The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-11-21

WHICH, III aOQlblOu " Lu0oOt w.
whelmed me with awe and ~astonish-
was my observation that the
spacious streets were filled with tre-
mendous figures resembling human De
ings apparently prosecuting their varl-
Gus professions, pursuits and pleas
ures; but all transformed, as If by a
miracle, into stone.
Following my conductor, now
tered a spacious quadrangle wherein
the waters of fountains o ana
sparkled in the moonlight, but twas
not the grand beauty of the spot that
transfixed my attention but the ap-
p~earance of numerous ranks CT SOL
diers all turned-in the very act OF ex-
ercising-to stone.
Behold" said my conductor, yon
tower; that was mine own private
sanctum for study, and now seat thy
Sc, on this column and thou shalt hear
the story of the City of Silence!
"Know that thou" he continued,
'art in the very heart of Africa, into
which the enterprising sons OF all civ
ilized nations have SO often but valnly
SuQ6dVOrSQ 10 pSuSLIdIS.
''Shor, the original name OF the City
of Silence, was the capital OF a flour
ishing and powerful kingdom, ald had
reached the pinnacle of it's glory when
the wise and v~irtuous monarch, 10
mar. ascended the nations throne.
And beside him sat Maya, his queen
who was beloved by all for her beauty,
- -.oo;0,1o noonnor
both king and queen labored sedu-
lously in acts Of piety and in arts OF
peace. ~expending the public money in
beautifying the city with noble works
and in encouraging sublime sciences.
"But alas! it cam to pass that n
dav to the queen appeared a venerable
man who said to her: % foolish
Naya, you think you possess all the
lows ever known, but there is n
that YOU have not, and that is life
eternal
The queen was silent; then, arous-
ing herself as if from a dream, She
asked of the stranger: And if l de-
sired this life eternai?'
"''Tis in my power to give it to
thee responded the man, but upon
certain conditions: First, you must
swear to administer to every creature
in this city the potion l give you; sec
ondly you must swear to keep closed
forever the Gates of Shor; thirdly,
continued the ancient, thirdly, your
deities (of whom I, Ator, I'm one,)
have decreed that should you weary
of your bargain 0 must not seek the
aid of the God called Almighty, with
whom we are at war, but the aid OF
your gods, for they alone can answer
your prayers And then he vanished
but the seed was sown, and the
queen began to covet the prize which
she had not; and, like poor Eve, she
fell a prey to the wiles OF a demon
and, falling, dragged the king dowr
with her, for he could not bear to see
the idol of his heart yearn for a pleas
ure within his power to purchase ant
not grant it; and so, the deed was
done-the gates of the city were for
ever closed, and the inhabitants re
joiced as they partook of the immorta
elixir.
but ere long the evil effects of tn
dreadful contract we're sensibly felt
and the king beheld with inward ter
ror and contrition that in deprivin'
men of the salutary fear of death b
had trampled under foot the onl,
{ effectual barrier against immortality
, And he beheld much more, and tn
, sight filed his honest bosom wit.
, establishment and regret. He coul
) not prevent the natural increase of hi
people, but alas! the limits to whic
= he and they were confined did not be
Z come enlarged in proportion to the &C
v emulation of the populace. To thes
horrors were added a thousand loath
some diseases, and whilst we suffere
all the agonies of mortality death re
lieved us not.
AT last, driven to desperation, som
bold spirits attempted to unbar tn
gates of the city, to find them held fas
by some supernatural power, and tn
dreadful lightnings which flashed fro1
wall and tower when they attempte
to scale them proved that the city wa
guarded and a vigilant watch kept owe
its inmates by beings not of this worlt
Recognizing this terrible fact,
public council was called, in which
was decided to .beseech the gods I
grant the promised relief. On the al
pointed day the wretched people a
sembled in the streets and squares, in
ploring the deities to spare them flu
thar njcnru About Nom q AarRnpC