The morning news., 1899-02-12


night-it was a sacred rite These are SER
pent worshippers, believers in Obi, and,
10 their superstitious minds the hereditary
marx OF my family, the snake in wrinkles
on the brow, established me as sacred. AN
these years, my memory a blank, / have
ilved with them, horribly honored by them
as priest-honored until lately. The life
the long struggle to remember my past
doubtless weakened me- l was hopeless
ana resigned until last night 1 heard my
BOY S voice, and az last my past came back
in FASH
Oziel cried out:
Then Justin, you being crazed or dead.
and having also that mark, was to be
brought here to take your place 1 heard
Lynch talk to the great negro on the Long
Island beach. WIN these religionists take
another priest% said he to Donnereau."
'Donnereau," cried Sir Roger. "Donner-
eau! Is he one of the band? Then 1 see it
all. You must know that for the past two
or three years the mark, to these people
sacred upon my forehead, has gradually
faded. That my grandfather, who bore il,
told me is always the case with the Halo
wells as they grow Old. In my case, contin-
ual brooding, and the struggle to remem-
Der what l was before my accident, pos
slbly had something to do with it. for in
my despair at my captivity among those
SoNdSS9s SGtIll 10 DdNG grown al ldSI QuIl-
bly, placid, resigned, never rousable TO an
ger. The mark is effaced and this has been
seized upon by a party of the people, who
are several hundred strong, as a cause to
oust me from the priesthood. My power
with Obi is lost; they say. The god is an
cry. Do you know what that s?Death
to me, for 1 should be sacrificed to their
hideous deity, Donnereau was brought up
here-he was a believer in Obi, but left
and lived with French masters on a sugar
Plantation. He came back, and from his re-
turn dates the attempt to pull me from my
place.
" 'Tis little wonder. then, that Justin
was told SO little of the secret" cried
Oz;el. They dared not tell him that to
gain the treasure, to make him priest, re-
qured your death"
THE treasurer" Sir Roger asked Won
deringly.
why, 'tis your gold from the wreck
they seek. Donnereau must have told
Lynch of that when Gabriel Murrin sent
him for information to the Indies. Lynch
was fired by the report of that and hence
the expedition-hence his getting possess
sion of Justin. l understand it all now
He found the savages too strong to fight
them, and determined, with Justin in pow
er among them as a priest, through him
to seize the treasure. Gabriel spoke the
truth there-the cunning rover did not tell
him ALL"
The treasure" Sir Roger began again,
and then was seized with a trembling so
that he sank resting on the ground. "Wait,
my lad. Have patience. 1 have the main
points. l remember who I was-and many
things, but l am confused. Donnereau
said treasurer"
"That you earned, so Garbiel told me,
in the service of the Mogul in the far
East. Is it lost? 1 could be glad. Did
you not say just now you rescued it from
the ship?"
True. true; had much in my ship,
lad, and 1 rescued some which is here
now, but Dcnnereau never saw it, He was
away al the time of the wreck. Lynch I
remember dimly. He was a rascal threw
from my ship in India"
Without doubt Donnereau told Lynch
or perhaps Lynch told Donnereau-of
what was on board the wreck?"
Suddenly Sir Roger began to laugh, so
weakly and tremulous.y that Oziel was
afraid his mind was again giving way. In
despair at that, for on him now the Purl-
tan pinned his hopes of escaping and res
cuing Justin, the lad cried out his friends
meme.
Justin, your son!" cried he. What
met tier the treasure, IL you and he be
saved from these vilains!'
At the word Sir Roger leaped in the
air, all his energy returning.
aye, aver he cried. My boyi Where
is he? Come with me first, and l will
give you food, my lad. My hut lies not
far from here
He took Ozers hand and together they
plunged into the thicket, and at last came
around the lake TO a large open place In
the woods, a meadow between wooded
hills. In the center of the plain stood a
rude building of mud and stones a large
place capable of holding a number of peo-
pie.
THE temple" said Sir Roger briefly,
and passed again into the woods where
near at hand they found little hut
This" said the priest, "is my home.
has been for years, Here have sat for
days wondering, wondering-trying to
solve the strangest problem, Who am ~
The people live further In the hills by the
headwaters of a stream. This place is
sacred to Obi, and only come to on great
occasions, when they pray for rain or Of
fer sacrifices. My priesthood gave me the
privilege to live here apart"
Oziel looked about him while the old
man fetched him some simple food milk
and cakes made by himself. The hut
was of mud, bamboo thatched, and the
floor of beaten earth. A very rude couch
of grasses lay in a corner, and a tree
stump served for a stool With some
rough earthenware these were all the
comforts which the man of rank and es-
tate had enjoyed for many sad, lonely
years. They ate together, and having
done so Sir Roger reverted to the subject
of the treasure, and again began to laugh
silently.
"Would you see my treasurer" he said
"This store of wealth from the Golfers of
the Great Mogul, which has excited the