The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-04-20
.ayn't fight, and them yaller devils is

| Degan TO glow, ana understood that
the figure was hollow. / was trans
| fixed with horror. 1t was the hideous
Chemosh, or Moloch, of the Ammon-
ties, or, rather, its new world antitype,
the man devouring god Of the Aztecs.
| The old man quavered on.
eyes, they're goin to. She's their
| queen, too, but she's my little gal. /
couldn't get out-none Of us couldn't
| get out-and / married, like you'd "a
done. Oh, yes, she was a squaw, /
know, but she was the plum whitest of
'em all, the old chiefs daughter. Now
she's dead, and old Yatnow's dead, and
my little Yoliva's queen. But that
don't count. The priests hate her, and
she's give way their secret, the secret
that all the rest Of 'em 'cept me was
roasted for tryin to find out, and she's
got to die"
Hargreaves seized the clew. "The
secret of escape? Tell us and what two
men can do'-
''Yes, I'm goin to. That's what she
told me for-to help you get away"
For heavens sake" circulated Har-
greayes, do they know we're hereY'
caught the astounding reply.
They've been hearin you talk, off
and on, all along. This hell hole is
lken to big ear for them as knows it.
And you didn't tumble in, like you said.
You was snaked in with rope, with a
big rock hitched to the end of it."
Go on" said Hargreaves.
The eyes of the great idol were glow
ing red, and the chant rose to q veil.
The Old man went on brokeriy, as one
whose life is at its ebb.
Yes, they said Tie god was hungry
and they'd give him two men to eat.
lie hain't had none sence the last of us
boys was roasted. They said that, and
Yoliva, she stood up and said No. and
swore by the sperrit Of her old gram
dad that she'd turn you all loose.
While they was a-janglin, you all made
out to dodge 'em. They laid it to Yoliya
and me-and'
The quavering voice died away in q
rattle, and Hargreaves reached for the
flask.
"The whisky, quick! He's dyingr'
We poured few drops Of the LIQUOR
down his throat, and he revived lit
tie. Hargreaves caught quickly at the
vanishing chance Of escape
"Tell us what to do and how to get
out Of this he implored.
I'm aimin to. She made me prom
Use, if ! got chance. Raise me up a
little"
We lifted him gently, and he went on
with diminishing strength.
She told me while they was
a-breakin in toto captur' us. It's un-
der-that there-idol. You heave a
stone-the biggest you can h'ist-into
the-the fireplace. Then you jump in
and run for-your life-li''-
His soul went out in the midst of the
word, and we laid him down as tender
ly as we had lifted him.
"God rest himw said Hargreaves sol
emnly, and peered out again while he
was composing the frail limbs and
closing the sightless eyes.
What saw sent the hot blood tin
Cling to my finger tips. A procession
of half naked savages was winding
like huge snake about the altar, and
in its forefront, borne shoulder high,
was q litter with the corpselike figure
OF young girl upon it. l had fleet
ing glimpse of her face It was pass
ing beautiful, with features which
might have been modelled upon the
ideal Of some old Greek master and
chiseled in age old ivory.
Suddenly the dense circle of onlook-
ers parted, and the litter was borne
to the foot of the idol. A second later
the bearers We're binding the girl upon
the outstretched arms of the monster.
Hargreaves was crouching beside me.
"Godv' he said through his clinched
teeth I'D give five years of my life
for weaponr'
He sprang up and stumbled over the
body of tie old man-stumbled and
fell, clutching at me to save himself.
"The pit! Look outr' 1 shouted, but
it was too late. While the words were
yet on my lips we were plunging down
what seemed to be flight Of rude
steps In the well hole.
When 1t ended, we were in a cham
Der whose low arched doorway gave
upon the great amphitheater. l was
dazed by the fall, and there was time
for no more than glance The place
was furnished in some sort and was
lighted by torch. In a niche under
the fiambeau was a bronze effigy of
the great idol. thrust the god under
my arm, with some vague idea of using
IT Tor weapon, and Hargreaves caught
up a pair of old cavalry sabers and
tossed one of them to me.
"They're war relics" he said hurried
~. "This must be the old mans cell.
Are you good for it? Can you handle
the steel?"
nodded. The wine Of battle, yint-
age hitherto strange to me, was lifting
In my veins, and l heard Hargreaves
rs one afar of. / had never swung a
sword in my life. but at that moment
felt inyineible. It's a curious mad
ness.
Two seconds later we were in the
thick Of it, hewing our way like de.
mons through the yelling multitude
that parted to right and left before the
kissing swing of the sabers. Almost
before l knew 1t we had fought our
way across the amphitheater to the ped
estal of the great idol, and could
hear the roar Of the flames in its hol-
low interior.
What followed wrought itself out SO
quickly that 1t defes any description Of