The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-08-07
| THE BURST HEART" |
ny NRvILLH GAIN,
ooaAaNnNoMNoAo0oAoNoA
4 spoohy TaI@

-
The people OF tho lind of ON Ind
fallen under tho white curse, IInlf
tho Kingdom had nlpnAdy aOno over
The nowapy plnins md mst' Tho verdnft
groves 10 tho gray cliffs on tho donolnlo
horizon Into those Businesses Inaoooa'
sIbla save 10 those who Wnro cnlled-a
and they never returned,
IN the midst Of the fenst, IN the tenn
pies, IN tho midnight slumbep, tho sum.
mons came, and tho stricken ono
stpalghtWay rose and gIrded w hls
loins and Departed, abnstly eIdOlons,
emissaples from TINT dpond bonrn,
came and bveathad 0noo IN tho fnoe OF
the Victim, whose heart turned 10 loo
within him and his cheeks 10 marble
Burnt offerings smoked ~inooAsantly
upon tho altapsI supplloatDg hands
grew VlgId before tho silent gods In
vain, Hopreok tho Hermit Ind snld
That II ono only survived tho 0rdonl
which awaited tho stricken NJ thar
journeys end, tho oupae would 10 mt
ed,
Then a great resolve WIS born III tho
heart or Ark tho Prince,
Days and nights fnsted he In tho
cave Of tho hermit Wntll, pNpgod 0f
earthly dposs, hIs soul stood VOL nigh
bare, The eid0l0n pnssod and touched
his brow,
no now" said Howeek, wort thou
not pure In heart what ! toll thoe would
still avail thee nothing, hut romom'
boz, with MI thy concentrated might
hold fnst 10 this thoughts Remove not
thine eyes for over w brief IN Instant,
for tho mllIonth part OF \ second, from
The Faoe, or thou nv lost"
Through tho great rIyon rock, width.
or no had arrived after Incredible hard
shIps, the prince NJ length took hlH
way, ever drawn on ~ by q terrible
magnet,
AT some distance before him rose 4
gloomy adlhoa 0f dark rock whose DOL.
umns were lost IN tho sulphnvouS
clouds,
Two oondops wrestled IN tho porlleo
over something raw md bleeding,
which parted, and they drew hnol
with mlpoUs or0aks NV Ark wnlkod
between them, through tho great por.
tHl, ana stood IN the 0utop corridor Of
the temple " Fear,
Az no proceeded farther 0nwnrd no
henRma aWnpa VI n pounding noise, ~
upon 4 great drum, accompanies ny
Tho horrible wheeling 0f some strange
wind instrument, which amused tho
flesh OF bis scalp 10 draw w into \
knot, while above tho wall which sepn.
rated him from tho inner temple lle
saw tho shadow Of some drpad thing
waving 10 Gnd fp0,
Suddenly n chant arose, Mn, hu, IN,
huW m0notonously repeated, and tlnnn
no emerged into 4 great, dripping, ronk'
Ing, Qayepnous chamber
II WAS III up by \ pAl9 t0rnh burning
from A human skull before mn altar IN
the center of the great hall Upon this
altap lay n burst human heart, Drip
ping with I0y sweat, 10 pRlHed hls oyos
10 that which sat upon n throne NJ tho
farther end Of tho hRl - the Great
White Snake, the god 0f fenr,
FVGm side 10 Side N slowly sWay1d,
while Its awful eyes tpanshxod him.
About the altar with ghastly faces and
lettering steps, moved n procession Of
pilgrims, Around their feet swarmod
spiders, rats and countless
yepmlh Al tho boom OF y great boil
In tho dome n priest approached and
led q devoted one through \ door, and
thu procession moved on, Ark took
hls place among them Rt \ NgD from
the priest,
AT length II was his turn To pass tho
door, from which none had re'
Az II closed upon him no per.
that they had entered upon
great, gray plain the horizon Of which
WAS dim In misty twilight, From mn
InaalGWlable height In the leadeD clouds
u chain, NJ the end Of whlah
hung 4 great ring,
"Apt ready for the ordeal Q wreteh'
I'd 9HaW said tho priest, leading him
beneath the ring and bidding him grasp
II, ~ thou endHpest, peace shall relgn
md happiness prevail IN thy native
realm, sh9pldst thou fAil, thy heart
shall feed tho vHltures,"
One glance about him, and no per'
laIyad tho remnants Of many a%araass0s,
while In the distance dusky forms nap.
pod from point to point Softly no
WAS lifted from the plain and began 4
swing, simultaneously from
Tho MY dawRed Tho Face, beautiful boz
POND words, Remembering H0FFeGk's
Injunction, no vlyated hts eyes upon III
II seemed as Though they would
lHrst from hIs head, though his sw0l.
eD heart Gh0ked bis breath,
Ont 9Ht, ont, from horizon to horizon,
stone deaf with the swirl 0f tho air, he
sWBDg, His hair WAS searched, his
In hl@akaHed rags, but ever up
IN The Face ReaHtifnl he strained hin
1aNf, /,