Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-08-17
SHE:.
A History Of Adventure.
TBy H, RIDER HACCARD.
*. CoNTINUED.)

ment us all at times | say to torment,
for alas. thinking can only serve to meas
IRE out the helplC ssness Of thought. !
What is the use of our feeble crying IN
the awful silepces Of space? Can our dlm
Intelligence read the secrets OF that star
strewn sky? Does any answer come out
of it? Never any at all; nothing but
echoes and fantastic visions Ana YET we
believe that there is an answer, ana that
upon time "A new dawn will come blush
inc down the ways of our enduring night.
We believe it, for its reflected beauty even
now shines up continually in our hearts
from beneath the horizon OF the grave,
and we call 1t Hope. Without Hope we
vet may climb to Heaven, or, at the worst
If she also prove but kindly mockery
given to hold us from despair be gently
lowered into the abysses of eternal sleep
Then | fell to rejecting upon the under
taking on which we were bent, and what
a wild one it was, and yet how strangely
the story seemed to fit in with what had
been written centuries ago upon the sherd
Who was this extraordinary woman,
queen over people apparently as extra
ordinary as herself, and reigning amid the
vestires of lost civilization? And what
could be the meaning Of this story OF the
Fire that gave amending lifef Could It be
possible that any fluid or essence could
exist that could so fortify these fieshly
walls that they should from age to age
resist the mines and gatherings OF decay
Il was possible, though not probable.
The indefinite continuation of life would
not. after all, be half so marvellous thing
as the production Of life and It's temporary
endurance. And if it were true, what
thenq The person who found it could no
doubt rule the world He could accumu-
late all the wealth in the world, and all
the power, AMI all the wisdom that Is
power. He might give life time to the
studv Of each art or science. Well, if that
were so. and this She were practically
immortal which did not for one moment
believe. how was it that, with all these
things at her feet. she preferred to remain
in a cave among a society Of cannibals:
That surely settled the question. The
vyhole story was monstrous, and only
worthy of the superstitious days in which
If was written. At any rate was very
sure that could not attempt to attain un-
ending life. | had had far too many
worries and disappointments and secret
bitternesses during my forty odd years oil
existence to wish that this state OF affairs
should be continued indefinitely. And YET
suppose that my life has been, compare
lively speaking, happy one.
And then. rejecting that at the present
moment there was far more likelihood o.
our earthly careers being cut exceedingly
short than Of their being unduly prolong
ed at last managed to get to sleep, fac
for which anybody who reads this mar
rative, if anybody ever does, may very
probably be thankful,
When | woke again it was just dawnlng
and the guard and bearers were movin!
about like ghosts through the dense morn
ing mists, getting ready for our start. Tn
fire had died quite down, and | rose am
stretched myself, shiver:ng in every limI
from the damp cold of the dawn. Then
looked at Leo. He was setting up, hold
ing his hands to his head, and saw tina
his face was flushed and his eyes bright
and yet yellow round the pupil.
"Wen, Leo" | said, chow do yo
feel?"
81 feel as though l were going to die,
he answered, hoarsey. "My head
splitting, my body is trembling, and | an
as sick as cat"
whistled, or if l did not whistle,
felt inclined to-Leo had got sharp a
tack of fever. | went to Job, and aske
him for the quinine, of which fortunatel
we had still good supply, only to fin
that Job himself was not much bette
He complained of pains across the bacl
snd dizziness, and was almost incapab
of helping himself. Then did the onl
thing il was possible to DO under the CT
cumstances-gave them both about te
grains of quinine, and took a slight
smaller dose myself as a matter of precat
ton. After that found Billali, and e'
planned to him how matters stood, askin
at the same time what he thought Ina
better be done. He came with me al
looked at Leo and Job (whom, by the wa,
he had named the Pig on account of h
fatness, round face, and small eyes.
"Ah," he said, when we were out of ca
shot. 1.-The fever thought so. The Lie
has it badly; but he is young, and he ms
live. As for the Pig his attack is not
bad: it is the little fever that he has; tn
always begins with pains across the BAG
it will spend itself upon his fat"
"Can they go on, my father?' aske
Nay, my son, they must go on.
they stop here they will certainly die an
besides, they Will be better it the lite
than on the ground. BY tonight, If
oo ,,-oll vya ehall Inc across the mar