Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-12
0s high gods will shudder ~ they

a. high sods will shudder ~ they
order It,"
You cannot scare VI back now by
words." said Tatho, doggedly. "And
e for magic, 1t will be met by magic.
Phorenice has found by her own clev-
esusss % many powers az were ever
stored up In the Ark Of tho Mys-
<sries."
yet shs looked ON helplessly
enough last night, when her royal
Pyramid vas trundied into rubbish
Assp. Zaemon had prophesied that
this should 10 90, and for . witness,
why, myself stood closer to her
than We two stand now, and saw
her,"
\ viii ewn you took her by sur
prise somewhat there. I do not un-
dsfstand these matters myself; I was
xsvsr more thsn one of the seven in
the old days; and now, quite rightly,
1horenics keeps the knowledge Of
her magic TO herself; but II seems
time 10 needed when one magic Ia to
BE- met BY another"
"Wsll." I said, X know little about
the business either. I leave these
matters now to those who are high
or shove me in the priesthood. In
deed. having Q liking for Nais. 1t
seems I am debarred from ever be-
ing given understanding about the
highest Of tho high mysteries. So I
content myself with being soldier,
and when the appointed day comes,
shall fall sRd kiss my mother the
earth for the Last time. You, 80 I
am told. have ambition for longer
lifs.s
He nodded. "Phorenice has found
the Great Secret. and am to be the
drst that will share It with her.
We shaM Be 40 gods upon the earth,
seeing that death will be powerless
20 touch us. And the twin sons she
has borne me will be made immortal
also"
"Phoreniee is headstrong. No, my
lord. there 10 no need to shake your
head and try to deny 1t. I have had
some acquaintance with her. But
the order has been made, and her
immortality will be snatched from
from her very rudely. Now mark
solemnly my words. I, Deucalion,
have been appointed king of Atlantis
by the high council Of the priests
who are the mouthpiece of the most
high gods, and IL do not have my
reign, then there will be no Atlantis
Left 10 carry either king or empress.
You know me, Tatho. for man that
mover lies"
He nodded.
"Thsn save yourself before it 10 too
late You shah have again your
vioeroyalty In Yucatan."
But. man, there is no Yucatan.
A great horde Of little hairy crea-
lures. that were something less than
human and something more than
beasts. swept down upon our cities
aad sts thorn out. Oh, you may sneer
II you choose. Others sneered when I
csns home. till the empress stopped
them. But you know what train Of
drivsr-ants 80 that you meet with in
the forssts7 You may light fires
across their path, and they will
march into them in their blind brav-
cry, and put them out with their
bodies. and those that are left will
march on In an unbroken column,
and devour all that stands in their
path. tell you, my lord, those little
hairy creatures were like ants-aye,
for numbers and wooden bravery. as
sseu- a. -4o- .aPPotito.-.As q result, to-
day there 10 no Yucatan."
"You shall have Egypt, then"
He burst at me holly. II would
not take seven Egypts and ten Yucca
tans. My lord, you think more poor
~ OF me than Is kind when you ask
mo to become traitor. In your
place would you throw your Nais
away II the doing IT would save you
from a danger?"
'That Ia different"
I'm no degree. You have a kind
ness for her. I have all that and
more for Phorenice. who is, besides,
my wife and the mother of my chill
dren. If have qualms-and 1 freely
con3ess I know you are desperate
men up there, and have dreadful
powers at your command-my SHY:
erings are for them and not for my
aslf. But I think. my lord, this par
Icy - leading to nothing, and though
these common soldiers here will un-
AeEstand little enough of our talk,
they may he picking up word here
and there. and / do not wish them
10 60 on to their death (as you will
see them do shortly and carry evil
reports about me to whatever gods
they chance to come before"
He saluted me with his sword and
drew back. and once more the mis-
siles began to fly, and the doomed
wretches who had been hating be=
side the steep Epck walls Of the pass
began once more to press hopelessly
forward. They had scaling-ladders
certainly. but they had no chance of
getting these planted. They could
DE- naught but fill the narrow way
With thsif bodies. ana to that end
fhsy had been sent. and to that end
they humbiy died. Our priests with
crow and lever wrenched from their
lodging-places the great rocks which
had been made ready, and sent them
crashing down, 50 that once more
scgcssnis Allied the pass, and the hor-
ia butchery was renewed.
but ever and again some arrow. OF
aeme slingstane, or some fre-tupe's
Dart would And its way up from be.
low end through the defenses, and