The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-02-06

LllIGE IL Il EllCtlP
skin coat which hung to his heels, with
a tall cap Of the same, came up through
trap-dooriust in front of me. He bore
an immense spear in his hand, the butt
of which he brought down violently on
my toe, and shouted:
"Standw
This command seemed unnecessary, as
I was already on my feet; but I stood
some more, as he required, and waited
further orders.
"Come with me" said he, "along those
paths, we all have trod, which lead
through trials. to the perfection of peace,
comep
He led on, through an opposite door
to that by which had stood, into what
seemed to be a sort Of cavern, dimIy
lighted, and as we crossed the portal
two Tufians, masked, and armed with
Duge wooden axes, jumped out and i'm
peded our way. One of them, in hoarse
whisper, as if he were troubled With
bronchial difficulty, said, as he brand
ished his axe,
''T2Other or WhichT
Ny conductor said (which" when
the axes threatened no more and w0
we're allowed to pass. Soon we came to
a massive Oaken door, by the side OF
which a sentinel sat, seemingly asleep.
A candle burning in the neck of a bottle
gave the only light, by which we could
see a huge sword lying across his knees.
My conductor touched his foot, saying
'NIOst vigilant sentInelH
No answer but a snOre.
"Most Wide-awake old stopwatch1
Another snOTe.
"Most lively old guardian of the
approach to the Temple Of Mystery
deign to heed u.s."
He gave, as he said this, a vigorous
i k to the old sentinel on the shins,
who leaped to his feet, swinging the
sword over his head and yelling:
"WhO comes|
"a stranger, unsophisticated and unen-
who, having gained admission
to the vestibule of all virtues, is now
desirous of pushing on to where those
exceedingly interesting articles are dis
pensed with"
"Push p was the answer.
NV conductor bade me push at the
door, which did but could not move 1t.
The sentinel then spoke:
Stranger, these hinges only turn when
fabricated by the oil of palm"
He held out his hand, when l gave
him a quarter, and then tried the door,
which swung easily on its hinges. We
entered a vaulted chamber, lit by
lamp hanging nom the center Of the
ceiling, when was Immediately seized
from behind, my hands pinioned, hood
wink placed over my eyes, and hurried
on in a zigzag course, till l had no idea
Of position except the perpendicular,
and couldn't have named the town was
in. This ended by my coming to a full
stop against an iron door. A loud knock
with an iron hammer, was answered by
a voice within:
"HalloOl what's up%
My conductor gave a reply, in a whis-
per, at a wicket, when the door was
opened, and a chorus of voices exclaimed.
death to intruders p
Then my conductor said, as if address
ing some one,
"Most Perpendicular Potentate! we
are a stranger, pretty good looking, and
would fain come in"
This is but the entrance" replied a
voice; doth the stranger know The
oerils by the way-the ravines, volcanoes,
ime-pits, cataracts, avalanchea, wild
beasts, and so forth?"
"He doth, and he -knoweth and so
forth best"
"Doth he fear the goat, and hath he
been baptised in the seventh bath Of
with the leaden faucet?
"He hath"
"Then he can enter for the race"
I crossed the threshold and the door
closed behind me with a startling claug,
which made my nerves jar so that l
seemed to hear them. I missed my con-
luCtor from my side, and found l was TO
go alone" with what I felt was not
very good hand. I was then questioned.
do you promise to see, and yet not
and yet not know-feel, and
ret not feel%
q do" I said as firmly as I could.
'Then bring the testing ordeal"
A moment after felt a pin thrust
lbOut two inches through the thick part
If my flesh, and I yelled with all my
night
"a forfeit he feelsr' was shouted.
I inWardly confessed that 1 did, and
would have given a dollar to hit the one
hat had made pin cushion of me. My
lands were released and the bandage !
AIKEN from my eyes, when l saw before !
ne, on a tripod about ten feet high, my
as the Grand AUgur, |
.Tmed with a cleaver, supported by two !
rufians, masked. nod. |
led to him, when a cry was again raised:
"a forfeit! he seesp'
Then the Grand Augur said, while |
ternness sat on his brow and judgment |
,eamed from both his eyes:
Take him before the Grand Oriental |
Dictator for discipline"
Hold on" said I.
"a forfeit! He hears !" arose around |
ne.
away with him." cried the Grand |
AugUr.
I was seized by several, dressed as
mps, and rushed around the vast apart |
nent which stretched away into dis
ance, about which many odd-loOking |
haps were seated, until we came to Il
aised throne on which the Dictator sat. |
lis official symbol was a pair of scales,
hat did not seem to hang very even, and |
lis dress q scarlet robe trimmed with |
nense axe.
One of my attendants spoke:
"AI0st Puisant DiCtatOr-the Culprit in |
land sees, hears and feels, contrary to
lis obligation"
The axe was slowly raised, the eyes of
he Dictator flashed angrily, and stood
to be knocked, when the axe
vas lowered.
mo" said he, "his innocency and
beauty save him; conduct him to the
7inal Arbiter in the southeast"
I was then led before another seat on
which was an immensely fat man,
.ressed in a long black robe, and wear
ng a three-cOrnered hat.
"What hast in hand, brother" he
aid.
a culprit sent you for arbitration, he
.aving passed the three great Ordeals
through the aid of impudence and
,eauty."
Bring ont the goat" said the Arbiter.
I could not see whence he came, but
efOre me was a huge animal Of the hex
attern, with horns on both ends, that
tamped the floor as if he felt he had
business on hand and was i'm
atient to be about it.
'Let him ride" said the Arbiter.
I was Immediately strapped on the
nimal's back, an immense gong was
1unded, and away I was carried-rouud
nd round and round-till consciousness
3ft me, and l was taken off. A bucket
water was dashed over me, and, as 1
anne to myself, a shout arose:
"He has settled"
1 thought he had, rather. The goat
ad disappeared, and was again brought
O Fora {I1a first friDoI