Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-03-02
CHAPTER XIV

Still the silence endured, and still the
moonlight grew, creeping lower till it
shone upon the face of the seething waters,
md, except in the immediate shadow of
;he walls, all the amphitheater was full OF
+.
Then the voice Of Nam spoke again from
far away, and Leonard looked to see
whence he spoke. Now he saw. Nam, at
tended by three priests, was perched like
an eagle on the left palm Of the colossus,
and from this dizzy platform he addressed
the multitude Looking across the breast
of the statue, Leonard could just see the
outstretched arm and catch the outline of
the fierce face of the high priest of the
snake as he glared down upon the people.
Hearken, We jewellers in the mist, chill
dren of the snakel Ye have seen your an
Gent gods your father and your mother,
come back to rule you and to lead you on
through war and peace, to wealth, to pow
er and to glory. You see them now by
that light and in that place wherein only
it is lawful that we should look upon them.
Say, do We believe and do ye accept them?
Answer, every one of you, answer with
your voicei''
Then mighty roar of sound went up
lTOfit JHC RdbDtrtl lHOuStDuSt EOdI tiidb
shaped itself into the words, I'VE believe,
and We accepti'
1T is WE'LL, said Nam when the tn
multi had died away. 'Hearken, We high
gods o Aca, and o .Jal, bend down your
ears and deign to hearken to your priest
and servant, speaking in the name of
your children, the People of the Mistl BE
ye kings 10 reign over usl Accept the
power and the sacrifice and sit in the
place of kings We give you rule through
all the land. The life of every dweller in
the land is yours. Yours are their cattle
and their goats, their cities and their
armies. For you the affairs shall run red;
the cry of the victim shall be music in
your ears. You shall look upon him whom
long ago We set to guard the secret awful
place, and he shall crawl beneath youl
feet. AS ye ruled our fathers, so shall ye
rule us, according to the customs which
ye laid down forever. Glory be to you, Q
AGA, and to you, o Jal, immortal kings
fOrevermoroio
And the great audience echoed in q
shout that rent the skies, GLORY be tc
you, o Aca, and to you, o Jal, immortal
kings forevermorei"
Then Nam spoke again, saying: Bring
forth the virgin, that fair maid who is des
tined to the snake, that he may look upoI
her and accept her as his wife. Bring hel
forth also who IL months gone was vowed
in marriage to the shape of the stone, that
she may bid her lord farewell. "
As he spoke there was stir behind the
idol, and presently from either side Of il
a woman was led forward by two priest;
on to the little space of rock between it
feet and the edge of the gulf and PLACED
one to the right of the altar and one t.
the left. Both these women were tall ant
lovely with the dark and somewhat terri
! flying beauty of the People of the Mist, bu
| there the resemblance between them ended
| She to the left was naked except for CIR
| die of snakeskin and the covering of hei
abundant hair, which was crowned will
a wreath of red lilies similar to the fiowe
| that the priests had given to Juanna. Sh'
| to the left, on the contrary, was clothed il
black robe round which was broidereC
the shape of blood red snake, whose heaC
1 rested on her breast Leonard noticed tha
I the appearance of this woman was one o
extreme terror, for she shrank and treIn
bled, whereas that of the flower crowned
: bride was jubilant and even naughty. Fol
moment the two women stood while tb,
people gazed upon them. Then at a sigma
/ from Nam she who was crowned Will
/ flowers was led before the altar, and thric,
1 she bowed the knee to the idol, or rathei
! to Otter, who sat upon it. Now ali eye
were fixed on the dwarf, who stared at th'
girl, but made no sign, which was no
wonderful, seeing that he had not th'
faintest idea of the meaning of the cere
mony. As it CHANGED, he could not hav'
acted more wisely-at least in the interest.
of the bride-for here, as elsewhere, sileDc,
, was held TO give consent.
Behold, the god acceptsl'' cried Nam
THE beauty of the bride is pleasing in hi
eyes. Stand aside, Saga, thou blessed
that the people may look upon thee an6
know thee. Hail TO thee, wife OF tn,
snakeii
Smiling triumpbantly, the girl movet
back to her place by the altar and turnee
her proud face to the people Then TIL
multitude shouted:
TO BE CONTINUED