver. Bruce also has the good fortune to save the life of the boatman himself, who has stumbled into a leopard trap. The gratitude of the man is so great that he offers Kathlyn's party all the boats at his disposal to help them make the voyage to Volcano Island. The scene shifts to this desolate but adventurous spot, showing Umballah and his followers locating the cave where the treasure is concealed. Subsequently, when the bags of gold are brought to light, the leader of the sailors asks at once for a division of it. Umballah quells this mutiny in swift and decisive fashion by plunging a knife into the malcontent and leaves him for dead as they, by his direction, hurry back to the boats with the treasure. As these events are transpiring, Kathlyn and her party reach the island and begin a search for the cave. Then there is a tremendous hush; the earth trembles, the slumbering volcano belches forth fire, lava and rock, which compels Kathlyn and her party to run to shelter under an overhanging cliff, while tons of hot lava fall all about them as they crouch in the shadow of the rock, beyond harm's fiery way.

Episode 13: "The Court of Death" Kathlyn and her party, having escaped a dreadful death from the rain of fiery lava, and the great rocks that fly and darken the air with the eruption from a volcano, observe its subsidence with profound gratitude. They have had so many miraculous escapes that this finale, a seismic disturbance which is the crowning one, has singular value in a sensational way, in proving a visual motographic triumph. They remain in the shelter of the cliff until the eruption ceases, and then escaping the burning streams of lava, move resolutely on to find the treasure trove. Unfortunately, Kathlyn has lost the data, which necessitates a hunt requiring valuable time. However, they finally come into the cave, and learn from the native who was badly wounded by Umballah, that they have arrived too late, as that arch villain has decamped with the treasure. The dangers that infest the island, the fruitlessness of their search, inspire them to get away from the place of death and destruction as quickly as possible. On the seashore, Kathlyn sweeps the horizon with her powerful binoculars, and sees Umballah's boat almost hull down in the dim distance. He has a great advantage in start, but they take up the chase unfalteringly. When Umballah reaches his native heath, his first precaution is to rush to the chief boatman's hut, where he hopes to temporarily cache his gold, but this worthy man, recalling the great service of Bruce and Kathlyn in saving the lives of himself and his child, refuses to aid the intruder. Umballah is instantly furious, knocks the man down and hurries away to a nearby jungle, which happens to be the lair of leopards. He is unaware of this, but before he has time to hide his gold, the leopards return and Umballah with his followers fly for their lives, leaving the treasure. Kathlyn and her party, having landed and been informed of the situation by the faithful boatman, invade the jungle, find the deserted gold, which they place in the panniers on their mounts and take to their own camp. Umballah and his natives presently regain courage, and returning to bury their gold, find it has been taken. He immediately surmises that Kathlyn and Bruce are in the neighborhood and instructs the natives to search the village for firearms and appealing to race hatred, to "take back the gold from the white devils who had robbed him." The natives secure rifles and ammunition and surprise the camp of Kathlyn and her party. Umballah, at the point of his rifle, forces Kathlyn and her father to mount horses and commands his natives to take Bruce and the others to the boatman's hut and hold them prisoners. Bruce and Ramabai, a little later escape from the natives, return to the camp where the gold has been hidden, unearth it and proceed to Allaha to give it up to the Supreme Tribunal. Umballah, with devilish malignity, manages to get his prisoners incarcerated in the Court of Death, with the purpose of torturing them, and then feeding Kathlyn to the lions. In the interim Bruce and his companions have reached the court of the Supreme Tribunal and proffered the dignitaries the great treasure they have found, but they refuse to accept the gold until Kathlyn has been found. This stirs Bruce to unusual activity. He impresses a number of soldiers outside the Royal Guard, and starts an extensive search. They bring to him a slave who is crawling painfully on the earth, having been bastinadoed by Umballah until his feet are cut to pieces. He informs them where Kathlyn and her father are detained just about the time Umballah has arranged to free the lions in the arena. Ramabai climbs upon the balcony of the Court of Death, and has there a spirited personal encounter with Umballah, who finally disarms him and drags him into his private chamber. Bruce hurries around to the enclosure, having rescued Kathlyn, who implores him to save Ramabai. He enters the house just in time to save that worthy from being stabbed by one of Umballah's slaves. The master villain, Umballah, is finally captured and returned in bonds to the treadmill, where he is destined to work out his days. Kathlyn gives the gold to the poor and is freed forever from the throne by the Supreme Tribunal. A week later, accompanied by her father, her sister and the faithful Bruce, they reach the coast and set sail for their beloved California, where Kathlyn's marriage to Bruce is assured. Thus culminates this singular series of adventures, that have proved an "open sesame" to a new interest for the world in moving pictures.

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