Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-23

alone, " said Leonard, but you must try
to make better arrangements. Soa might
sleep with you, at any rate. Where is OF
ter! Let US pay him visit Iwant to
see how that god is getting on. -
Juanna went to the door and addressed
the priests, saying that she desired to be
led before the snake, and her servants
witt her. They demurred a little and
then gave way, and all four of them were
conducted first into the eourtyar in
which no human being was to be seen.
and thence into an adjoining chamber,
where curious sight awaited them. In
huge chair set upon dais sat Otter,
looking furious and by no means at ease,
while stretched upon the ground in front
of him lay four priests, who muttered
prayers increasingly.
Welcome, baas, he cried in rapture
at the sight of Leonard. WELCOME Shop
herdess.
You fool, answered Leonard in Dutch,
but speaking in the most humble voice
and sinking to his knees. IF you will
not remember that you are god, will
break your neck as soon as we are alone
Bid these fellows be gone. The Shepherd
ess will translate for YOU
go, dogs, said Otter, taking the hint
go and bring me food l would speak
with my servant, who is named Baas,
and with my mother"
These are the words of the snake that
he speaks in the holy tongue said Juan
1 ma, and she translated them
The four priests rose, and bowling to the
earth crept backward out of the room. As
soon as they were gone Otter leaped from
his throne, with an exclamation of rage
that caused the others to burst out laugh
Ing
Laugh, baas, laugh if you will, !" said
the dwarf, for you have never been d god
and don't know what it is. What think
You, baas? All night long have sat upon
that great stool, while those accursed dogs
burnt sinking stuff beneath my nostriIs
and muttered nonsense. One hour more,
and 1 should have fallen on them and
killed them, for l have had no meat, and
hunger makes me mad.
"Hushl' said Leonard. Il hear foot
steps. On to your throne, Otter, quick
Juanna, stand by his side. We will
| kneel''
They had barely time to obey when the
curtains were thrown aside, and priest
entered, holding vessel of wood covered
with cloth. Slowly he crept toward the
| throne, with his head bent almost to his
knees. Then, Strengthening himself sud
denly, he lifted up the wooden vessel and
cried aloud:
We bring you food, o snake Eat and
be satisfedl'
Otter took the dish, and lifting the cloth
gazed upon its contents hungrily, but with
an ever growing dissatisfaction.
Son of dog, - he cried in his own
| tongue, lis this food to set before a MANI"
And he held the platter downward, expos
ing its contents.
| They We're simple, consisting of various
sorts Of vegetables and water crosses. poor
in quality, for the season was winter and
all of them uncooked. In the center of
this fodder, whether placed there in ODE
| dience to some religious tradition or by
way of ornament or perhaps TO assist the
| digestive process of the god, as tenpen
ny nail is said to assist that of an ostrich,
was fine ruby stone, not so big indeed
as that which Soa had given Leonard, but
still of considerable size and value.
Leonard saw 1t with delight, but not SO
the dwarf, the selfish promptings of whose
| stomach caused him to forget that his
master had journeyed far to seek such
gems as this. In the fury of his disap-
pointed appetite he stood upon the foot
stool of the throne, and Selling the ruby
hurled it at the priest, hitting him fair
between the eyes. Am l an eel, he
roared, that should live on water grass
and red grayelY''
Then the priest, terrified at the behavior
of this strange divinity, picked up the
offending geIn-to the presence of which
he attributed his anger-and fled, never
looking behind him.
Juanna and Francisco were seized with
uncomfortable laughter, while even Soa
deigned to smile, but Leonard did not
smile.
"Ob, you last descendant of generations
of assesr' he said bitterly. 'You ass with
four ears and a tenfold brayi What have
you done now? You have hurled the pre-
cious stone at the head of him who brought
it, and now he will bring no more. Had
it not been for you, doubtless with every
meal such stones would have been offered
to you, and though you grew thin we
should all of us have become rich, and that
without trouble"
Forgive me, baas," lamented Otter,
but my rage took away my reason, and
| forgot. See now what it is TO be god
1t is to be fed upon stuff such as would
grippe an OK. Oh, baas, would that these
devils had mado you god and left me
your servant" And again he gazed with
disgust upon the water cress and rows of
eathery vegetables resembling turnips.
You had better eat them, Otter, said
Juanna, who was still choking with laugh
ter. If you don't, you may get nothing
more for days. Evidently you are sup
posed to have small appetite
Then, driven to it by his ravening hun
ger, the wretched Otter fell upon the tur-
nips and devoured them sullenly, Leonard
rating him all the while for his unequaled
stupidity
Scarcely-had he finished his meal when
there was stir without, and once again
priests entered, healed on this occasion by
that same aged man who had acted as
spokesman when Juanna declared herself
on the previous day. and who, as they had
discovered was named Nam. In fact, he
had many other and much longer names,
but as this was the shortest and most con-
venient of them they adopted it. 1t
CHANGED that Leonard was standing by
Soa and when this priest entered, whom
she now saw for the first time, he noticed
that she started, trembled and then drew
back into the shadow of the throne.
''Some friend of the old lady's youth
thought Leonard to himself. II hope
that he won't recognize her, that is ALL
Nam bent himself in alteration before
the gods, and then began an address, the
substance of which Juanna translated
from time to time. Bitterly did he grieve,
he said, that such insult had been offered
to the snake as the presenting TO him
among his food Of the red stone known
as the blood of AGA. That man who had
done this folly was doomed to die If in
deed he was not already dead. Well could
they understand that, the mother and
snake having become reconciled, the
proffering to Jal of that which reminded
him of the sin of long ago was a wicked
ness that might bring curse upon the
land. Let the snake be appeased. Com
mand had been given that all such stones
should be hidden in a secret place by him
who had wrought the crime, and, as he
had said, If the man returned alive from
that place he should be slain. But he
would not return alive, for to go thither
was death, as it should be death hence
forth even to mention that stone, of
which but one should now be seen in the
land-that which the mother wore in
memory Of the past.
"Oh, Otter, my friend" murmured
Leonard to himself, 'if don't pay you
out for this my name is not OutramI'
But enough of the stones, went on Nam
He had come upon a greater matter. That
night an assembly of all the people would
be held in the great temple an hour before
moonrise, that the mother and the snake
might take up their royalty in the pres
ence of the people. Thither they would
come to lead then, and their servants at