Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-01

Auo ulleu OInceS unere, many naQ De-
come lukewarm in their faith and re-
NAMED on only through habit, and
because an easy living stayed near
them there; and these, when the
siege began, quickly made their way
over to the other side.
Phorenice was no fool to fight
against unnecessary strength. Her
heralds made proclamation that
peace and good subsistence would
be given to those who chose to come
out to her willingly; and as an alter
native she would kill by torture and
mutilation those she. caught in the
place when she took 1t by storm, as
she most assuredly would do before
she had finished with it. And so great
was the prestige of her name that
quite one-half OF those that remained
on the mountain took themselves
away from the defense.
| There was no attempt to hold back
these sorry priests, nor was there
any Furnishing them as they went.
Zaemon, indeed, was minded ESQ he
told me with grim meaning himself)
1
apostasy to carry away which would
not wear out, but the others of the
high council made him stay his
vengeful hand. And 50, when came
to the place, the garrison numbered
no more than So counting even feeble
old dotards who could barely walk;
and Of men not past their prime
could barely command a score.
Still, seeing the narrowness of the
passages which led to each of the
gates, up which in no place could
more than two men advance togeth-
er, we were by no means in desperate
straits for the defense as yet, and
even if my new-given kingdom was SO
far small, consisting as it did of the
Sacred Mountain, and no other part
of Atlantis, at any rate there
seemed little danger of its being fur
Their contracted.
Another of the wise precautions Of
the men of old stood in good stead
then. In the ancient times, when
grain was first grown as food, it
came to be looked upon as the acme
of wealth. Tribute was always paid
from the people to their priests, and
presently, so the old histories say, it
was appointed that this should take
the form Of grain, as this was medi-
UNI both dignified and fitting. And
those of the people who had it were
not forced to barter their other prod
uce for grain before they could pay
this tribute.
On the Sacred Mountain itself vast
storehouses were dug in the rock,
and here the grain was teemed in
great yellow heaps, and each genera
ton of those that were set over it
took a pride IN adding to the accumu-
lation.
In modern days it had been the Gus
tom among the younger and more
forward of the priests to scott at this
ancient provision, and to hold that
treasure of gold or weapons or
jewels would have more value and no
less of dignity; and more than once
it had been close thing lest these
innovators should not be outyoted.
But as it was, the old constitution
had happily been preserved, and now
in these years of trial the clan
reaped the benefit. And SO with
these granaries and series of great
tanks and cisterns which held the
rainfall, there was no chance of Pho.
renice reducing our stronghold by
mere close investment, even though
she sat down stubbornly before it for
q score of years.
i But it was the paucity of men for
the defense which oppressed me most,
AS took my way about the head of
the mountain, inspecting all points,
the emptiness of the place smote me
| like succession Of blows The
groves, once SO trim, were now shaggy
and unpruned. Wind had whirled the
leaves in upon the temple floors, and
they lay there unswept. The college
of youths held no more than musty
smell to bear witness that men had
once been grown there. The homely
palaces of the higher priests, at one
time so ardently sought after, lay
many of them empty, because not
even one candidate came forward
now to canvass for election.
| Evil thoughts surged up within me
as saw these things, that were di-
rect promptings from the neither
gods. There must be something
wanting" these tempters whispered,
"in a religion from which SO many
OF its priests fled at the first pinch Of
persecution"
did what could to thrust these
waverings resolutely behind me; but
they refused to be altogether ousted
from my brain; and so made COM
promise with myself First, would
with the help that might be given me,
destroy this wanton Phorenice, and
regain the kingdom which had been
given me to my own proper rule; and
afterwards would call council of
the seven and council Of the three,
and consider without prejudice If
there was any matter in which our
ancient ritual could be amended to
suit the modern requirements. But
this should not be done till Phorenice
was dead and was firmly planted in
her room. I would not be party,
even to myself, to any plan which
smacked at all of surrender.
And there as walked through the
desolate groves and bssias she cold