The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-12


fully, they recoiled in wonder and came
trucking forward. kneeIing TO him.
They brought others, and ne was treat
ed with great respect, taken inland ana
housed and tended. Sir Roger pointed
to his brow, and OZiel understood, re-
membering Justin's mark.
These people are Africans said Sir
Roger. 4 have learned that from them
escaped slaves, some from ships, some
from the settlements. They have estab-
iiShed themselves and reared children
III all the saVagery of their own land,
and in a strange religion. You saw the
dance last night-it was sacred rite
These are serpent WorshiperS, believers
in Obi and, to their supeTstitious mines,
the hereditary mark oil my family, the
snake in wrinkles on the brow, estab-
lished me as sacred. All these years,
my memory a blank, l have lived with
them, horribly honored by them as Il
priest-honored until lately. the life,
the long struggle to remember my past
doubtless weakened me. L was hopeless
and resigned until last night l heard my
boys voice, and at last my past came
back in q. fash.
OZieI cried cut:
Then Justin, you being crazed or
dead, and having also that mark, was
to be brought here to take your place.
heard Lynch talk to the great negro on
the Long Island beach. VIII these re-
lisionists take another priests? said he
TO Oonnereau."
''Donnereau," cried Sir Roger Don
nereaul Is he one of the band? Then l
see it all. Gou must know that for the
past two or three years the mark. TO
these people sacred upon my forehead,
has gradually faded. That my grand
father, who pore ii, told me Is always
the case with the HaIlowells as they
grew old. In my case, continual BROOD
ing, and the struggle to remember what
l was before my accident, possibly had
something to do with il, for in my de-
spair at my captivity among those saw
ages, L seem 10 have grown at last
dumbly placid, resigned, never rouSabIe
to anger The mark is effaced, and this
has been seized upon by party of the
people, who are several hundred strong,
as d cause to Gust me from the priest
hood. My power with Obi is lost; they
say. The god is angry. Do you know
what that means? Death to me, for L
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 return dates the attempt to pull me
from my place.
It's little wonder, then, that Justin
was tod so little of the secret" cried
Oziel. They dared not tell him that
TO gain the treasure, to make him
priest, required your death
The treasurer" Sir Roger asked won
deringly.
Why, It's your gold from the wreck
they seek. Donnereau must have told
Lynch Of that when Gabriel Slurrin
sent him for information 10 the Indies.
Lynch was fired by the report of that,
and hence the eX0edition-hence his
getting possession OF Justin. l under
stand it ali now. He found the sava-
ges too strong TO fight them, and de-
Jermlned, with justin in power among
them as u 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 pa
tience. l have the main points. L re-
member who 1 was-and many things,
but l am confused. Donnereau said
treasurer"
THAT you earned, so Gabriel told me,
IN the service OF the AIogul in the far
east. Is it lost? L could be glad. Did
You not say just now you rescued it
from the ship?'
True, true; had much in my ship,
lad, and ! rescued some which is here
now, but DOnnereau never saw it. He
was away at the time of the wreck.
Lynch l remember dimly. He was a
rascal l threw from my ship IN India
without doubt Donnereau told
Lynch-or perhaps Lynch told Donner-
eau-of what was on board the wreck"
Suddenly Sir Roger began to laugh,
so weakly and TREMENDOUSLY that Oziel
was afraid his mind was again giving
way. In despair at that, for on him
now the puritan pinned his hopes of
escaping and rescuing Justin, the lad
cried out his friends name.
Justin, vour son!" cried he. What
matter the treasure, if you and he be
saved from these villains!'
At the word Sir Roger leaDed in the
air, all his energy returning.
Aye, aye!" he cried. My boy!
Where is he? Come with me first, and
l will give you food, my lad. My hut
lies not Gar from here
He took Oziers hand and together
they plunged into the thicket, and at
last came around the lake to large
open space in the woods, meadow be-
tween wooded hills. In the centre OF
the plain stood a rude building Oh mud
and s.nOes, d large place capable of
holding number Of people.
The temple" said Sir Roger briefly,
and passed again into the woods, where
near at hand they found a little hut.
This said the priest, lis my home,
has been for years. Here l have sat
for days wondering, wondering, Won
dering-trying to solve the strangest
problem, Who am p The people live
further in the hills by the headwaters
of a stream. This place is sacred to Obi
and they only come here on great occa-
sions, when they pray for rain or offer
sacrifices. My priesthood gave me the
privilege TO live here apart"
OZiel looked about him while the old
man fetched some simple food, milk
and cakes made by himself The hut
was of mud, bamboo matched, and
the floor of beaten earth. a very rude
couch of grasses lay in one corner, and
a tree stump served for a STOOL With
some rough earthenware these were all
the comforts which the man of rank
and estate 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 cupidity of Donnereau-who
doubtless learned the vice of greed
with others from his French masters
and Lynch, whom l long ago cast
ashore for suspicion of melting mutiny.
and Gabriel Murrin, whom you say is
more avaricious yet than these? I only
remember him as my wife's sisters
husband in the Americas. Would you
see il ?"
Oziel looked about, but saw no sign
of Golfer or treasure caket, and won
deringly asked where it was. Sir Roger
led him out, and across the green to
the silent temple. No one was about