Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-03-23
THE PEOPLE
OF THE MIST
By H. RIDER HAGGARD.
copyright, 1898, by the Author. I
CHAPTER XVI.

with turves, and the cold stare of curios.
ity with which they were followed by hun
drcds of eyes gave them sense of unrest
that effectually checked their efforts at
closer examination. Once indeed they
halted in the market place, which was
/ thronged. Instantly all business ceased.
Seller, buyer, herdsmen and presiding
priests flocked around them, staring at
them, half in fear and half in curiosity,
for they had never seen white men before
This they could not bear, SO they returned
to the palace.
Of course Otter and Juanna, being di-
tine were not allowed to indulge in such
iecreations. They were gods and must
live up to their reputation. For one day
Otter endured 1t. On the second, in spite
Of Leonard's warnings, he sought refuge
IN the society of the bride Saga. This was
! She beginning of evil, for if no man is a
hero to his valet de chambre much less
can he remain god for long in the eyes
of a curious woman. Here, as in other
matters, familiarity breeds contempt
Leonard saw these dangers and spoke
angrily to the dwarf on the subject. Still
he could not conceal from himself that,
putting aside the question of his ennui,
that made his conduct natural, at any
rate, in a savage, Offers position was u
| difficult one. So Leonard shrugged his
shoulders and consoled himself as best he
could with the reflection that at least his
wife would teach the dwarf something OF
the language, which, by the way, he him
/ self was 7racticing assiduously under the
/ tuition Of Juanna and Soa.
| At noon the party adjourned to the tenn
| pie, escorted by II bevy of priests and sol
diers, for in obedience to Juanna's COM
mands the feast was celebrated in the day
| time, and not at night. As before, the vast
amphitheater was crowded with thousands
of human beings but there was differ
ence in the arrangements.
Juanna and Otter had declined to occu-
! Ply their lofty thrones and sat in chairs at
the feet of the huge and hidcous stone
| idol, almost on the edge of the pool, Nam
/ standing before them, while Leonard,
| Francisco and the settlement men ranged
themselves on either side. The day was
cold and miserable, and snow fell from
] timo to time in large flakes from an ashen
1 sky.
Presently Nam addressed the multitude.
People of the Mist, he cried, ''you are
| gathered here to celebrate the feast of Jal,
\
have come back to you, as you know, and
the gods in their wisdom have changed
the custom. Fifty women were prepared
for the sacrifice. This morning they rose
rejoicing, dceming that they were destined
to the god, but now their joy is turned to
sorrow, for the gods will not accept them,
having chosen a new offering for them
selves. Let it be brought forward. -
r btS 1ol hob M
the idol, driving before them two lean
bulls, and with them pair of he goats.
| Whether by accident OF design they drove
them so unskillfully that the animals
Numbered hither and thither over the
rocky platform till they were finally dis
patched with blows from clubs and axes
that is, except one he goat, which, escap-
| ing its pursuers rushed down the amphi-
| theater and scrambled from seat to seat
among the audience uttering succession
of terrifying 'baas." Indeed the scene
was so comic that even that somber and
silent people began to laugh accustomed
as they were on these occasions to the
hidcous andimpressive ceremonial of the
midnight sacrifice of scores of human be-
| ings The ancient feast was fiasco.
| This was u fact which could not be con
cealcd
| BE gone, ye People of the Mist +" said
| Nam presently pointing to the dead ami
mails. The sacrifice is sacrificed; the fes-
tival of Jal is done. May the mother plead
with the snake that fruitfulness may bless
the land. "
| Now, scarcely ten minutes had elapsed
since the beginning of the ceremony,
| which, in the ordinary course of events,
| lasted through the greater part of tho
| night, for it was the custom to slaughter
each victim singly and with appropriate
solemnities A murmur of Misrepresentation
arose from the far end of the amphithcatcr
that swelled gradually TO a roar. The Feo-
| pie had been thankful to accept Juanua s
message of peace, but brutalized as they
were by the continual sight of bloodshed
| they were not willing to dispense with
their carnivals of human sacrifice. A Ro-
man audience gathered to witness gladia-
torial show TO find themselves treated in
stead to a donkey race and a cock fight
could scarcely have shown more fury.
Bring out the womenl Let the vic.
tins be offered up to Jal as of oldr' they
| yelled in their rage, and ten minutes OIL
more elapsed before they could be quieted
| Then Nam addressed them cunningly
People of the Mist, he said, ''tho gods
| have given US a new law of the sacrifice Of
oxen and goats in the place of men and
maids, and you yourselves have welcomed
| that law. No longer shall the blood of vic
tins flow to Jal beneath the white rays o.
! the moon while the chant of his servants
| goes up to heaven. Nay, heneeforth thi:
| holy place must be a shambles for the
kline. So be it, my children. In my old
age l hear the gods speaking with an al
tered voice, and l obey them. 1t is moth
ing to me, who am about to die, yet l tel
/ you that rather would myself be stretched
upon the ancient stone than see the wor
ship of our forefathers thus turned into
mockery. The sacrifice is sacrificed Nov
4 may the mother intercede with the snak,
that plenty may bless the land. And HI
smiled satirically and turned away.
Those of the audience who were nea
enough to hear his words cried them out II
the ranks behind them, and when all un
derstood there followed scene of most in
describable tumult.
Blood, give us bloodl" roared the pop
ulace, their fierce faces alight with rage
shall we be Knocked with the sacrifice O
goatsS Offer up the servants of the falls
gods. Give us blood Lead forth the vie
timsi
In the midst of this uproar Juanna, clat
in her white robes and with the red ston'
bound upon her brow, rose from her sea
to speak.
"Silence'' cried Nam. Hear the vote,
of Aea." And by degrees the tumult dice
away, and she spoke.
do you thus dare TO offer outrage t,
the godsi'' she cried. BE warned lest w,
bring death and famine upon you all
Men shall he offered up to us no more.
have spoken.
For awhile there was silence; then TIL
tumult broke out with redoubled violence
and portion of the multitude made
rush round the edge of the pool toward TIN
rock platform, which was repealed by tn
soldiers in very half hearted way
Now" said Olfan. ~ think that thes
will do well to be going" And he pointes
to Leonard, Francisco and the settlement
men Doubtless the gods can defent
themselves, but if the others do not &,
this is sure-that presently they will b
torn to pieces.
Let us all 60" said Juanna, who's
nerves began to fail her, and suiting tn
action to the word she led the way towart
the rock tunnel, followed by the others.
They were not allowed to reach it I'm
molested, however, for number of tn
crowd, headed, as Leonard noticed, by tw'
priests, forced their way through the cor
don of guards and became mixed with tn,
rear of their little party, the members 0
which they threatened and struck at saw
! agely. This was just as they were enter
ing the mouth of the tunnel, behind tn,