Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-15

tracted; but knowing full well that
the priests would have brought this
terrible wreck to pass by virtue Of
the powers which were stored with
| In the Ark of the Mysteries, it would
be their natural impulse to pour out
. final vengeance upon any of these
same priests they could come across
before it was too late.
1t began to come to my mind that
If the ceremony did not very short
ly terminate, the further part of the
plan would stand very small chance
| of completion, and / should come by
my death after all by fighting to q
finish, as had pictured to myself be-
fore. My Pickering attention saw
the soldiers coming always nearer in
their frantic wanderings, and saw
also the sea below rolling deeper and
deeper in upon the land.
| The fires, too, which ringed in half
the mountain, spurted up to double
their old height, and burned with an
| unceasing roar. But for all distrac-
ton these things gave to the two old
| priests who were raising me, we
might have been in the quietness of
| some ancient temple, with not SO
much as fly to buzz an Interrupt
ton.
But at last an end came to the
ceremony. "Kneel," cried Zaemon,
"and make obeisance to your mother
the earth,~ and swear by the high
L Ic fhot
proper use of the powers over her
which this day you have been
| granted"
When had done that, he babe me
rise as fully installed and duly
initiated member of the three. "You
will have no opportunity to practice
the workings of this degree with
either of US, my brother" said he,
"for presently our other brother and
go to stand before the gods to de-
liver to them an account of our
trust, and of how we have carried it
out. But what items you remember
here and there may turn of use to
you hereafter. And now we two give
you our farewells, and promise to
commend you highly to the gods
Fwhen soon we meet them in their
place behind the stars. Climb now
into the ark, and be ready to shut
the door which guards it, if there is
any attempt by these raging people
to invade that also. Remember, my
brother, it is the gods direct will
that you and the woman Nais go
from this place living and sound, and
you are expressly forbidden to ac-
cept challenge or provocation to fight
on any pretext whatever. But as
long as may be done in safety, you
may look out upon Atlantis in her
death-throes. 1t is very fitting that
one of the only two who are sent
hence alive should carry the full tale
of what has befallen.''
| went to the top of the Ark Of
Mysteries then, climbing there by
the battens which are fastened to
the sides, and then descended by the
stair which is inside and found Nais
in little chamber waiting for me.
ST was hidden stay here by
Zaemon," she said. "who forced me
to this place by threats and also by
| promises that my lord would follow.
He is very ungentle. that father of
mine, but I think he has kindness
for MS both, and anyway he is my ia
ther and l cannot help loving him.
Is there no chance to save him from
what is going to happen?"
HE will not come into this ark,
for Il asked him. 1t has been or
| dained from the ancient time when
| first the ark was built that when the
day for its purpose came, one wom-
an and one man should be its only
tenants. and they are here already.
Zaemon's will in the matter is not
to be twisted by you or by me. He
has message to be delivered to the
| gods. and (if know him at alD he
grudges every minute that is lost III
carrying it to them
left her then, and went out again up
the stair, and stood once more on the
roof of the ark. On the mountain top
men still ran about distracted, but
gradually they were coming to where
the ark rested on the highest point.
For the moment, however, I passed
them lightly. The drowning of the
| great continent that had been spread
out below filled the eye. Ocean roared
in upon it with still more furious
| waves. The plains and the level lands
We're foaming lakes. The great city
of Atlantis had vanished eternally.
The mountains alone kept their heads
above the flood, and spewed out rocks
and steam and boiling stone, or burst
when the waters reached them, and
created great whirlpools of surging
| sea and twisted trees and bubbling
mud.
| In the space of few breaths every
living creature that dwelt in the lower
| grounds had been smothered by the
waters, save for few who huddled in
pair of galleys that were driven oar
less inward. over what had once been
black forest and hunting land for the
beasts. And even as / watched, these
also were swallowed up by the horrid
turmoil of sea, and nothing but the
sea beasts, and those of the greater
| lizards which can live in such out
rageous waters, could have survived
even that stage of the destruction.
Indeed, none but those men who had
now found standing ground on the
upper slopes of the Sacred Mountain
survived, and it was plain that their
span was short, for the great mass of
the continent sank bodily deeper and
more deep every minute before our
aching eyes beneath the boiling thrush