Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-25

OF the mouth or the tunnel TO walt anu
watch, and very glad were they of the
goatskin cloaks which had belonged to tho
dead priests, for as the night drew toward
dawn the cold became SO bitter that they
could scarcely bear it, but were obliged to
rise and stamp to and fro to keep their
| wet feet from freezing.
Leonard" said Juanna, ''you do not
lnow what passed after Nam trapped
you" And she told him all that tale.
When she had finished, he rose, and TAX
ing Olfan by the hand said: king, 1
thank you. May fortune deal as well with
you as you have dealt with me and mine"
Say no more, deliverer" answered
| Oifan hastily. Il have but done my duty
| and fulfilled my OATH though at times the
path of duty is hard for a man to follow
| And he looked toward Juanna and sighed.
Leonard sat down and was SILENT but
many time both then and in after days
| did he wonder at the nobleness of mind
shown by this savage king, who, under.
| circumstances SO cruel, conquered his OVID.
passion and was willing to lay down life
| and throne together that he might carry
| out his VOW to protect a stranger who had
| brought him SO much pain and now left
| him forever with his successful rival.
/ At length, looking at the mountain peak
! above them, they saw its SHOWS begin to
blush red with the coming of the dawn.
and just then olso they heard many voices
| talking within the tunnel and caught
| glimpses of lights flashing through the
| openings in their rude Notifications. Tho
priests, who no doubt had been delayed
| by the procuring of the timbers which
were to serve as battering rams and the
| labor necessary to drag them up the steep
| incline of the tunnel, had returned and in
| force A few more minutes and q success
| sion of dull thuds ON the farther side of
! the ice wall told the little band of defend
| ers that their enemies were at work.
1.-The light grows quickly, delivcrer,"
| said Olfan quietly. Il think that now you
| may begin to ascend the mountain and
| take no harm. Z"
What shall we do with this mani"
| asked Leonard, pointing to Nam.
XIII him, said Otter
mo, not yet awhile" answered Olfan.
"Take this, )" and he handed Leonard the
spear of the third captain, who had left it
when he started down the mountain fear
| ing that it might cucumber him, land
drive him along with you at its point
| Should we be overpowered, you may buy
your lives as the price of his, but should
we hold them back and you escape then
| do with him what you will. 4"
Il know well what l would do, NUT
tered Otter, glowering at the priest.
And now farewell, - went on Olfan in
the same calm voice. Bring more ice,
| comrades, or stone if you can see any.
| The wall cracks"
Leonard and Otter wrung the kings
hand in silence, but Juanna could not
| leave him thus, for her heart was melted
| at the thought of all his goodness
Forgive me, - she murmured, THAT ]
have brought you grief, and as l fear
death to follow grief. -
Tho grief you could not help, queen,
| and be sure l shall welcome death If he
| should choose me. Go now, and happiness
go with you. May you escape in safety
with the bright pebbles which you desire,
and may you and your husband the doliv
| erer, be blessed for many years in each
| others love, and when you grow old to-
gether from time to time talk kindly OF
that wild man who worshipcd you when
you were young and laid down his life to
save YOU
Juanna listened, and the tears sprang
to her eyes. Then Of a sudden she seized
the great mans hand and kissed it.
Il am repaid, queen" he said, and
perchance your husband will not be jeal-
GUS. Now go, and swiftly"
As he spoke a small portion of the wall
fell outward, and tho fierce face of priest
appeared at the opening. With shout
Olfan lifted his broad spear and thrust.
The priest fell backward, and just then his
companions arrived with stones and stop
ped the hole
Then the three turned and fled up the
mountain side Ottpr ri NAN, bnfpro
him with blows and curses, till at length
the old man fell and lay groaning on his
face. Nor could the dwarf's blows, which
were not of the softest, force him to rise.
Get up, you treacherous dog" said
Leonard savagely, pricking him with the
spear.
Then you must loose my arms, deliv
erer, answered the priest. 81 am very
weak, and 1 cannot travel up the noun
tain with my hands bound behind me.
Surely you have nothing to fear from one
aged and unarmed man.
Not much at present, l suppose, " NUT
tered Leonard, though we have had
enough to fear from you in the past, ;" and
taking his knife he cut loose the lashings.
While he did SO Juanna turned and
looked behind her. Far below them she
could see the form of Olfan and his com
panions standing shoulder to shoulder,
and even catch the CLEANS of light reflect
ing upon their spears for now the sun
was rising. Beneath them again she saw
the grass grown roofs of that earthly hell, |
the city of the People of the Mist, and the
endless plain beyond through which the
river wandered like silver serpent. There
also was the farther portion of the huge
wall of the temple built by unknown
hands in long forgotten years. and rising
above the edge of that gap in the cliff |
through which she was looking appeared
black mass that she knew to be the head
and shoulders of the hideous colossus, on
whose dizzy brow she had sat in that
strange hour when the shouting thousands
thundered q welcome to her as their god
dess, and whence her most beloved friend,
Francisco, had been hurled to his cruel
death
"Oh, what 1 have suffered in that
place!'' she thought to herself "How
have lived through it, l wonder? And
yet / have won something" and she
glanced at Leonard, who was driving Nam
toward her, and If only we survive and
am the means of enabling him to fulfill his
vow and buy back his home with these
jewels shall not regret all that have en-
durcd to win them. Yes, even when he is
no longer so very much i'll love, he must
always be grateful to me, for few women
will have done as much for their hus-
bands"
Then Nam staggered past her, kissing
| curses, while the untiring Otter rained
blows upon his back, and losing sight of
Olfan and his companions they went ON
In safety till they reached the neck and
saw the ice bridge glittering before them
and tho wide fields of snow beyond
CHAPTER xxx.
(which way are we to go now?" said
| Juanna. Must we climb down this great
gulf'''
mo, Shepherdess," answered Otter
''See before you is bridge And he
pointed to the band of ice and rock which
| travcrsed the wide ravine.
"A bridget" gasped Juanna. "Why, it
is slippery as slide and steep as the side
Of the house. A fly could not keep its
| footing on it,
Look here, Otter put in Leonard
| ''either you are joking, or you are mad
| How can we cross that place? We should
! be dashed to pieces before We had gone ten
/ yards"
THUS, baas, we must sit each of us on
one of the fiat stones that lie round here;