Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-04-20

" httt W uStidl Ut ILLS
though as yet it hung densely between
them and the mountain snow. Now he
could trace the walls of the amphitheater
now he could see the black simmer of tho
water beneath and distinguish the glitter
of many hundreds of upturncd eyeballs
as they glarcd at him and beyond him.
The silence grew more and more intense,
for ncEe spoke or moved All We're wait
ing to see the light fall upon the slope of
snow and wondering would it be red or
white Would the gods die or live? So
intense and fearful did it grow, indeed,
unbroken as it was even by a breath of air
or the calling of bird, that Otter could
bear it no longer, but suddenly burst out
into song.
He had a tine deep voice, and 1t was
Zulu waTsong that he sang, triumphant
chant of the rush of conquering impis in
terspcrsed with the walls of women and
the groans of the dying. Louder, louder
he sang. stamping his naked feet upon tho
rock, while the people wondered at the
marvel. Surely this was a god, they
thought, who could sing thus cxultingly
in strange tongue while men waited to see
him cast into the jaws Of the snake No
man about TO die so soon and thus could
hhN VIZ hOhiS w oib ~ anu itSo SOulQ
he sing such song as that they had heard
''He is u god!'' cried voice far away,
and the cry was echoed on every sido till
at length Gil a sudden, men grew silent,
nnd Otter also ceased from his singing, for
lie had turned his head and seen. Lo,
the veil of mist that hid the mountains
upper snow grew thinl 1t was the moment
of dawn, but would it be red dawn or
VIII tao no a Il
from the peak, though they still lay thick
upon the slopes below, and in their place
were seen its smooth and shining outlines
clothed in their cloak of everlasting SHOWS.
The ordeal was ended. No touch of col
or, no golden sunbeam or crimson shadow
stained the CHASTITY surface of those SHOWS
They were pallid as the faces of the dead
"A white dawn, a white dawn!" roared
the populace. Away with the false godsl
Hurl them to the snakel"
1T is finished, :" whispered Otter again
into Francisco's ear Now take your
medicine, and, friend, FAREWELL"
The priest heard and turned his tor
mented face, in which the soft eyes shone
upward, toward the heavens, clasping his
thin hands together For some seconds he
sat thus. Then Otter, peering beneath his
nOOl, SAW HIS COunltudilct CIldIlpt, HlIu
once more glory seemed to come upon it
as it had come when, for sake of the wom-
an whom he loved, Francisco promised to
do the decd that now he was about to
dare. Again there was silence below, for
the spokesman of the council of elders had
risen and was crying the formal question
to the priest above, = Is the dawn white or
red, We who stand on highs''
Nam turned and looked upon the snow
THE dawn is fully dawned, and it is
white" he answered.
Be swift, J." whispered Otter into Fran
cisco's car once more.
Then the priest, the glory still shining
on his face, unclaspcd his hands and put
one of them to his lips, as though to par
take of the sacrament of death. A mo-
lnent later, and he let it fall again with q
sigh, whispering back to Otter: II can
not. 1t is a deadly sin. Let them kill me,
for will not kill myself" Then, before
the dwarf could answer, nature, more
mereiful than his conscience, did that for
francisco which he refused to do for him
self, for of a sudden he swooned. His face
turned ashen, and Slowly he began to sink
backward SO that he would have fallen
had not Nam, who saw that he had faint
ed with fear, caught him by the shoulders
and held him upright.
Tho dawn is white. We see it with
our eyes" answered the spokesman of the
elders 90 ye who stand on high, cast
down the false gods according to the judg
ment of the People of the Mist"
Otter heard and knew that the moment
had come to leap, for now he need trouble
himself with Francisco no more. Swiftly
lie turned his head, looking at Nam, for
he would know if he might carry out
purpose that he had formed. 1t was to
seize the high priest and bear him to the
depths below.
No, it was not possible. He was out of
reach. Moreover, were he to snatch him
away Francisco would fall backward, and
the Others might see that this was not the
Shepherdess. He stood up upon his feet,
kicking the stool ON which he had sat f
the platform and watching its flight. Ii
fell into the water never touching the
rock, and then Otter knew that he had
planned well.
Now Nam and one priest seized the
fainting form of Francisco, and the other
two stepped toward him. The dwarf wait
ed till their hands were utstrctehed to
grasp him, then suddenly sprang at the
man upon his right, and shouting aloud,
Come thou with mel he gripped him
about the middle in his iron grasp, ard
putting cut all his strength hurled him
self and his burden into sheer space be
meath.
Tho priest shrieked aloud, and gasp Of
wonder went up from the watching thou
sands as the dwarf and his victim rushed
downward like a stone. They cleared the
edge Of the pool by an inch or two-nO
more-and struck the boiling waters, sink
ing through them till Otter thought that
they would never rise again, but at last
they did rise. Then Otter loosot the dead
or senscless priest, and at that moment the
body Of Francisco, cast hither by Nam,
struck the water beside him and straight
way vanished.
Otter looscd his grip, and diving beneath
the surface swan hard for the north side
Of the pool, for there he had noticed that
the current was least strong, and there
also the rock bank oyerhung a little. He
reached it safely, and rising once more
grasped knob of rock with one hand and
lay still where, in the shadow and the
swirl of waters, he could not be discovered
by any watching from above. First he
breathed deeply and moved his limbs. 1t
was well. He was unhurt. Tho priest
whom he had taken with him, being hoavi-
or, had met the water first, so that though
tho leap was SO great the shock had been
little.
Hal" said Otter to himself. THUS far
my spirit has been with me, and here
could lie for hours and mover be seen. But
there is still the snake to deal with" And
hastily he seized the weapon that he had
constructed out of the two knives and un-
wound a portion of the cord that was
made fast about his middle. Then again
he looked across the surface of the waters
Some ten fathoms from him, in the exact
center Of the whirlpool, the body of the
priest was still visible, for the vortex bore
it round and round, but of Francisco there
was nothing to be seen. Only 80 feet
above him Otter could sec lines of heads
bending over the rocky edges of the pool
and gazing at the priest as he was tossed
about like straw in the eddy.
Now, if he is still there and awake,
thought Otter, surely the father of croco
diles will take this bait. Therefore l shall
do best to be still awhile and see what
happens"
As he reflected thus a louder shout than
any he had heard before reached his ears
from the multitude in the temple above
him, so tumultuous a shout indeed that
for few moments even THO turmoil of the
waters was lost in it,
Now, what chances I'D there | won