The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-30

silence, the silencs of hundred human
bsinss who but one short moment before
had been yelling horde OF demons. The
light of the torches enabled usto see the
priest who had mounted the platform.
He was q tall, gaunt individual. Over
topping his thin visage. and hanging
over his shoulders and down his back
below the middle, In witon-liks locks,
fell q covering Of sun-scorched hair, In
thick, greasy masses. His eyes were
burning fright. All his right side was
naked, and Of the brown parchment color
OF his fare. and quite az measer, covered
with gaping rents Of knife-wounds, from
which the blood trickled. A garment OF
the coarsest cloth covered his body below
the waist, adorned with numerous pieces
of bons and fetish boxes. The torches
gave out an un wonted flicker. and peer
ing through the gloom, We could see that
five others Of similar appearance had fol-
lowed him on TO the platform OF raised
earth. The same deathlike stiffness per-
vaded the aws-stricksn multitude.
Heretofore the farther end Of the cave,
where the platform was erected, had been
some what obscured; hut at signal from
one Of the priests . dozen natives stepped
forward with lighted torches, and
mounting the elevated space, arranged
thsmt elves In = circular group on either
side. The slaring beacons penetrating
the surrounding gloom disoovered . huge
recess in the wall, ct the rear Of which
c1uld he seen the distorted form OF
gigantic image stony. imrassive figure
Of SUCH grotesque uglinefs that with all
OF their parbarous and fsnatical natures,
one could not help wondering how any
race OF people, however unenliahtened,
could bring themselves to worship an
object Of such repulsiveness.
"Suddenly there was stir amidst the
group OF priests on the platform, and from
the dark Granny. In which the Turing
image stood. a newcomer, man OF ad-
mirable proportions, not 90 tall - power
ful and pAtriarohal looking. descended.
He advanced rapidly forward, loosening
his ragged garments as he came, until he
was naked, save o small cloth Rirdlsd
around thu loins. As he turned toward
the stone image and RAISED his hand the
gro.p of worshippers ceased their turmoil
and Tell prostrats to the ground, mean
while keeping up an :incsssant groanine.
Toward this grotssque, incongruous, In
animals piece OF carved stone the eyes
Of all were turned In alteration. For a
time the PROSTATE horue lay bowed to the
floor in prayer, until a quickly disoerni-
BILE stir and show Of interest gave evil
denoe that some moment OF extraordi-
nary Interest was at hand. Quietly and
unobser we'd, a dozen men had been carry
ing immense armfuls Of wood on to the
platform and placing them before the
stone image.
"Soon the full import Of this move
n ent was apparent. Here before oui
eyes was to take place one Of those bar
barous human sacrifices OF which We had
heard rumors ct Gharlaku. 1t did not
take long to confirm our suspicious, for
quietly and without murmr- VI any
k.rs ssslf dozen newcomers had mount
ed TIE elevated space, absolutely naked
and bound with cords.-intended victims
of the carnival that was to follow. The
tire had been already touched to the
wood; the first faint flicker had psen
famed into an open flame, and in min
ute the whole mass. was seething, roar
ing furnace, lighting up the Interior Of
the cave as with the MONDAY sun. The
bright glow OF the fire permitted US to &C.
cure a better view Of the doomed victims.
Five were men In the ssrs and yellow
leaf, scarcely able to totter alone, and
whose lives in the natural course OF event
could not be prolonged many ye,rs.
They were huddled together, apart fro n
the other viotim,-a young girl, who
could not have been over ID years OF age.
She had a oomsly, nut-bro1n face, with
dark, wavy clusters Of hair rambling
over her forehead and reaching down TO
her waist. With cool. If not openly
disdainful look. she gazsd with exalted
dignity on the surrounding group, with
never a waver In the stoio oomposure OF
her attitude.
eat last the fearful moment arrived.
One of the old men was seized and
stretched on q sort OF stone altar. raised
few feet above the floor Of the platform.
ne fully realized that his last hour had
como, for his stoioism had vanished, and
he struggled in impotent fear and fury to
escape from the grasp Of his oaptors. CIV
Ing vent to shrek after shrek, until,
weak and exhausted. he fell into stupor
with only spssmodio efforts AttemI ting
o throw Oh the restraining hands OF the
prissta -Four Of the minor priests held
the family struggling body down, while
from the gloomy niche stslked forth the
chief sacrlfioial priest. his hand holding
q long. glistenins knife having broad,
paddle-shap,d blade peArly SIX inches
wide. Once, twice, thrice he abased
himself to the ground before the unrs-
sponsivs image. aud then turning aroand
like beast really to leap on Its slseping
prey, with his small rat eyes giissening
with overpowering fascination, he rushed
toward the PROSTATE form. A fash OF
light. az of . falling meteor. aud the
hoar hIada aank co the hilt In the flesh