The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-07-19
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
: THE BURST HEART" !
= A Spooky Tale.
q BY NEVILLE CAIN. G
BY NEVILLE GAIN.
A spooky Tale.



fallen under the white curse. Hair
the kingdom had already gone over
the flowery plains and past the yerdant
groves to the gray cliffs on the desolate
borlzon-into those Businesses inacces-
sIble save to those who were called
aud they never returned.
In the midst Of the feast. in the tenn
pies. in the midnight slumber, the sum-
mons came. and the stricken one
straiehtway rose and glrded up his
lolns and departed. CHASTITY eidolons,
emissaries from that dread bourn'
came and breathed once in the face Of
the victim whose heart turned to ice
within him aud his cheeks to marble.
Burnt offerings smoked necessarily
upon the affairs; suppllcatng hands
grew rigid before the silent gods In
vain. Horreck the Hermit had said
that If one only survived the ordeal
which awaited the stricken at their
journeys end. the curse would be lift
ed.
Then n great resolve was born In the
heart Of Ark the Prince.
DAYS and nights tasted be in the
cave Of the hermit until, purged Of
earthly drosS. his soul stood well nigh
bare. The eidolon passed and touched
his brow.
Go now" said Horreck. "Wert thou
not pure in heart what l tell thee would
still avail thee nothing. But remem-
Der, with all thy concentrated might
hold fast to this thought: Remove not
thine eyes for ever so brief an instant,
for the milllonth part Of n second, from
The Face, or thou art lost"
Through the great riven rock, with
er he had arrived after incredible hard
ships. the prince at length took his
way. ever drawn on as by terrible
magnet.
At some distance before him rose a
gloomy edihce Of dark rock whose col
umns were lost in the sulphurous
clouds
Two condors wrcstled In the pOrtico
over something raw and bleeding,
which parted, and they drew back
with raucous croaks as Ark walked
between them, through the great por-
tai, and stood in the outer corridor Of
the temple Of Fear.
As he proceeded farther onward he
became aware of a pounding noise, as
upon q great drum, accompanied by
the horrible wheeling Of some strange
wind instrument, which caused the
flesh of his scalp to draw up into a
knot. while above the wall which scpa-
rated him from the inner temple he
saw the shadow Of some dread thing
waving TO and fro.
Suddenly 2 chant arose, "Hu, hu, hu,
hui" monotOnously repeated, and then
he emerged into a great, dripping, reek-
ing, cavenOus chamber.
1t was lit up by pale torch burning
from a human skull before an altar in
the center Of the great hall. Upon this
altar lay q burst human heart. Drip
ping with Icy sweat, he raised his eyes
to that which sat upon a throne at the
farther end Of the hall - the Great
White Snake. the god Of fear.
From side to side it slowly swayed,
while its awful eyes transfxed him.
About the altar, with CHASTITY faces and
lettering steps. moved procession OF
pilgrims. Around their feet swarmed
scorpions, spiders, rats and countless
vermln. At the boom of a great bell
In the dome a priest approached and
led a devoted one through door, and
the procession moved on. Ark took
his place among them at a sign from
the priest.
At length it was his turn to pass the
fateful door, from which none had re-
turned. AS it closed upon him he per-
ceived that they had entered upon a
great, gray plain the horizon of which
was dim In misty twilight. From an
incalculable height in the leaden clouds
descended a chain, at the end of which
hung a great ring.
"Art ready for the ordeal, o wretch
ed oneY said the priest, leading him
beneath the ring and bidding him grasp
it. IF thou endurest, peace shall reign
and happiness prevail In thy native
realm. Shouldst thou fail, thy heart
shall feed the vultures."
One glance about him, and he per-
ceived the remnants Of many carcasses,
while In the distance dusky forms flap
ped from point to point. Softly he
was lifted from the plain and began a
sickening swing. simultaneously from
the sky dawned The Face, beautiful be-
yond words. Remembering Horreck's
injunction, he riveted his eyes upon 1t,
though 1t seemed as though they would
burst from his head, though his swol-
len heart chOked his breath.
Out, out, out, from horizon to horizon,
stone deaf with the swirl Of the air, he
swung. His hair was scorched, his
clothes in blackened rags. but ever up
on The Face Beautiful he strained his
gaze.
Out, out, out beyond the confines Of
the earth's atmosphere swayed the
great pendulum. Out, out, out, over
the black void of space.
But through all shone The Face, and
never from it for an atom of time wan
dered his fading eyes, and at length,
when death seemed near, 1t smiled,
and he knew his task was done, his
victory won and his people free.-New
York Herald.