Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-30
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CHAPTER vuL-CoNTrNuED.

SiA-A hAlN ~ -
When they reached the further side Of
the stream Umsuka descended from his lit
ter and said:
Messenger, this is the story OF the god
as 1t has come down to us, From the I've.
ginning our land has been scourEcd with
lightning above all other lands, and with
the floods OF rain that accompany the light
ming. In the old days the Great Place Of
the King was out youder among the noun
tains. but every year fire from heaven fell
upon Il, destroying much people; and at
length in the great tempest the house of the
King of that day was smitten and burned,
and his wives and children were turned to
ashes. Then that King held a council Of
his wizards and fire doctors, and these hav-
ing consulted the spirits of their fore
fathers, retired into a place apart to fast
and pray; yes, it was in yonder valley, the
burying ground of kings, that they hid
themselves. Now, on the third night the
God of Fire appeared to the chief Of the doc
tors in his sleep, and he was shaped like
n burning brand and smoke went UP from
him. Out of the smoke he spoke to the doc
tor saying: For this reason IL is that | tor
ment your people, because they hate me and
curse at me and pay me little honor
in his dream the doctor answered: How
can the people honor a god that they do not
see? Then the god said: Rise UP now in
the night, all the company of you, and go
take your stand upon the banks of yonder
stream, and | will fall down in fire from
heaven. and there on the plain you shall find
my image. Then let your King move his
Great Place into the valley beneath the
plain, and henceforth by bolts shall spare 1t.
Only month by month you shall make
prayers and offerings to me; moreover, the
name of the people shall be changed, for it
shall be called the People of Fire
Now the doctor rose, and having
awakened his companions, he told them of
his vision. Then they all of them went
down to the banks of the stream where we
now stand. And as they waited there a
great tempest burst over them, and in the
midst of the tempest they saw the flaming
figure of a man descend from heaven, and
the earth shook when he touched it. The
morning came. and there upon the plain be-
fore them, where there had been nothing,
sat the likeness of the god. So the name of
the people was changed, and the Kings
Great Place was built where it now is.
Since that day, Messenger, no hut has been
burned and no man killed in or about the
Great Place by fire from heaven. which falls
only here where the god is, though away
among the mountains and elsewhere men are
sometimes killed. But wait awhile, and you
shall see with your eyes. Hokosa, do you,
whom the lightning will not touch, take that
pole of dead wood and set it up yonder in the
crevice of the rock not far from the figure of
the god
81 obey" said Hokosa, although I have
brought no medicines with me-. Perhaps"
he added with a faint sheer. "the white man,
who is so great a wizard, will not be afraid
to accompany me-"
Now, owen saw that all those present
were looking to him curiously. 1t was
evident they believed that he would not dare
to accept the challenge. Therefore, he an
swered. at once and without hesitation:
Certainly l will come; the pole is heavy
for one man to carry, and where Hokosa
goes there | can go also"
Nay, nay, Messenger" said the King,
'the lightning knows Hokosa, and will turn
from him, but you are a stranger to it, and
1t will eat you up"
King" answered Owen, 81 do not be-
lieve that Hokosa has any power over the
lightning. 1t may strike him or it may
strike me, but unless my God so commands,
it will strike neither of u.s.
o your head be it, White Man" said
Hokosa, with cold anger. Come, aid Inc
with the pole"
Then they lifted the dead tree, and be-
tween them carried it into the middle of
the plain, where they set it up in a crevice
of the rock. By this time the storm was
almost over them, and, watching it, Owen
perceived that the lightnings struck always
along the bank of the stream, doubtless fol-
lowing the hidden line of the bed of iron
stone.
IL is nut u very little Storm said IO-
kosa, contemptuously, such as visit US
every afternoon at this period of the year.
Ali White Man. | would that you could see
one of our great tempests. for these are
well worth beholding. This | fear, how
ever, that you will never do, seeing 1t is
likely that within some few minutes you
will have passed back to that King who
sent you here, with a hole in your head
and a black mark down your spine"
That we shall learn presently. Hokosa."
answered Owen. For my part, / pray
that no such fate may overtake you"
Now Hokosa moved himself away, mutter-
ing and pointing with his fingers. but owen
remained standing within about thirty yards
of the pole. Suddenly there came a glare
of light. and the pole was split into frag-
ments, but, although the shock was per-
ceptible. they remained unhurt. Almost
Immediately a second flash leaped from the
cloud, and Owen saw Hokosa stagger and