Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-12-29

ger threatened them. He looked at the
two priests who stood by, and they glared
angrily on him in answer. Then his cour-
age camo back TO him. At least he had his
rifle and would fight for his life. II would
go hard II he could not put bullet through
one or both of them before they got q hold
on him.
Meanwhile the priests below had seized
the king Olfan, yshose giant form they
werc dragging toward the stone of sacri-
fee, but OF sudden for the first time Ju-
anna spokh, and n deep silence fell upon
the temple and all within it.
"Hearkcn. People of the Mist, :" she said,
and her voice falling from that great
height seemed small and far away, though
SO clear that every word was audible in
the stiffness of the night.
"Hear me, People of the Mist and ye
priests of the snake! AGA is come again,
and Jal is come again, and We have given
them back their rule after many genera
lions, and in their hands lie the lives of
every one of you. AS the old tradition
told of them, SO they are, the mother and
the child, and the one Is clothed with
beauty, the symbol of life and Of the fruit
full earth, and the other is black and hide
Gus, the symbol of death and the evil that
walks upon the earth, and ye would do
sacrifice to Jal that ho may be appeased
according to the ancient law and listen to
the pleading Of the mother that fruitful
ness may fill the land. Not SO shall Jal be
appeased, and not because of the sacrifice
of men shall Aca plead with him that
prosperity may reign in the land.
Behold, the old law is done awayi We
give you a new law. Now is the hour of
reconciliation. Now life and death walk
hand in hand, and the hearts of AGA and
Jal have grown gentle through the ages,
hnx fha hlnOH ~ MA
as an Offering to their majesty. Hence
forth you shall bring them fruits and flow
ers and not the lives of men. See, in my
hand hold winter lilies, red and white;
blood red they are and white as snow.
Now the red flower, token of sacrifice and
slaughter, l crush and cast away, but the
white bloom of love and peace / set upon
my breast. 1t is done. Gone is the old
law. See, 1t falls into the place of the
snake, its home, but the new law blossoms
above my heart and in IL. Shall il not be
SO, my children. People of the Misti VIII
ye not accept my mercy and my loyei"
The multitude watched the red blooms
as, bruised and broken, through the light
and the shadow, they fell slowly to the
seething surface of the pool. Then it looked
up like ono man and saw the white lily
set upon Juanna's whittier breast. They
saw, and moved by a common impulse
rose with n sound like the rush of the
wind and shouted:
Gone is the day of blood and sacrifice
Come is the day of peacel We thank you,
mother and We take your mercy and your
love"
Then they were silent, and again there
was q sound like that of the wind as all
their thousands sank back to the seats of
stone.
Now Nam spoke again in a voice Of
fury that rang through the still air like a
clarion.
What is this that my ears heart" he
cried Are ye mad, o ye jewellers in the
mist, or does the mother speak with a
charmed voice: Shall the ancient worship
be changed and in an hours Nay, not the
gods themselves can alter their own wor-
ship. Stay on, ye priests, Stay on, or ye
yourselves shall die the dreadful death"
The priest below heard, and seizing the
struggling king cast him with difficulty
down upon the stone.
Leonard, Leonard" cried Juanna in
English, addressing him for the first time
by his Christian name, as even then he
noticed, but looking straight before her
that mono might guess to whom she spoke
These priests are going to kill you and
all of US except Otter and myself II you
can, when you see Inc point my hand, shoot
that man who is about to sacrifice the
king. Make no answer"
Leonard heard and understood IL oil.
Resting his back firmly against the thumb
OF the statue, he shifted his position q lit
tie so that tho group below him came
within his line of sight and waited, watch
ing Juanna, who was now speaking again
in the language of the People of tho Mist.
This 1 promise you, ministers of
blood" she said, If ye obey me not We
shall indeed die the dreadful death, the
death unknown. Hcarken, my servant,
who art named delivcrcr, " and she looked
down upon Leonard. land do my bidding
II one of these shall dare to lift his hand
against yonder man, slay him swiftly as
you know how
.'Smite on" screamed Nam. "smite on
and fear not
Most of the priests drew back affrighted,
but one ruflian lifted his knife and as be
did SO Juanna pointed with her hand.
Then Leonard, leaning forward, covered
the priests great breast with his rife as
surely as the uncertain light would allow.
Unconscious of his fate, the priest NUT
| tered an invocation, and now the knife
was about to fall upon the threat of OIL.
fan, when fire and smoke sprang out far
above him, the rife rang, and shot through
| the heart he leapcd high into the air and
fell dead. Terror SEIZED the witnesses Of
this unaccustomed and to them most aw.
| full sight.
THE gods speak with dame and thun
der!' one cried, land death is in tht
flame"
silence, dogs" screamed Nam. "Y,
are bewitched. Ho, you who stand or
high, cast down that wizard who is termed
| deliverer and let US see who will deliver
him from death upon the stoneI'
Then one of tho priests who stood b.
| him made q movement to grasp Leonart
and cast him down, but the other was ter
rified and could not stir. The first mar
stretched out his arm, but before It S,
much as touched its aim he himself wa
dead, for, seeing his purpose, Leonard haG
lifted the rifle and once moro its repor
rang through the temple, Suddenly tn,
priest threw his arms WE; then he fel
backward, and with n mighty rush dives
into sheer space to crash lifeless on to tn
stone floor below, where he lay, his heas
and hands hanging over the edge of tn
pool
Now for the first time Otter's emotion
overcame him. He stood up on the knee
of the dwarf, and shaking the scepter IL
his hand pointed with II to the dead priest
on the paving below, at the same time CRY
ing in stentorian tones:
Well done, baas, well donel Now tum
Die the old one yonder on his perch, for
am weary of his howlings."
This speech of Offers produced even
greater effect on the spectators, IL tina
were possible, than the mysterious death c
the priests. That he whose name was 81
lence should cry aloud in a strange tongue
of which of course they understood no sin
gle word, was a dread and ominous thin
that showed his anger to be deep. Bu
Leonard took no heed. He was too niue
engaged in covering the second priest wit
the barrel of his repeater. This man, how
ever, had no liking for such a dreadfr
death. Swiftly he flung himself on to h
knees, imploring Leonard to spare him |
= humble accents and with gestures tbs
spoke more plainly than his words
! Taking advantage of the pause, agai
| Juanna cried aloud: I'VE see People of ri