The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-02
NUMBER eG.

| eBit3uoh III tne valleys, the crowds of men.
musket on shoulder, leaving Falkenstein and
Demon. Surely, something strange had hap
pened and the sorceress, calling to mind that
the preceding year Yegof had related to the
| spirits of his warriors how his countless
armies would soon invade the land, felt q
vague unsasiness. She would fain have
learned the cause of the movement around ber:
but Kateline having made the tour the Sunday
before, would not again bulge from her home
for an empire, and no one ever climbed to the
cavern.
In this frame Of mind Berbel came and went.
wandering restlessly about the cave, growing
hourly more uneasy and irritable. But during
Saturday she had enough to think on. From
nine O'Clock in the morning heavy and deep
peals rang like thunder over the mountain
side, and awoke the thousand echoes of the
valleys; far away toward Donon rapid flashes
crossed what sky appeared between the peaks;
and rs night approached, yet louder sounds
rolled through every gorge, and the hollow
voices of Hengst, of Ga ltzlee, Giromani and
Grossman replied.
"Whst all this be 7" asked Berbel of
herself, /" can the day of doom have comet"
Then returning to the cavern and finding
NoSoAiHO huuuiou III y CcEn6E mu0CulDR o Do
tato, she shook her rudsly and Missed:
Idiot nearest thou notbingf Fearest thou
nothingf Carest thou for nothing bat eating
and drinkingp
She dashed the potato furioualy to the
ground, and sat herself trembling by the hot
spring, which sent it's grey vapors to the roof.
Half an hour later, the darkness growing
deeper, and the cold intense, she lighted o Ere
Of brushwood, which threw it's pale flashes
over the vault of red stone, and pierced to tho
end of the cavern, where Ksteline slept with
her feet buried in q heap of straw, and her chin
resting on her knees. Without, all noise had
ceased. The stormy witch pulled aside the
briars at the entrance, and gazed down the
mountain side; then she returned to her poet
by the fire, her thin lips set tightly together,
and her eyelids closed she drew old wooden
coverlet over her knees, aud seemed to sleep
No sound broke the stiffness but the dripping
of the condensed steam falling from the vault
back to its source with melancholy plash.
SO lasted the silence for hours. Midnight
was nearing, when suddenly the sound Of
mingled with discordant noises,
started Berbel from her slumber. She listened,
and heard the cry of human voice. She
SANoS ~nNb oAAnON % huBO
thorn branch, glided to the opening; there,
pushing aside the briars, she cav in che moon
light the fool Yegof advancing alone, but
as if in agony, aud beating the air
with his sceptre, as if thousands of invisible
beings surrounded him.
"To the rescue, Roug, BIed, Adelrick" he
houted in tones that pierced the cold air like
he clangor of an iron bell, his matted beard
4 Iii,
cloak folded like n buckler round his left arm;
to the rescue! follow me to the death See
'ou not who are coming, cleavng the skies
ike eagles On, men of the red boards Crush
his race of dogs! All! Minan, Rochart, are ys
leref"
And then he called with savage shouts upon
III the dead of Donon, defying them as If they
we're really there; then he recoiled step by
tep, still striking tho air, hurting curses,
rging unseen armies to tho fight, and strug-
ling as il surrounded by foes. A cold sweat
CURED from Berbels brow, she felt her hair
iss upon her head, and she would have Aed
ut at the moment q strange murmuripg arose
yithin the cave, and, to her horror, she saw
be hot spring boiling fiercely, and masses of
apor rising from it and sdvan cling to the en-
,ance of the cave.
Like phantoms the thick clouds came slowly
4, and suddenly Yegof appeared, crying in q
lsky voice.
" At last ye have heard me Ye are comer'
With a bonnd he darted to the opening.
be icy air filled the vault, and the vapors
,uring forth, twisted and wreathed beneath
o vast vault of heaven, as if the dead Of to-
y and those of long gone centuries had begun
never. ending conflict.
The pale moonbesms shed weird light over
,gofs face and form as he stood with flashing
o. and seeptre outstretehsd, AID beard fall