The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-14
THE FIRE ORSH|PPER'S SECRET,
BY ANDRE LAURIE. TRANSLATED BY A. G. 4 TOWNSEND.

power. it's art. and it~sluxury. Among all the
monuments of its splendor none was more
brilliant than the Temple of the Sun, OF
which our family--my ancestors and yours
were high priests. The %conqueror came;
proud, insolent, and demanding tribute.
Fire, rapina and bloodshed followed his
footsteps; there was no course open but to
submit. In humiliation and tears we hand
ed over to the tyrant the keys of the under
ground hid%in1-plaoes where were buried
the treasures of Mithra'g temple. Precious
stones, p f~iceless jewels, rich stuffg of pur-
pie and silk vases, Ointments, perfumes,
rare spices, silver and golden coins, all were
given up to a mob of soldiers, drunk with
wine aud victory.
"All? no, not nll,' continued the fire.
worshipper in n tone Of quiet triumph. lit
WIS not for nothing that our wise men had
studied lore and prudence for agss! As a
truth, what the conquerors took was moth
ing-nothing, that is, compared with what
WAS still hidden from their Unsuitable Rvar-
ice. Below the vaults to which they had
obtained access. there e~xistod-there still
exists-a palace larger and more richly en-
dowed than was ever the famous temple of
Mlthra. Its crypts were overlooking with
treasures deposited through many ages by
the faithful. Knowing the weakness and
cupidity of human nature, the wise and
chosen few had hit upon this plan of frus-
trating cupidity; sufficient treasure was
stored above to blind the ignorant, and be-
low, in the subterraneAn palace, were stored
the real and countless riches of our order.
1.-THE secret, transmitted from generation
to generation, was kept 1nvioable through
out centuries. Only to each successive mo-
Der (high priest) of Mithra was it entrust-
ed. When such an one. carefully instructed
during his youth in every science, had at
tanned to manhood and was thought wor-
thy of initiation, he was invested in the
prlestly office and partially acquainted
with the secret. When his father and pre-
deoessor lay upon his death-bed the exact
location of the treasure and the means ot
reaching it were announced to the new
priest. 4lts \.
Through many dynasties the secret was
handed safely down. The ancient heritage
Of Cyrus, the immense empire of Alexander
were divided, portioned ont, and passed
from hand to hand. The Seleucidian tribes
were succeeded by the Parthians, Arabs,
the Mongolians, the Turks.
"Tha fate of many another CITY of Asia
Minor fell upon royal Ekbatana. Under
the action of water, wind and fire its walls
roofs, and in course of time the desert
sands enculfed and hid from sight
what had once been the proudest monu-
ment Of the world. To-day a few scattered
mounds are all that is left to mark the spot
upon which the queen Of cities at one time
stood.
"Who could have thought that after So
many centuries of its possession the secret
would one day be lost to US? So it WINS,
however. AT the commencement of the
reign of Feth-Ali-Shah, many, many, years
ago, / was journeying in the distant land Of
Chaldea. A message reached me, calling
me to tho deathbed Of my father. Before
leaving this world he wished to entrust to
me, according to the ancient custom, the
secret of which he alone was guardian. l
fastened home with all speed, but was too
late. My father had passed away carrying
with him the secret which he alone had
known.
'All my life, since then, 1 have searched
in vain for some certain clew. Not even
yet have | abandoned hope, nor shall I go
long rs life remains to me. Ihave acquired
ample proof of the spot under which the
vast subterranean temple lies, but the one
and insurmountable difficulty is to find the
entrance. That. indeed, was the supreme
revelation our fathers reserved for the mo-
ment of their death, and now, after SO